Columbus DOJO - 沖縄五首館空手 全米本部道場

For immediate release

Subject: Okinawa Goshukan-Ryu redesignation.

Since 1999, I, Garry Parker, have been operating the Columbus Dojo as the appointed North American headquarters for Goshukan-Ryu, as appointed by the style founder, Takamiyagi Hiroshi, Hanshi 10-Dan.

After the passing of my teacher, and founder of Okinawa Goshukan-Ryu Karate in 2019, the Columbus Dojo continued operating as the duly appointed North American Headquarters.

September 2024 confirmed the closing of the Goshukan-Ryu Karate World Headquarters in Okinawa, Japan by Takamiyagi Hiroshi's son, and my Senior, Takamiyagi Naoki.

With the Okinawa Honbu dojo closed, and Goshukan-Ryu no longer being taught in Okinawa, I chose to designate the style that I practice and teach as 'BEIKOKU GOSHUKAN-RYU KARATE KOBUDO' to distinguish from Okinawa Goshukan-Ryu Karate.

This change is done in the spirit of respect for my teacher and his style, while also creating a distinction for our forward progress of Goshukan-Ryu, and transparency of succession after the founder's death.

Takamiyagi Sensei left no successor, although his son and I are the seniormost 1st generation disciples.
While Naoki Sensei no longer teaches, I defer to him as the rightful successor of Goshukan-Ryu by birthright.

Thank you all for your support during this transition.

Garry Parker, Kyoshi 8-Dan
Beikoku Goshukan-Ryu Karate Kobudo

February 10, 2026

As we enter our 27th year of continuous service to our communities, we would like to take a moment of gratitude to wish a very Happy New Year to all of our wonderful students and friends!

The Dojo will re-open on Saturday, January 03, 2026.

We wish everyone a healthy, happy, and successful year in every endeavor.

Warmest regards,
Garry Parker
Columbus Dojo Director

The Dojo is now closed for the holidays so that our staff and members can enjoy the holiday season with our families.

We will re-open on Saturday, JANUARY 3rd, 2026.

Thank you all for a wonderful 2025!

ZERO TOLERANCE policies in public schools are a not so thinly veiled method to blame the victim.

Not here.
Not with my students.

Every human being on earth has the right to feel safe and protected when they are only protecting themselves from violence.

Why do our city, state, and federal laws so righteously protect the rights of citizens who are faced with protecting themselves, YET our PUBLIC SCHOOL DiISTRICTS vilifiy and punishes the victim.

Parents: if you tell your children they must not engage and exercise their fundamental right to protect themselves from violence, you are a horrible parent.

I make no apologies for my convictions.

Garry Parker
Director
Columbus Dojo
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17ZVyRMLvU/

I had a student years ago who was given in-school suspension for defending herself. The story was simple:

A boy pushed her.
She told him to stop.
He grabbed her wrists.
She told him to stop.
He didn’t.
So she dropped him with a clean, sharp kick that ended the discussion.

I wrote about it then because it mattered, and here I am again, because it’s happened again, with another young girl who did everything right and still paid the price for it.

Different year. Different school. Same broken system.

She didn’t escalate. She didn’t provoke. She didn’t act out of anger. She defended her boundaries when the adults tasked with protecting her refused to.

And what’s her reward? Suspension.

So what’s her takeaway supposed to be? What are other girls supposed to learn? What about kids who freeze because they’ve spent their whole lives being told to wait for help that isn’t coming?

Zero tolerance is the abdication of responsibility masquerading as policy.

It’s a shortcut for people who don’t want to think, don’t want to lead, and don’t want to apply nuance. It creates victims and emboldens the very behavior it claims to deter.

Telling a child they’re wrong for defending their own body is one of the fastest ways to create an adult who second-guesses themselves when it matters most.

Not here.

Here, we teach kids to fight when the moment calls for a fight.

Sometimes that means working harder to get into a trade school or college. Sometimes it means asking for a raise. Sometimes it means confronting depression. Sometimes it means stepping in for someone weaker. And sometimes, like in this case, it means slapping the kid who didn’t understand the word stop.

Self-defense isn’t violence. Self-defense is agency.
Agency is something we will never punish.

By the way, I’m picking up something for her this week: a gift card, a note, something simple. Not as a reward for fighting, but as a reminder of this:

She wasn’t wrong.
She wasn’t the problem.
And she damn sure isn’t alone.

Rhode Island August 2025 at the Reihokan National Training Camp of Mark Spear Sensei.

Our new Kobujutsu program is opening for registration in July!

Launching July 2025 at the IOGKA Summer Training Camp, and open for enrollment to eligible IOGKA members.

Enrollment applications will be open to all in January 2026.
Previous martial arts experience is required; 6-Kyu or equivalent, or 1 year in training.

Kyuden Bugeikan Kobujutsu Kenkyukai traces its roots with direct lineage to Ryukyu Kobudo and Taira Shinken.

With gratitude to my late teacher, Takamiyagi Hiroshi Sensei, who taught me to be passionate in my martial pursuits, and to be courageous enough to blaze even the smallest trail while honoring tradition, in pursuit of research, preservation, and sharing.

Sen Sei.
One who has gone before.
We are on the same path.
Those that are ahead on this path have the obligation to serve.