TRAVEL 67 : Chris Willson Photography

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Warrior Poet – Māori Martial Arts Master Tuari Dawson

Published by travel67

Tuari Dawson has a passion for sharing his Māori culture, especially through the martial arts. He has made several trips to Okinawa to study Goju-ryu karate, and to find similarities between these two island nations.

Tuari and I met up on his recent visit, and I was able to record a quick interview at our local beach. Such a memorable experience, one of the highlights of my year. Of course I was in awe at him performing the haka, but I hadn’t expected that he was such as soulful singer!

Tuari has followed the Okinawan karate masters series, and has invited me to Aotearoa (New Zealand) to photograph and interview the masters of Māori martial arts. This would be absolutely amazing, so hopefully we will be able to make this possible sometime in the next few years.

2024 Calendars

Published by travel67

The 2024 Okinawan Spirit Calendar is available at the Chris Willson Photography Shopify store.

The calendars are created print on demand at numerous locations around the world. If you are based in the US or CA make sure to select the US & CA version so that it is created in the correct part of the world!

https://b0d25b.myshopify.com

There is also a 2024 Japanese Spirit Calendar that is also available.

I’ll also be putting in the option to buy individuals prints in the store. Currently there’s a Wagasa Kyoto Umbrella print that is available as a canvas or as a framed print.

https://b0d25b.myshopify.com

Shinugu Festival, Ada Village, Kunigami

Published by travel67

The Shinugu Festival in the tiny hamlet of Ada, is a celebration of traditions, with hopes for good health and a good harvest.

Shinugu festival, an intangible folk cultural asset of Japan, Ada, Kunigami Village, Okinawa, Japan.

Denny Tamaki the governor of Okinawa, attended the festival for the first time. (Second person on second row, standing next to guy in the green shirt.)

The lady in the picture below told me she had to wait 2 more years to be 100. Full of life, every time she referred to herself she touched her nose with her drumstick. She bossed around all the younger ladies in the group. Young ladies who were only in their 70’s or 80’s.

Ryukyu Guardian Lions v Taipei Predators

Published by travel67

On July 1st 2023 the Ryukyu Guardian Lions took on the Taipei Predators in an off-season American football game.

I had the opportunity to shoot from the sidelines, and be up close to the action. I used a couple of Sony A7RIVs with the 200-600 and the 16-35 lenses.

I managed to get they key shots I wanted which included the quaterback 藤原慶太 throwing the ball, and defensive line Gabe Edwards shutting down the opposition. Wide receiver 池口伸之 had a fantastic run to score a touchdown that sealed the game.

As RGL won the game it was also good to photograph the celebrations, and gett pics of both teams.

You can find more information about the team at https://ryukyuguardianlions.com

Ryukyu Guardian Lions v Taipei Predators 1st July 2023 at Onoyama Athletics Park. Chris Willson Photography http://www.TRAVEL67.com

Sensei: Masters of Okinawan Karate S2#3 Yoshimasa Matsuda

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I’m very happy to announce that the full-length interview with Okinawan karate master Yoshimasa Matsuda is now available on YouTube, and also ad-free on Bujin.tv

The episodes are taking longer to create than in the previous series, mainly as we are asking more questions and delving deeper into the experiences of the teachers. Matsuda Sensei used a mixture of Japanese and Uchinaguchi (the Okinawan language) in the interview so as well as being important from a karate perspective, I think the interview is also a good recording of an Okinawan switching naturally between the two languages.

When you watch the episodes on YouTube please click the like button, subscribe to the channel, and make a comment about what you enjoyed most about the video. These things will all indicate to the YouTube algorithm that the video is worth sharing with others.

You can learn more about the video series here: https://travel67.com/the-karate-masters-portrait-project/sensei-documentary/

I’d like to say a huge thank all those who are sponsoring and supporting this second series.

SERIES TWO SPONSORS

Martin Pinto – Essex Goju Ryu Karate

Doug Perry – Okinawa Shorinryu Karate

Cezar Borkowski – Northern Karate Schools

NOVA Okinawan Karate Dojo

Seikichi Iha, Okinawa Prefectural Intangible Cultural Asset – Beikoku Shidokan Karatedo Association

Neil Stolsmark – Authentic Ancient Arts

Okinawa Kobudo Doushi Rensei Kai & Shorin- Ryu Shorinkan.

Zensekai Karate Kobujitsu Renmei / Oyata Preservation Foundation

Series Two – Key Supporters

Ervin Tong – Shin Shi Kan

Fred Mansfield Jr. – Beikoku Shidokan / RBKD

Robert Roberto Curtis – Beikoku Shidokan / Virginia Dojo

琉球大学国際地域創造学部ウェルネス研究分野 (荒川研究室)

Mark Spear – Black Bear Dojo

Series Supporters

Ari Nuutinen

Justin Sheehy

David Deinert

Fred Speece

Andreas Sticht

Danny Smith

Olaf Steinbrecher

Jonathan Lapomardo

Shelley Cormier

Gerry Campbell

Marian Reiter

Joel Castasus

Åke Mora Temnerud

Victoria Kirkup

Robin Ross

Thomas Podzelny

Andy Morris

Darren Xiberras

James Hatch

John J. Strangeway

Andrea Klementisová – Gojuryu Karate

Published by travel67

A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to photograph a karate world champion, Andrea Klementisová. After winning numerous karate championships around the globe Andrea moved from Slovakia to Okinawa.

Andrea Klementisová 4th Dan Gojuryu Karate, Motobu, Okinawa, Japan 23rd April 2023

She has assisted Okinawa prefecture with the promotion of karate overseas, and helped with the organization of tournaments. She is now also teaching classes at the Asato Dojo in Naha, City.

Meeting Andrea also gave me the opportunity to start a new series of portraits, Sensei: The Next Generation. Unlike the original series of portraits which are all shot with a single key light, my thought is that these will also be lit with a rim light from behind. Shooting with a single light against a black background worked well with the oldest karate masters as they usually had either white hair, or were bald. If you photograph a person with black hair against a dark background, they can sometime melt into the darkness. Adding a rim light or hair light helps the subject stand out.

James and I also recorded an interview with Andrea about her experiences competing in karate, her love of Okinawa, and how she made these islands her new home. As she spoke in English it will be out much faster than the interviews in the Sensei: Masters of Okinawan Karate series. Hopefully it will go on YouTube and Bujin.tv sometime in the next couple of months.

Dragon boats are back!

Published by travel67

After a four-year hiatus, the dragon boats are once again racing during the Golden Week holidays.

Friday afternoon had the finals of the regular races with the boats crews made up of both locals and Americans. The sky was overcast, but luckily it was not raining on the day.

After these races the special dragon boat race took place, which the crews in traditional costume, along with flag bearers and karateka.

I’m not sure of the names of the sensei performing with the black-robed crew, or the blue-robed crew, but the white-robed crew was led by Onaga Sensei, a karate master I’ll be photographing in the coming weeks.

Checking back through my archives I found a pic from 2011 when I actually managed to get in one of the boats for a race. Can’t believe I was shooting with a medium format digital camera, in the rain, on a boat that might sink!

After going further back in the archvies, I found images shot with the Pentax 67ii medium format film camera around 20 years ago. Looks like a beautiful sunny day as the colours really pop. Interestingly this angle, from opposite side of the port, is now blocked off to spectators so glad I got the shots back then.

A portrait of Nobuhide Higa. ( Matsubayashi Ryu 10th dan.), Naha City, Okinawa, Japan.

Back in the halcyon days of film, I also shot a portrait of a dragon boat participant who many years later I would discover was the karate master Nobuhide Higa.

Naha City’s dragon boat races, known locally as the Naha Haari usually take place each year, so if you missed them be sure to check it out in Golden Week 2024.

Bise Village Kimono Shoot with Tomoko

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A great experience photographing Tomoko before she leaves the island next month. Bise Village in Motobu Town is famous for its fukugi trees Garcinia subelliptica which are used as windbreaks and provide shade. The idyllic tree-lined avenues are particularly photogenic and are recently the setting for a Japanese tv drama Chimudondon (ちむどんどん).

Professional photography/video in Bise Village of clients in formal wear (bridal or kimono) now requires booking and a shooting fee, but it remains one of my favorite locations.

Kimono styling by Yuki.

Sony A7RIV with 50mm f1.2 lens. Profoto B1 strobe with softlight reflector to add a little fill.

National Geographic France – Okinawan Longevity

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National Geographic France opens their new feature about Okinawan longevity with one of my portraits of Shiroma-san a student of the Matsubayashi-ryu Arakaki Dojo training at the beach.

Very pleasing.

https://www.nationalgeographic.fr/voyage/sante-okinawa-le-pays-des-immortels?

Sakura – Journey across Japan

Published by travel67

A little video I created showing cherry blossoms across Japan. Images were taken between 2002 and 2023. Some were the Pentax 67II medium format film camera, some were the Pentax 645D, the Pentax, 645Z, and the most recent were the Sony A7RIV.