When I asked Mike Sensei, “I want to show my students Budo kumite, not competitive kumite, just like we did in the finals of the international tournament two years ago, so would you be willing to Kumite with me?”, he readily agreed. I have always hoped for a world where people of all nationalities, religions, skin colors, ages, and genders can join hands and share the effort and significance of creating harmony, and I believe that the path of Budo is what has been given to me to make that a reality.
We were able to successfully conclude our “Exchange Training Sessions” and “Exchange Competitions,” which were held every Sunday in May. In Japan, May is a busy month with elementary, middle, and high schools holding their sports days on Saturdays, and parents must have had no time to rest due to the daily events. I understand this well, as I also have children in elementary and middle school. Parents who can witness their children’s growth, and children who experience their parents’ kindness, must remember that these things are not taken for granted, but are made possible by the support, cooperation, and encouragement of people other than themselves and their families. Every time I hear news about the war, I remember my grandmother’s stories. In 1987, when I was 10 years old, my grandmother told me, “42 years ago, when your father was only two years old, I held him and ran through town trying to escape. Fire was raining down from the sky like rain. I held your father tightly and ran, determined not to let him die.” Looking into my grandmother’s eyes, I thought, “Grandma, you must have been so scared,” and at the same time, “I was born because Grandma protected my father.” The reason I started karate is because I wanted to grow into a strong and kind person who could protect my family. “Protect”, “Defense” and “Save” are the core principles of my life.
Someone told me long ago ずっと前、誰かが俺にこう言った There’s a calm before the storm 「嵐の前には静けさがある」 I know, it’s been comin’ for some time そうだな、そんな事がたまにある When it’s over, so they say その後に、彼らはこう言った It’ll rain a sunny day 「晴れた日に雨が降る」 I know, shinin’ down like water そうだな、水のように光りながら I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain? 教えてくれ、君は”その雨”を見たかい？ I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain? 教えてくれ、君は”その雨”を見たかい？ Comin’ down on a sunny day 晴れた日に降る雨を Yesterday, and days before 昨日も、その前も Sun is cold and rain is hard 太陽は冷たく、雨は激しい I know, been that way for all my time そうだな、ずっとそんな調子さ ‘Til forever, on it goes 永遠に終わらず Through the circle, fast and slow 繰り返すのさ、速くそしてゆっくりと I know, it can’t stop, I wonder そうだな、きっと、止められないんだろう I want to know, have you ever seen the rain? 教えてくれ、君は”その雨”を見たかい？ I want to know, have you ever seen the rain? 教えてくれ、君は”その雨”を見たかい？ Comin’ down on a sunny day 晴れた日に降る雨を
『warship boy』 The lake of memories, hidden deep, deep When my eyes meet those memories A sudden loneliness overwhelms me Gentle and lonely If it exists somewhere, if it exists somewhere Even if it’s the same thing, or something different that makes me forget it, that’s fine If there’s an answer, if there’s an answer I’ll keep searching tomorrow for the things I can’t find even when I search my mind The light didn’t shine through, but by freezing, I held onto my feelings Seeking, searching, wanting to repaint, wanting to forget Sad, joyful If it exists somewhere, if it exists somewhere Even if it’s the same thing, or something different that makes me forget it, that’s fine If there’s an answer, if there’s an answer I’ll keep searching tomorrow for the things I can’t find even when I search my mind Searching…
広い荒野にぽつんといるよで 涙が知らずに あふれてくるのさ あの時風が流れても かわらないといった 二人の心と心が 今はもうかよわない あの素晴しい愛をもう一度 あの素晴しい愛をもう一度 Come Back Our Wonderful Love Since we vowed “till death do us part” We have made sweet memories When we saw a flower We agreed it was beautiful But now we’re not in harmony With each other anymore Come back our wonderful love Come back our wonderful love
We once sang “Red Dragonfly” together The sky is the same as it was then We watched the sunset As we walked side by side But now we’re not in harmony With each other anymore Come back our wonderful love Come back our wonderful love
I feel like I’m alone in the wilderness Tears keep welling up in my eyes We said any way the wind blew Our love would never change But now we’re not in harmony With each other anymore Come back our wonderful love Come back our wonderful love
In demonstrations of board breaking, I confront my own mind, technique, and body, including these fundamentals of physical movement, in order to understand whether or not I have achieved a trinity of these three elements. I also hope that by showing the results that this state produces, along with my attitude and posture, it will give my students an opportunity to feel something or to practice.
This is footage from my second world championship. At 27 years old, before I opened my dojo, I trained for a total of eight hours a day: two hours before work, one hour during my lunch break, two hours after work, and three hours at the dojo. Back then, I felt a sense of accomplishment from pushing my body to its limits, and I think I was just trying to force my techniques on my opponents during matches.
Now, 21 years later, I prioritize creating an environment where students with worries and goals can find hints that will lead to problem-solving and goal achievement. In matches, I aim for a connection and harmony of mind, technique, and body not only with opponents but also with referees, staff, and spectators. —————————————- ⑤ 身体操作の基本を用いて突きを速くするトレーニングを稽える Fundamental body mechanics are used in my training to increase the speed of TSUKI
⑴ ゴムバンドで拳立て伏せ knuckle push-ups with a rubber band ⑵ ゴムバンドで突き TSUKI with a rubber band ⑶ メディシンボールを前後 Medicine ball back and forth ⑷ メディシンボールを左右 Medicine ball left and right ⑸ ラダーを横移動 Move sideways on the ladder ⑹ ラダーの上を跳ねる Jumping on a ladder —————————————- ⑥ 身体操作の基本を用いて蹴りを速くするトレーニングを稽える Fundamental body mechanics are used in my training to increase the speed of KERI
⑴ ラダーで膝上げ Knee raises on the ladder ⑵ ラダーで腰捻り Twist your waist on the ladder ⑶ ハードルを横跳び Jumping over hurdles sideways ⑷ ハードルを片脚跳び One-legged jump over hurdles ⑸ ボックス三段跳び Box Triple Jump ⑹ 腰高ボックス跳び Jump onto a box that is waist-high —————————————- ⑦ 身体操作の基本を用いて足捌きを速くするトレーニングを稽える Fundamental body mechanics are used in my training to increase the speed of Footwork
⑴ 反り跳び Backbend jump ⑵ 押し相撲 Sumo wrestling ⑶ ラバーロープ Rubber rope ⑷ アブローラーバーピー Ab roller burpees ⑸ 四方反り跳び Four-way backbend jump ⑹ 落球を避ける Avoid the falling medicine ball —————————————- ⑧ 5テクニクスドリル ⑴ 刻み突き ⑵ 裏廻し蹴り ⑶ 中段廻し蹴り ⑷ 中上 ⑸ 上中 —————————————- ⑨ 身体操作の基本を用いて反応を速くするトレーニングを稽える Fundamental body mechanics are used in my training to increase the speed of Reaction
⑴ ハイプランク姿勢でボールを片手で掴む High Plank & Ball Catch ⑵ 頭上に投げた風船が床に着く前にゴムバンドを取って戻る Balloon & Rubber Band Catch ⑶ 指示に従い左右回りまたは四股立ちまたは突きまたは風船取り Round & Freeze ⑷ 取って取られての中で誰よりも先に３つを獲得する Be the first to acquire three ⑸ 三目並べ Tic-Tac-Toe ⑹ 突きと蹴りを組み合わせた連続技 A combination of TSUKI and KERI ⑺ その連続技に対して体捌き Body movement against that combination of moves —————————————- ⑩ 打ち込み ⑴ 防御のみ ⑵ 体捌き ⑶ 1本勝負
During spring break, many students were absent from practice due to family trips and other reasons. However, I strongly hope that those who continue to attend the dojo every day will have meaningful training sessions. In my late teens, to maintain the operation of my karate club, I worked part-time at a convenience store in the early mornings before university classes began and late at night after classes and practice. I also worked as an apprentice at a sushi restaurant. At the convenience store, I was responsible for opening and closing the shop, managing inventory, and placing orders. Since it was in a less-than-safe area, I also had to focus on security. After winning an international tournament and returning home, the store manager invited me to his home and celebrated with a lavish meal.
At the sushi restaurant, as an apprentice, my duties were limited to cleaning, washing dishes, and serving customers hand towels and tea. One day, a heavy snowfall brought all trains and buses to a standstill. I walked for about an hour to the restaurant, and when I arrived, the owner said, “Oh! You’re here. I thought you’d call and say you’d take the day off because of the weather. I didn’t expect you to actually come.” From that day on, my master taught me the fundamentals of being a chef, one step at a time.
Building trust isn’t easy, but it’s true that if you have goals, work hard, and keep challenging yourself, “someone will be watching.” Now, I want to be someone who keeps a close eye on my students.
I don’t think there’s any need to make it unnecessarily complicated. If you’re sharing value and enjoyment with people who are interested, then simplicity is fine. The way people perceive the flashes of inspiration, surprises, and new possibilities that arise from that simplicity is different for everyone. I feel that a life in which I can share the appeal of Budo with people of all ages and genders is a treasure given to me by God.
Our first important event of the year took place on March 7th. It was my first opportunity in three months to perform a new piece, and my adorable students, ages 7 to 9, performed it. One girl, who had been anxious about not being able to complete the “Tile Breaking” (Kawara-wari) until the day before the performance, succeeded in the actual performance. Another girl, who had performed Kagura with me at the end of last year, took on a sense of responsibility and confidence as the oldest student and performed admirably. The following day, March 8th, was Sunday class practice day. The sky was clear, the temperature was just right, and the practice room was a tatami room, so I could feel the students’ enthusiasm. This month, we’re spending 14 days conducting promotion examinations for 60 students in 19 classes at six locations. To support students who are working hard not only at the dojo but also on their own in order to pass, we’re offering “Advice for Independent Practice.” Every day, I receive videos and questions from students, such as, “I’ve memorized the order of the kata, but I want the teacher to confirm that my stance is correct,” “There are parts of the stance and hand movements I don’t understand, so I’d like to ask the teacher,” and “If I understand the meaning of the kata movements, I can practice them more consciously, so please teach me.” “Parent, child, and teacher form a triumphant four-legged race” Even if others call me a “fossil-level analog person,” I want to share the importance of “facing each individual honestly.”
