Nantambu Camara Bomani Hanshi

Mr. Bomani began his martial arts training in the 1960s. By 1968, Mr. Bomani, had traveled to Okinawa and began training with Eiichi Miyazato Sensei at the Jundokan. Mr. Bomani was a student of Miyazato Sensei’s, until Miyazato Sensei passed away in 1999. Since that time he had trained under Koshin Iha Sensei.

In the early 1970s, Mr. Bomani opened his first Jundokan dojo in Ithaca, New York. Mr. Bomani was also responsible for introducing Jundokan Gojuryu to Tanzania and Africa. He established the first ever Goju Ryu karate school in Dar es Salaam in 1973, naming it Tanzania Jundokan, and he founded the Tanzania Okinawa Gojuryu Karate Association. Mr. Bomani was also instrumental in spreading Jundokan Gojuryu through out the United States. He founded many dojos in New York, Washington, Kentucky and Ohio. He has left several yudansha spread across the United States and Africa. He also spearheaded the formation of the Okinawa Gojuryu Karate-do Kyokai Jundokan USA in 1971 and served as it's first president, later he also founded the West Africa Okinawa Gojuryu Karate-do Kyokai and Ghana Jundokan. Several of these branch dojo are still in operation.

Mr. Bomani continued his affiliation with the Jundokan and Okinawa Gojuryu Karate-do Kyokai, he

continued to visit and train in Okinawa and he spent a great deal of time traveling between his various branch dojo. All of his Gojuryu grades to 8th Dan Kyoshi were issued by Eiichi Miyazato Sensei, his 9th Dan was issued by Koshin Iha Sensei.

His senior student in the USA was Lloyd C. Johnson Sensei, who he awarded the highest grade he had ever issued and appointed him as president for his associations.

In August of 2009, Mr. Bomani passed away from a massive heart attack; he was buried in Accra, Ghana, West Africa. Bomani Shihan was a true pioneer of gojuryu, he was graded 9th Dan Hanshi, through his efforts he spread the Jundokan and the OGKK methods, to various dojo on two continents. He was a great teacher, friend, role model and inspiration.

20th Anniversary Training and Thoughts

Group photo of 20th Anniversary Participants

On January 2, 2014 I celebrated the 20^th Anniversary of the founding of my dojo.  We had a celebration and workout on January 4, 2013. I had several of my students present for the event, but not all of them.  Lloyd C. Johnson III Hanshi 9^th Dan, Tony Willis Renshi 7^th Dan, and Jonathan Hallburg Renshi 6^th Dan all came to celebrate the occasion and were guest instructors for the event. Johnson Sensei and Hallburg Sensei brought along some of their students as well.

We started the day with of course Junbi Undo and then followed with a review of kihon waza by Willis Sensei, we then moved on to Sanchin kata and received instruction from Johnson Sensei. It was then on to a review of Gekisai Dai Ichi, Gekisai Dai Ni, Saifa and Seiunchin with me acting as lead instructor for that portion, with comments and suggestion from the guest instructors. We also had several discussions about the different ways each of our kai-ha performed different sections of the kata and why.

We then took a lunch break, and enjoyed a nice lunch as prepared by my lovely wife. After lunch, we resumed training with some more kata and then Hallburg Sensei  taught a session on how to use Koshi and Gamaku as taught in the Shinjinbukan, he then continued by teaching alternate methods for hikite. I then gave a brief overview of the two person drills taught at the yushikan. We then ended by Hallburg Sensei leading us through the Seri Undo as used at the Shinjinbukan.

We then spent a nice evening sitting and talking about budo and firearms, while drinking some Kirin. I enjoyed myself and am grateful that some of my friends came to help me celebrate the occasion

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The days leading up to the anniversary and a few days since has had me reminiscing about the past and what lead me to the foundation of the Yushikan. I remember assisting my father at his dojo for several years, I remember him appointing me as the Chief Instructor for his Marion dojo in January of 1992 and in January of 1993 we took on one of the yudansha as a partner, like anything when you have partners it does not always work out. I remember that over the Christmas break in December of 1993 sitting at home with my wife and our eight month old twins, that we had several discussion about how I did not like or agree with certain things regarding the dojo and expressed a wish to start my own.  Having two new babies and leaving an established dojo behind seemed crazy but I did it. After my wife and I spoke, I made some phone calls to my seniors and decided that I would leave the dojo and establish my own. My wife (Amber) drew the dojo mon (patch) that I still use to this day.

My father ended his part in the partnership and concentrated his efforts on his Indianapolis dojo and on January 2, 1994 I began my first class at my new dojo in a dedicated room at the YMCA in Marion, Indiana. For the first time since I started karate or started teaching I used a different name for my dojo then my father did for his. Of course we were still teacher and student but I was pretty much on my own. With-in a month I had branch dojo in Gas City, Upland and Sweetser. By the next month I had 100 students at each branch dojo and 325 students at the main dojo.  In 1995 my wife and I found out we were going to have a third child and I ran all four dojo until May of 1995 when I took a job with benefits for my family and moved to Carmel, Indiana. I turned the dojos over to Pat Mitchell and within a few weeks set up a small dojo in Carmel. In 2000, I moved the dojo to a much larger location in Carmel and in 2005 I moved the dojo to its current location in Swayzee.

My wife is extremely organized and kept records of my students and the promotions I issued over the years. From the first class until the 20^th Anniversary I have had a couple thousand students through the doors and out of those I have 10 that I have promoted to black belt. I also have a third generation of my family on the floor training at all most every class. There have been ups and downs like anything but I am proud of my students and happy with the progress.

2013 was a good year and we had a lot of good training, 2014 started out with a bang and I hope w make it through at least another 20.