25/12/2025
Ronin to Disciple - from the land of the long white cloud (Aotearoa) to the jungles of Laos.
Recently I undertook a journey (in more ways than one) and travelled from New Zealand to a remote area of the Laos jungle near the Mekong River to spend time with Sensei Chris Clifford.
Sensei Chris is the only foreigner to have become a disciple of the late Grandmaster Sosui Ichikawa and the only foreign recipient of the lineage of the original Bubishi, a sacred and esoteric manuscript that has shaped the inner teachings of the Goju Ryu Karate system for generations.
Sensei Chris deliberately keeps a low profile and is selective about access, reflecting the responsibility he places on preserving what was entrusted to him by his teacher. Likeminded people are always welcome but this is not a place you arrive at uninvited; being welcomed and being able to find it are both part of the process and a story in themselves.
In this remote setting, far removed from concrete jungles and modern training halls, conversation and practice takes on a deeper meaning.
These conversations will be explored further in an upcoming series of articles and podcast discussions.
Mike
