Chamberlain Studios of Self-Defense

When students reach Black Belt in Gasan Ryu Kenpo, there is a promotion ceremony that takes place. This ceremony has been passed down in one form or another from instructor to student since Kenpo started in the United States in the late 1930's. The ceremony used by Dr. Chamberlain involves a small table set with a flower vase, sake set and karate memorabilia.

When Black Belts in Gasan Ryu Kenpo reach Nidan or second degree black belt, they are presented with their own sake flask and cups (Tokuri and choko). Originally shihan used mass produced sake sets but was unable to find just the right touch and feel for the promotion ceremony.

So, after some initial training he began making his own sake sets and Japanese tableware and now continues under the guidance of renowned potter Ginny Marsh. Fortunately for him she shares his interest in Japanese pots and has been able to guide and direct his efforts. Some of her work is below. He currently trains at the Craft Guild of Dallas.

Below are some examples of Dr. Chamberlains ceramic work. If the sake set is shown with a box...it comes with a box.

If you are interested in purchasing a set for yourself or a friend, you have two opportunities

Sake Pouring Etiquette
With sake as with beer, pouring for others is a common custom in Japan that takes a bit of getting used to but has a wonderful charm and appeal once ingrained. Small cups (called ochoko or guinomi) and a larger serving flask or vessel (tokkuri) allow for frequent refill opportunities, each of which is a mini ritual of social bonding. In formal situ

ations, the tokkuri is held with two hands when pouring. Likewise, the person receiving should lift his or her glass off the table, holding it with one hand and supporting it with the other.

Why bother with all this? The underlying etiquette here is that you should be more interested in the comfort of your guest than in your own. Sake etiquette is a good opportunity to practice being alert and concerned about the needs of your friend and guest while still keeping an interesting conversation going!

The more formal the situation the more such etiquette is observed. Even in informal situations, pouring sake for one's table companions is the norm, although pouring and receiving parties generally revert to the more natural one-hand grip. Among close friends, after the first round or so, all pouring rituals are often abandoned for convenience. Pouring for yourself is known as tejaku and is only acceptable in relaxed company.

Your companions may feel an uncontrollable urge to refill your cup when it is empty. Resisting their entreaties for more is generally futile, so the best approach is to allow your cup to be filled and then take tiny, tiny sips so that it never goes dry.

In even more formal situations, the sake is poured by the youngest of the group or in a martial arts setting the junior pours for the senior and so on.


Seven sake sets by Dr. Chamberlain with stamped and signed presentation boxes (each set consisting of one Tokkuri and two guinomi)

Dr Chamberlain making a sake cup at the Dallas Craft Guild in Dallas Texas in 2006	A selection of cups with the undersides finished, ready for the bisk kiln (half firing prior to glazing)	Flask and cups fired in a wood fired kiln with no glazing just the natural wood ash finish

Sushi platter with Kanji 12"x14"	Sake set - shino glaze	Sake set with presentation box

Sake set - shino glaze	Sake set - Carbon trapped shino glaze	Sake set - shino glaze

Sake set - shino glaze	A stamped set of flask and cups	Square sake flask and cups


Round sake set - shino glaze	Sake set being used as a vase	Large sake pot for refills!

Sushi platters and a selection of chopstick rests (hashioki - $45 for a set of 5)		Salt fired dish 6"x6" with the imprint of a sword guard (Tsuba) from Japan

To the left is a large photo of Dr. Chamberlain's work at the Dallas Craft Guild during their annual contemporary art show in 2009

Below are examples of sake sets and a chawan fired in a wood burning kiln. The glaze is predominantly wood ash from the oak used to fire the kiln to 2200 degrees. The ash melts on the side of the pots. The differences in color are from the different types of clay used and where the pots were in the kiln. The tea bowl below was in the ash on the kiln floor!

Wood Fired Chawan - Tea bowl	Sake pot and Guinomi

Sake pot and Guinomi	Detail of the melted ash

Sake pot and Guinomi, with small amount of shino glaze	Detail of the neck of the shino sake pot

Dark brown clay with feldspar, Sake pot and Guinomi	Enzo Sake pot and Guinomi, with small amount of shino glaze

Sake pot and Guinomi	Detail of the melted ash

Sake pot and Guinomi	Sake pot and Guinomi

Below are a few of the beautiful items created by the renowned potter Ms. Ginny Marsh . Ginny Marsh is shihan's instructor in ceramics and did some of her training in Japan. Her work will be available starting in 2010.


Chawan - Tea Bowl	Large Plate

Chawan - Tea Bowl - Shino Glaze	Chawan - Tea Bowl - Ash Glaze

Chawan - Tea Bowl	Kyusu Tea Set

Chawan - Tea Bowl - Shino Glaze	Chawan - Tea Bowl - Shino Glaze

Bud Vase - Raku	Tea Cup

Ceramics and Sake
Some things in life have a natural charm, the ability to draw you in and absorb your attention to the exclusion of all else, if even for only a few moments. The combination of good sake and fine Japanese yakimono (pottery) is one such simple joy. Although there is much more to yakimono than only tokkuri (flasks) and guinomi (cups), the overlap of this special niche of the pottery world with the world of sake buzzes with a magic all its own.

Names of Common Sake Vessels

A Quick Primer on Japanese Pottery
Although you don't need to know much about a cup or tokkuri to enjoy its use, there is a fascinating culture just below the surface. Just like the world of sake, there are regional styles and histories evident in the character of any one piece.

There are several "schools" of Japanese pottery, all of which are focused on a region, and more importantly on the nature of the clay that is found there. There are six main schools, or kiln, in Japan that date back to the Momoyama period. They (and their modern-day locations) are:

There are others areas as well, like Karatsu and Hagi from Yamaguchi, Shino from Gifu, and Kyoyaki, a Kyoto style that came about with the Edo lifestyle.

Each of these has there own special qualities and characteristic appearances, although there is some overlap. This is a function of not only styles, but also the chemical composition of the clay of the region. Minerals like iron and magnesium fuse with the clay to provide different colors and surface textures, and combine with other factors like the type of wood used to fire a kiln to provide a unique style. Some of these styles are more porous, others are smoother, lending themselves to glazing.

Even from within the same region, mountain clay and rice-field clay give rise to different qualities. The kama (kilns) within which the pieces are fired are vastly different as well. There are tall, climbing, multi -chambered kilns known as "noborigama," and there are also simpler, single chambered kilns known as "anagama." Some artists fire pieces for only a few hours, and some fire pieces for as long as several weeks. The interaction of the ash from the wood used as fuel and the clay gives rise to the various characteristic appearances. Most of these will change color to some degree as they are used, as water and other elements impart subtle chemical reactions. For much more on Japanese sake vessels and ceramics, please visit www.e-yakimono.net, which features an online pottery store.

What makes a good guinomi or tokkuri?
Naturally it is a matter of personal taste. Aesthetic appearance, weight, balance, how it feels in the hand, and a drinking lip that is not excessively rough are the general points of assessment.

A somewhat hidden feature that is always scrupulously checked by experienced collectors is the kodai, or foot, of a piece, the ring on the bottom on which the piece rests. Lurking modestly in the background, the quality and appearance of this facet of a piece is indicative of the skill of the artist.

Size isn't everything, either. The rim of a vessel - its thickness, texture and curve - will affect how a liquid distributes itself across the tongue and palate, thereby radically affecting the taste profile and fragrance. The artistic and aesthetic qualities as well contribute, if nothing else, by influencing the mood and atmosphere.

The abundance of fine traditional pottery in Japan adds another dimension to sake tasting. Beautiful tokkuri (flasks), o-chokko and guinomi (cups) help raise the nihonshu experience to a whole new level. They just go well together; it's that simple. The culture and traditions surrounding both developed together, and it shows in the work. "Form follows function" never rang truer.

Japanese Style Pottery and Ceramics and Gasan Ryu Kenpo