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 HironoriKazutaka” 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.
I found the precious thing I seek.
If I kept doing that, I became a family with everyone.
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.
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.
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.
15th summer training camp held at Bumb Tokyo Sports Center for 3 days and 2 nights was a success. I think it took a long time for the 7-year-olds, who were experiencing it for the first time, but I hope it will become a good memory and experience for them and become a summer memory. Today, the students and I who have finished the Summer Training Camp are practicing at our usual dojo.
My favorite summer training camp, where I get to see the smiles of these children, born from the charm of Wado-ryu Karate-Do, from morning to night, is coming to its final day tomorrow.
When I was thinking about Hanmi-Nekoashi-Dachi, I wanted to try various things, so in this evening’s class, adults and children studied it together. Does Hanmi-Nekoashi-Dachi cause any difference in the center of gravity, posture, or foot width depending on the situation? We experimented with Kata, Kihon Kumite, and Free Sparring.
My karate career is only 37 years old, but I wondered how many times I have repeated the Heian Nidan that I first learned. I practice every day, sometimes 10 to 20 times, but if you count once a day, that comes to more than 10,000 times. “Why am I not bored now, just like I was 37 years ago?” I have practiced on the floor of the dojo, on dirt, sand, grass, pebbles, rocks, slopes, wet roads, and in rivers and oceans. I have practiced holding sticks, swords, driftwood, rocks, dumbbells, barbells, and balloons. Looking back on my life, I have been conscious of not doing repetitive exercises, hoping to make new discoveries every time, and to prevent getting bored or accustomed to them. As I continued to ask myself further, I realized that more than the effects and results of the training, I feel joy and value in the various reactions that my students show, and that this is one of the reasons I continue.
In just 15 days! The Wado-Ryu Karate Renmei’s 90th Anniversary, 9th International Tournament, and 60th National Tournament will be held at Tokyo Budokan.
After Saturday morning practice at the dojo, I visited the shrine. The 15th summer camp I will hold for three days and two nights starting next Friday. I promised God that I will do my best to ensure that the 24 students who will be participating have a fruitful time.
