Jundokan Gassuku

This great event „Jundokan Gasshuku“ is organized every year at different cities in Europe and every 5th year in Naha, Okinawa. In Europe in the past e.g. in Paris, Leeds, Catania, Warsaw etc..

This year we had got the great honour to organize it in the nice city Hollabrunn in Lower Austria, with about 12000 inhabitants.

The preparations started one year before in August 2018 and there was a successful cooperation of a number of very experienced Karateka.

It was great, that we have been assisted by the Government of Lower Austria as well as by the city government of Hollabrunn and the staff of the sports hall of Hollabrunn.

In fact, the most important help we got from the head of the Higher Technical College in Hollabrunn by graduate engineer Wolfgang Bodei and his team and the head of the Sport – and Seminar Hotel Mag. Karl Schörg and his team.

All participants stayed at the famous Sport – and Seminar Hotel throughout the event and the food served was always great.

The well known carshop FORD Sauberer in Hollabrunn assisted us in a very helpful manner with a medium-sized bus for the daily transportation of our okinawan trainers from the hotel to the sports hall.

In addition to that we wanted to serve our guests from 4 continents and 19 countries with some cultural impressions.

One important impression is the production of wine in Austria, especially in Lower Austria. So one evening after the training, in co-operation with Manfred Breindl, we have organized the opportunity to visit some wine cellars nearby the Sport- and Seminar Hotel and to get best information from included specialists in the wine production. After that we met at a „Heuriger“, which is usual for sitting, eating and drinking together and listen to the local music. The catering was carried out by “Catering Karl Rohringer – Göllersdorf”. The music came from the “Star Company – Stockerau”.

Our guests enjoyed this evening very much.

Another interesting cultural point in Lower Austria is the production of wine itself.

In Unterretzbach, a small village in the region „Retzer Land“ which is very famous for Austrian vine production, there are the vineyards and the beautiful old wine cellar of the family Raab. Since 1634 this family produces different sorts of wine and since a few years also „Frizzante“ .

Especially for our guests in our “bed and breakfast” we are offering a tour through our wine cellar with explaining the wine production and the history. Afterwards you have the possibility to enjoy a traditional Austrian

„Heuriger“, meal with homemade spreads and sausages from the village.

Of course you can taste through the different sorts of wine and the tastes from dry wine to a sweet one.

Visit us on our website www.raab-retzbach.at  or contact us directly through

e-mail to [email protected].

All Senseis and country representatives (“Shibucho”) got a special present: a black cat, so-called „Kellerkatze – Cellar cat“ which is since many generations, the symbol of the Austrian winegrowers. The legend says: the cat chooses the barrel with the best wine for sitting on it. The „Kellerkatzen“  were produced by the famous artist Günter Stockinger.

The daily training itself was performed as well in the gymnasium of the College as in the big sports hall of the City Hollabrunn.

In the afternoon of Thursday 18th July the training started with a master session with about 30 Shibucho.

The official opening ceremony, including the presentation of the anthems of Austria and Okinawa, was held on Friday 19th July at 0900 o’clock in the morning by the Mayor of Hollabrunn, Alfred Babinsky. Than training went on to 6 pm; at 8 pm we had organized the Welcome Party at the Sport – and Seminar Hotel with about 200 participants and some guests of honour.
Words of welcome to our guests from all over the world were presented by the representative of the Provinzial Government of Lower Austria, Mr. Richard Hogl and the Vice Mayor of Hollabrunn Kornelius Schneider.

Most important further guests of honour were the head of Jundokan Karate worldwide Kancho Yoshihiro Miyazato, the head of the Higher Technical College Mr. Wolfgang Bodei, the Head of the Sport- und Seminar Hotel Mag. Karl Schörg and from the Ministry of Defense, the Battalion Commander and President of the Paramilitary Sportclub Vienna (HSV) MSc Col. Michael Blaha. On Saturday 20th July training was performed from 9 o’clock to 6 pm and on Sunday we trained from 9 o’clock to 12 o`clock.
The general training and the preparations for the Dan examination were finalized with a great photo session. The grading was performed in the gymnasium of the college and was the successful highlight for the candidates.

In the evening the Sayonara party was held at the Sport – and Seminar Hotel; with a great dinner, music and dancing.

[email protected]
http://sport-seminarhotel-hollabrunn.at/



In summary, we were told that the Gasshuku was a great success and the participants returned home with nice memories.