If we continue to reject each other because it is difficult or we are not good at it, the distance between us will not be narrowed. In order to understand each other, we need to make an effort to get to know each other, one step at a time. Both in human relationships and kihon kumite. I think it’s important to have teammates who will throw and be thrown at each other over and over again, and put up with me until I’m exhausted.
I’m sure there are people among you who are not related by blood but whom you look up to as ideal fathers. I have three such people. Hiromasa Setamatsu sensei, Koichi Tajagi sensei, Koki Yasuhiro sensei Setamatsu Sensei passed away in 2017, Yasuhiro Sensei in 2022, and Takagi Sensei passed away just before the international competition last month. I cannot see my senseis, but I know they are in my heart and I am having conversations with senseis. The dojo where I practice every Sunday is the sacred places where my senseis spent their time, and where I continue to live and create with senseis.
Good morning. It’s a beautiful sunny day again this morning. When children ask us, “Why do we spend more than six hours at school studying Japanese, math, literacy, and history?” and we adults say, “It’s for your future,” it doesn’t resonate with them. So I thought, “How can I convey this to them?” “If you want to make a robot you like, where do you start?” “Hmm, I guess I’d draw what it would look like and think about its special skills.” “Next, what materials will you use? Do you buy them?” “Hmm, if it’s big, it’s heavy and takes up space in the room, so I use cardboard. Mom and Dad shop on Amazon, so I always have cardboard around ♪” “Look, you are imagining, drawing, measuring, and thinking of ways to achieve your goals. When you have a problem, you are learning to develop the ability to think about the best way to solve it and to devise a process.” It’s the same when I teach my students at the dojo. Even if I tell them “the basics are important,” it doesn’t fully get through to them. That’s why I try to train in a way that allows them to feel and realize what the basics are connected to. I will enjoy my day so that I can bring smiles and a fulfilling time to my students this week as well.
誰も傷つけたくないから、喧嘩したくないから、戦争を起こしたくないから、自分達にとって大切なものを守りたいから。私たちは武道から学び、心を正しています。 「戦う相手は Myself 乾いた心が泣いてる Hey 夢の途中必ずみつかるそれはひとつ 君に会った yesterday 銃を捨てた brand new day すべては Yes, it’s love Yes, it’s love」
Because we don’t want to hurt anyone, because we don’t want to fight, because we don’t want to start a war, because we want to protect what is important to us. We learn from Budo and correct our minds. “The opponent I’m fighting is myself. My dry heart is crying. in the middle of a dream I’m sure to find one thing. I met you yesterday I threw away my gun It’s a brand new day. Everything is Yes, it’s love Yes, it’s love”
I worked hard with my trusted teammates in the Sunday class, and each of us was able to clearly define the tasks we needed to accomplish in the remaining 26 days.
今日のクラスでは運動を始める前に『横隔膜』と『腹圧』について話すことにしました。 In today’s class, before we start exercising, I decided to talk about the diaphragm'' andabdominal pressure”
一つひとつの動きに意味を持たせ効果を上げたいという目標を立てました。 I set a goal to give meaning to each movement and increase its effectiveness
腹圧を高め姿勢とバランスを改善する Improves posture and balance by increasing intra-abdominal pressure
腹圧を高め体幹を強化する Strengthens the core by increasing abdominal pressure
腹圧を高め瞬発力を向上する Improving explosive power by increasing intra-abdominal pressure
和道流空手道連盟90周年記念・第9回国際大会・第60回全国大会まで一ヵ月ほどとなりましたが、 It’s about a month until the Wado-ryu Karate-do Renmei’s 90th anniversary, 9th international tournament, and 60th national tournament.
形と組手のみの稽古はせず、基本はもちろん、居取り・短刀取り・女子護身術・太刀取り・基本組手も稽古しています。 We do not only practice KATA and KUMITE, we also practice Idori, Knife Defense, Women’s self-defense, Sword Defense, and Basic Kumite.
The Kanagawa Prefecture tournament of Wado-ryu Karate-Do Renmei will be held in 7 days. My students participating in this tournament gathered and trained every Sunday early in the morning for a month. No one knows the outcome of the match, but I want to praise the children’s efforts.I believe they can do their best.
身体の内側のどこを使って腕と脚を操作するのか知り研究する運動 An exercise to learn and study which parts of the body are used to operate the arms and legs
手にあるのは紙風船です。 What we are holding is a paper balloon.
腕や手や指は使い慣れているのですぐに力が入り紙風船を潰してしまいます。 Since your arms, hands, and fingers are used to using them, you can easily use the force to crush the paper balloon.
腕や手や指は使い慣れているのですぐに力が入り紙風船を潰してしまいます。 Since your arms, hands, and fingers are used to using them, you can easily use the force to crush the paper balloon.
一つひとつの動作を繋げて連続して行います。 最後まで紙風船を潰さないか試してみます。 Connect each movement and perform them in succession. We will try to see if we don’t crush the paper balloon until the end.
子供たちは「全然力んでる感じはなかったのに、紙風船が潰れてるから驚いた。無意識に力んでいるんだね」と互いに何かを気付いた様子でした。 The children seemed to have noticed something in each other, saying, “I didn’t feel like I was straining at all, but the paper balloon was crushed. I guess I was unconsciously straining.”
対面稽古でも同様に力まずに行えるか試してみます。 We will try to see if we can do the same effortlessly during face-to-face practice.
特に自由組手では力まずに柔軟に動きたいです。 Especially in free kumite, we want to move flexibly without using too much strain.
All Wado-ryu students, including myself, have been learning a lot from Grand Master 3rd Otsuka Sensei. I was given the precious opportunity to spend time with Otsuka Sensei, and there are words that I cherish. “Think not about what to teach, but how to convey it, and find a way to convey it.” These words that Sensei gave me even more inquisitiveness, creativity, and action. I want to continue walking with the spirit of Wado-ryu.
