Following last week’s summer training camp, I am again at Bumb Tokyo Sports and Culture Center today. I am hosting international exchange practice sessions the day before and two days before Wado-ryu Karate-Do Renmei 90th Anniversary, 9th International & 60th National Tournament , which will be held the day after tomorrow. I hope that you all have a wonderful day of international exchange.
Today, the second day of the international exchange practice session, 46 people participated from the United States, the Netherlands, France, Brazil, the Philippines, and Japan. Everyone should have been tired after practicing seriously for four hours yesterday, but today also everyone concentrated from the morning and practiced for three hours. I have been abroad every year since I first went abroad when I was 17 years old. It was not for travel, but mostly to participate in international competitions. I have had a purpose and have continued to challenge myself to show what I have worked hard for. Therefore, I can understand very well the feelings of the Wado-ryu Family who spent yesterday and today with me. I strongly wanted to do the best I could for my Wado-Ryu Family, who are so important to me. Because, since I was a teenager, there have been SENSEIs who supported me, even though I couldn’t speak English, had no experience, knowledge, or money. Their precious students are also precious to me. Thank you all so much for coming to Japan. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you all for participating in the two-day international exchange practice session. I wish you all the success for tomorrow and the best in the future.
2024年8月24日・25日に東京武道館で開催された和道流空手道連盟 創流90周年記念・第9回国際大会・第60回全国大会で行われた美しく壮大な演武 『和道流空手道連盟と龍虎太鼓会による和太鼓演奏コラボ演武』 A beautiful and spectacular demonstration was held at Wado-ryu Karate-Do Renmei 90th Anniversary, 9th International Tournament, and 60th National Tournament were held at the Tokyo Budokan on August 24th and 25th, 2024. “A collaborative performance of Japanese drums by Wado-ryu Karate-Do Renmei and Ryuko Taiko kai”
There are no winners or losers here. We are peacemakers Wado-Ryu Karate-Do Renmei 90th Anniversary 9th International Tournament 60th National Tournament Thank you to everyone from all over the world for coming to Japan. “We are Wado-Ryu family” I want to share with you this video that I made with so much love and heart. I was so sad to leave you all yesterday, but I look forward to seeing you again.
Although I was born in Japan, which is said to be safe compared to other countries, my childhood memories are of days of fear of violence. My father and uncle had a dispute over my grandmother’s inheritance, and my father gave everything to my uncle, but my uncle, who had spent everything, demanded money from my father and mother, and when they did not respond, my uncle was angry. He started getting violent. My father continued to endure violence from his uncle. The two lost their father in the war and were poor and hungry from an early age. After my uncle graduated from elementary school, he picked up scrap metal every day and earned money to buy one bowl of udon noodles a day, which the whole family ate. My father has memories of my uncle supporting him when he was young, so instead of hating his brother, my father endured violence and continued to verbally admonish his brother. My father was hospitalized due to overwork and violence from his uncle. My uncle’s violence was directed at my mother, sisters, me and my younger brother. My mother fought to protect us children, and when she felt we were in danger, she would take us out of the house and move between relatives’ homes and cheap hotels. When my mother ran out of money, there were many days when our family slept in the car. I made a decision when I was 10 years old. “I want to become a strong man who can protect my mother, sisters, and younger brother.” That’s why I started karate. What I wanted when I was young was to be able to spend time with my family in a place where I could feel at peace. God made me meet Wado-ryu. Wado-ryu introduced me to a great teacher, Setamatsu Sensei. Setamatsu Sensei taught me strength, kindness, duty and humanity. This strength, kindness, duty and humanity have given me students. My students have given me purpose and responsibility in life. My father passed away in 2016 and my master Setamatsu Sensei passed away in 2017, but God gave me a life to learn from Grandmaster III Hironori “Kazutaka” Otsuka Sensei. I have already learned something important from Otsuka Sensei. “What you teach is important, but how you teach it is even more important.” Because the extent of understanding and mastery varies depending on the other person’s knowledge, experience, and skills, so it is necessary to know the other person and watch their reactions. New light cannot be created through self-satisfaction and selfishness. “I look for what I can do for the person in front of me, and when I find it, I think of the best way to convey it and do it.If I fail, I spare no effort to improve.”This is what I want to do now. I found the precious thing I seek.
