Soke Meitatsu Yagi, the son of Meitoku Yagi, will celebrate his 80th birthday on July 7, 2024. In recognition of his work and the Yagi family's connection to Goju Karate and Sensei, a special matched set of shodo has been created to celebrate that milestone.
On July 7, 2024, Soke Meitatsu Yagi will celebrate his 80th birthday and Sensei and the entire Goju Karate dojo join in wishing him a wonderful celebration and an amazing birthday year.
The Yagi Family's Connection to Goju Karate
Meitatsu Yagi is the son of Dai Sensei Meitoku Yagi (read more about Meitoku Yagi here) – Dai Sensei Meitoku Yagi awarded the first Goju Ryu Karatedō blackbelt ever issued to a Westerner to Sensei Anthony Mirakian, one of two Goju Ryu Karatedō blackbelts who conferred a blackbelt on our Sensei.
Our dojo has a direct connection and a deep appreciation for the Yagi family and of course, Meitatsu Yagi.
Honoring Soke Yagi's on his Birthday
In appreciation of Soke Yagi and his efforts on behalf of the global karatedō community, and in recognition of the connections that tie us together, Sensei created and presented a matched pair of shodo of the character kizuna 絆 – "community" or "the ties that bind." (Read more about kizuna 絆 here.)
The inscription on the side states "Happy Birthday Soke Yagi" and carries the official dojo hanko (official signature seal).
One shikishi board will be presented to Soke Yagi for his dojo in Okinawa; the other board will be displayed at the Goju Karate dojo shinzen.
Here's a few close-ups of the presentation:
Shodo of Kizuna 絆 and accompanying letter
