Help Karate tournament introduction

[sabro]

Help. I'm trying to find a romaji translation for the greeting we give the judges before competing in Kata at Karate tournaments. What we say in English goes something like this:

Judges,my name is Sabro. My style is Okinawan Shuri Ryu. My Sensei is Dominic Laureano. My Kata is Wansu. May I begin?

(おはようは審判をする。 私の名前はSabro である。 私の様式は沖縄のShuri Ryu である。 私のkata はWansu である。 私始まるよろしいですか。???)

I've heard it said in Japanese and it just sounds so much more respectful.

Sabro.

 

[kara]

I don't understand your situation. Do you want to create a new protocol for your Ryu/dojo? or do you want to do a respectful/suitable behavior for Japanese guest judges? I reply to your posts as latter situation.

1.Judges,my name is Sabro.
translation: "Shinpan no sensei gata, watashi no namae wa Sabro desu".

But I think you need not call out the judges. In Japan, students in most dojos simply say "osu" before saying something. If you use "osu" in your daily keiko at your dojo, use it instead of "Shinpan no sensei gata". To talk with the judges before competing feels a bit too intimate, smells somewhat injustice for Japanese sense. However, such protocol will be different in every dojos, so don't trust my words.

2. My style is Okinawan Shuri Ryu. My Sensei is Dominic Laureano. My Kata is Wansu.
translation:"watashino ryuuha wa Okinawa Shuri Ryu desu. Sensei wa Dominic Laureano desu. watashino Kata wa Wansu desu".

However, in Japan, we don't call it Shuri Ryu, but 首里手(Shuri-te). So I don't know the word "Shuri Ryu" is suitable or not.

3.May I begin?
translation:"hajimetemo yoroshii deshou ka?"

But in my opinion, "dewa, hajime masu(so, now I start mine)" sounds more natural for your situation.

 

[Mandylion]

If you really want to be polite, I would consider adding in some simple keigo.

 

[sabro]

Domo Arigato Gozaimasu.

I was thinking about the way USKA tournaments use English to address the judges before kata competitions. Japanese would seem more appropriate- if it is correct. We do get a few visiting Japanese and Okinawan judges, I'd like to show them as much respect as possible.

Two more questions: 1. What is the difference between "watashi no namae wa Sabro desu" and "watashi wa Sabro desu?" 2. How do I add in some simple keigo?

Sabro

 

[Mandylion]

1. "My name is Saboru" vs. "I am Saburo." There realy is no great difference in politeness.
2. For example, Instead of "watasha no namae wa Saburo desu" you could go with "Saburo to moushimasu." I don't have the time now, but if you write up everything you want in Japanese, and then post it in one of the language forums asking for help with keigo there are quite a few linguists more skilled than I who could help you hammer something out.

Good luck.

 

[kara]

1."watashi no namae wa Sabro desu" and "watashi wa Sabro desu"
As Mandylion wrote, there's hardly any difference. It's just a matter of nuance. The former sentence sounds a bit grammar-conscious, like a textbook for elementary school kids or messages written by a foreigner. The latter sounds natural, but we may say "watakushi wa Sabro to moushi masu". Watakushi and moushi masu are keigos.

2."How do I add in some simple keigo?"
What I wrote in the previous post was polite enough for Japanese visitors in my opinion. Too much polite expressions sounds strange or funny. So about the case above, I recommend "watashi no namae wa Sabro desu" for you.

 

[Mandylion]

I think it depends on who the visitors are and how high ranking our friend Sabro is in the organization. True, any Japanese not in short form will be polite and probably impress a Japanese visitor who is not expecting it, but it is not uncommon for keigo to get tossed around a lot in martial arts dojos. I'm not saying every phrase will have keigo along for the ride, and a lot will depend on the dojo in question and the parties involved. For instance at my kyudo dojo in Japan (I'm the only foreigner), if everyone is just hanging out chatting there is very little keigo. But start class and have one-on-one attention and you can bet your rear keigo will be out in force. Since kyudo has no belt system by keeping your ears open you can tell who is who without a formal introduction.

You are probably correct kara, too much keigo may sound odd - we are too removed from the situation to tell either way. That is why I offered the simple keigo (should have said a word or two) idea.

 

[sabro]

Thanks

Again, thank you very much-

This is all very helpful.

I am back in the kyu's in my system and not ranking at all. At our larger regional and national tournaments there are lots of VIP's, but only a very few from Japan. At the nationals, Demura Fumio was present, and always gracious. Only one black belt gave his introduction in Japanese however. The competition has a serious and formal tone to it and the introduction seemed appropriate if the head judge spoke Japanese. I will run this by the chief instructors in my system and see what they think.

At our dojo, only a few Japanese terms and phrases are used, and usually only when the English term is insufficient (such as movements, stances, strikes, blocks and commands). Our style strives to be traditional, so the inclusion and expansion of some traditional terminology is probably a good thing.

Thanks again. I am so glad to have found this site.
Sabro

 

[rokken]

Hello, Sabro.
I don't do any budo but I guess your situation and made scripts.
Cheers.

- Judges, my name is Sabro.
(bow once to jadges)
[1] Yoroshiku onegai simasu
[2] Sabro family-name to moushimasu.
# You say your full name.

- My style is Okinawan Shuri Ryu.
[3] Okinawa Shuri Te wo tsukaimasu.
# If you usually say Shuri-ryu as you showed, you can use it, I suppose.

- My Sensei is Dominic Laureano.
[4] Dominic Laureano sensei ni shiji site orimasu.
# Or "Dominic Laureano sensei no moto de keiko shite orimasu."

- My Kata is Wansu.
[5] Wanshu wo okonaimasu.
# You can say "Kyou wa Wanshu wo okonaimasu.", too.

- May I begin?
[6] Enbu wo hajimete yoroshii desuka?
(reply from Judges)
[7] Yoroshiku onegai shimasu!
# Or just "Onegai shimasu!".
# Anyway give it your all.
(start your enbu)

 

[Ewok85]

I'd tack 'onegai itashimasu! dewa, hajimemasu' on the end.. Onegaishimasu alone would suffice for this kind of situation followed by a bow (rei) or the karate equivelent (i do kendo, aikido and shorinji kempo, all use this pattern).

If its not required dont do the name/style/teacher as you'll only irritate the judges by wasting time. You're there to do karate, not talk. Otherwise it sounds like an interesting idea, good luck!

 

[sabro]

Domo Arigato Gozaimasu

I went to a tournament on Saturday in Carlsbad, CA. There were no Japanese blackbelts there, so I didn't use the introduction. My sensei thought it was a good idea if kept simple and short.

Most karate-ka below balckbelt say the name, style, teacher, and name of kata. Beginners also add the amount of time training. Black belts say considerably less... sometimes just the name of the kata.

Lots of schools use "osu" (os!) as an introduction, even when they rei. Our sensei prefers something else, anything else. Apparently some time ago the Okinawans that advise our system found os! quite funny, and laughed every time they heard it. The senior member said it sounded dirty.


Any thoughts?

Sabro

 

[rokken]

I think you don't need saying "OSU!" when you do karate.
Because manners of your system don't have saying "OSU!", I suppose.
If you want to say it, you ask it your sensei.

I know sayng "OSU!" by karate or other budo people in Japan.
When I hear someone say "OSU!", I think he is budo people.
Of course all budo people don't say "OSU". Some system say it.
I think saying "OSU!" is kind of stereo type of budo people.
I have watched karate people say "OSU!" on TV. They are member of K1, Seidou-Kaikan, I remember.
They talked why they say "OSU" or something, but I fogot what they said.

Cheers.