Just got back from Fort Mill, S.C., where more than 200 martial artists took part in the four-day Shurite Martial Arts Conference. It was, as usual, a great event, with multiple instructors teaching multiple arts, ranging from karate and kobudo to arnis, jujitsu, knife and gun defense, Tai Chi, Bagua, Hsing Yi, Wing Chun, Jeet KuneDo and on and on. It was great to be a small part of the conference, which was highlighted by O’Sensei Robert Bowles, who is head of Okinawan Shuri Ryu karate, teaching Hakutsuru Godan (the last of the five Hakutsuru taught in the system). Next year’s conference is already scheduled: June 25-28, 2026. Make plans to attend. You won’t regret it.
Below is a picture taken Saturday of the instructors and students.
I didn’t get a chance to take any of the classes, but it was amazing to meet so many martial artists (thank you for introducing me to O’Sensei Bowles!) and work Danzan Ryu’s restorative therapy on such great people.