To all Hokama sensei’s friends and students.
Yesterday, a ceremony was held to present a letter of appreciation from the President of Lithuania to Grand Master Tetsuhiro Hokama Sensei, in recognition of his many years of outstanding contributions to the development of martial arts (Karate and Kobudo) in Europe and Lithuania, as well as to cultural international exchange and the promotion of peace.
The letter was presented through Mr. Rytis, who is responsible for the protection of the President of Lithuania and serves as a representative of the Dignitary Protection Service of Lithuania.
We had a great Training Dan Grading Exam and Ceremony last night. We exchanged culture and skills.
Especially We appreciate to Hubert sensei for organizing a lot of things. Thank you.
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On behalf of
Gitanas Nauséda
President of Lithuania
To Grand Master
Tetsuhiro Hokama Sensei
President of Okinawa Gojuryu Kenshikai Karatedo Kobudo Headquarters
Founder of Okinawa Prefecture Karate Museum
Hanshi 10th Dan in Gojuryu Karate / Hokama Kobudo
Calligrapher as Hokama Shungan
Researcher of Ryukyu History
We would like to express our deepest respect for your Life Path and impressive Leadership as a great Preserver of Okinawa’s ancient traditions and a well known Expert of Okinawa’s rich cultural achievements, successfully representing Japan’s unique and diverse heritage in the world.
We recognize the hard work, tireless efforts and personal dedication you have devoted to all these processes, and we respectfully congratulate you on your great success. In Lithuania, we sincerely appreciate your role and dedication to spread your impressive, refined art and wisdom as
Shigan
and we are deeply grateful for the exceptional Opportunity to build closer bridges and bilateral ties between our two countries, Lithuania and Japan.
We wish you continued good health and strength.
May the people of Japan and Okinawa enjoy lasting prosperity and well-being!
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The Opportunity for the Representative of Dignitary Protection Service of Lithuania to learn from original source:
The Grand Master – The Beacon
to acquire knowledge, to innovate, to strengthen and further polish personal qualities, to gain new sparks of strength to lead is an exceptional present of destiny and a unique gift of Sensei to the Followers. Your personal guidance in mission
to share Okinawa’s cultural asset
is a treasure
to those who follow.
“It’s not that easy to overcome differences and become one.
Shigan is our world—the realm of the living, a place defined by impermanence, desire, passion, and suffering. It is the reality we inhabit every day. Therefore, to be in Shigan is to be on a journey. It is to exist within the struggle, with the hope one day reaching the other side,” says the thinker and author of these words, Hougu Kawakami. “This duality is central to Japanese spiritual thought and is physically observed during the Higan festivals, held during the spring and autumn equinoxes. During these times, it is believed that the veil between our world and the spirit world is at its thinnest, making it an auspicious time to visit ancestral graves and pray for the dead, bridging the gap between Shigan and Higan.
Crossing from one shore to the other shore, from the place full of worries and troubles to the place where the heart is free.
While Higan represents the ultimate spiritual goal, choosing Shigan as a concept to embrace is a powerful statement in itself. It is not an expression of nihilism or a glorification of suffering. Instead, it can be seen as a profound acceptance of the human condition. It is a commitment to finding meaning and beauty within the transient, imperfect world. It embodies the Zen idea of living fully in the present moment, acknowledging the struggles without being consumed by them. In a way, embracing Shigan is the first, most crucial step on the path toward Higan.”
We sincerely appreciate your role in the success of our shared journey. We hope that we will continue to foster strong, long-lasting people-to-people relations in the future.