Reflections on Hawaii and Kajukenbo

WOW! The Corder family is back from a whirlwind trip to Hawaii! As I download the 862 pictures (and that was after I organized and discarded), I am having time to reflect on the many aspects of our wonderful trip.

First, thank you to all our students for their support while we were gone. Closing the dojo is always a hard thing for us to do, but this trip was important and valuable to us personally and as a dojo.

It was a real treat to visit Hawaii again. Sifu and I first visited Oahu 20 years ago for our honeymoon. My perspective on so many things changed being a parent and martial artist now, as opposed to the honeymoon-bliss experienced in 1988.


We celebrated the 61st birthday of Kajukenbo by visiting the Palama Settlement. It isn’t a spectacular building but knowing what we knew made it special to us. Sifu and I have had the privilege to visit many historical sites – sites of religious, familial and patriotic significance - all over the world. There is a certain reverence you can feel in these places and we certainly felt it at the Palama Settlement. Imagining the Black Belt Society meeting and piecing together the early material of Kajukenbo, gave us a true appreciation for all that Kaju material we practice.

We spent a day in Maui and visited with Sigung Kailani Koa and Sijo Emperado. Being with Sigung Koa is always awesome as her enthusiasm and joyful spirit spills out of her! She is dedicated to her family and Kajukenbo Ohana and sets an awesome example for all of us to follow.


We brought lunch to Sijo and enjoyed visiting outside with him. At 82 his mind is still sharp although his body aging (getting old stinks!). I am always amazed to see our Kajukenbo leaders’ hands…you can tell they have a history of hard-hitting and training. Sijo has a gentle demeanor in spite of all the hard-core training stories we have heard and read. It was truly an honor to spend time with him.

Our Hawaii visit also included Pearl Harbor and the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial. It’s a unique place and maybe it feels even more special to be from Arizona. It was remarkable to me that 37 sets of brothers served and died on the U.S.S. Arizona. As a mother of two brothers, I found that very emotional and I was overwhelmed with gratitude for the soldiers who died and the families left behind. Another amazing fact is that many of the U.S.S. Arizona survivors have had their remains entombed at the memorial. This desire to be with their “brothers in arms” is inspiring. What an incredible example of the Ohana spirit!


When we begin our classes, we salute the flag. This trip to the U.S.S. Arizona reminded me of exactly why this is so important – we all need to strive to show our respect and gratitude to all those who have made it possible for us to practice martial arts freely in our country. What a privilege! In early Hawaii, martial arts were not allowed and the traditions were carried on via Hula dancing. Additionally, women were not even allowed to Hula! How poignant for me to be a female black belt and be able to freely practice Kajukenbo!


Perhaps the pinnacle of our trip was our visit to the island of Kauai, known as the garden island. And that is no joke! It is absolutely beautiful and rural – no high-rises or the mass numbers of people as in Oahu. It was a perfect setting to study Lua with Ôlohe Solomon Kaihewalu. It was a great cultural event as we learned more about Hawaii and Lua and it provided a great boost to see that hard-hitting and really cool self-defense tools! I love the sound of hard hits on gi’s and plan to do more of that at Kaju AZ! (Train Strong to Remain Strong!)


Hawaii was a renewal for Sifu and I and we continue to be excited about the upcoming changes and growth at Kaju AZ! It is an honor to be a part of each of your lives and we are grateful for the opportunities and special relationships!
Humbly,
Simou Jen