Happy Birthday to Morikawa-sensei

Morikawa-sensei

Today is Morikawa Zeoh sensei turning 85 years old and we want to wish him a big Happy birthday!

Morikawa-sensei is doin-chō for Rakutō dōin in Kyoto and has had a long relationship with Kenshi in Sweden. Students of Morikawa-sensei was some of the early instructors in Sweden during the 1970s and during the latter half of the ’80s and ’90s we also had students of Morikawa-sensei coming to Sweden to teach for 6 months to a year. In 1987 we had Kawahara-sensei in Sweden for about 1 year, mainly in Visby, but he also visited Karlstad. In 1989 Morikawa-sensei’s oldest son Morikawa Kazuhito sensei came to Sweden, he was mainly in Visby but spent about a month here in Karlstad. In 1995, Hiroshi Kawashima sensei came to Sweden and he stayed about six months and spent most of his time here in Karlstad.

Morikawa-sensei, his sons and students have also frequently visited Sweden in order to teach at a number of training camps over the years and we owe a lot to Morikawa-sensei . When our branch’s Shibu-chō, Anders Pettersson, go to Japan, he usually stay at Morikawa-sensei’s house and train in Rakutō dōin.

Morikawa Zeoh sensei teaching during a visit in Stockholm some time during the 1970s

Morikawa Zeoh sensei during the Swedish Shorinji Kempo Federation’s 30th anniversary

Karlstad Shibu’s shibu-chō Anders Pettersson, together with Morikawa-sensei in Rakutō dōin 1992

Rakutō dōin 2013

Karlstad Shibu’s members that visited Rakutō dōin 2013, from the left; Linda, Anders sensei, Morikawa Hirohito sensei, Morikawa Zeoh sensei, Morikawa Kazuhito sensei, Christer