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
《引き手と突きについて稽える》 Considering about HIKITE and TSUKI 腹圧、仙骨、広背筋、菱形筋、上腕二頭筋、前鋸筋・小胸筋を意識することや連動を感じることが出来る準備運動 Warm-up exercises that allow you to be aware of and feel the coordination of abdominal pressure, sacrum, latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, biceps brachii, serratus anterior, and pectoralis minor muscles. 腹圧を高め仙骨を立て足裏で床を押す。 Increase abdominal pressure, straighten your sacrum, and press your soles into the floor. 力が膝、股関節、骨盤へ伝わる。 The force is transmitted to your knees, hips, and pelvis. そこから胸椎の回旋につながる。 From there, it leads to rotation of the thoracic spine. 最後に肩、肘、拳へ抜けていく。 Finally, it exits through your shoulders, elbows, and fists. みぞおちの奥あたりが、軽く左右に「ねじれる」感覚がある。 You should feel a slight “twisting” sensation deep in your solar plexus. 肩だけ、腰だけではなく、胸の真ん中から動きが始まる感じがある。 The movement should feel like it’s starting from the center of your chest, not just your shoulders or waist. 息を止めず、軽く吐きながら動くことで胸郭が固まりすぎない。By moving while gently exhaling without holding your breath, your rib cage won’t become too stiff. 《抱え込みと蹴りについて稽える》 Considering about KAKAEKOMI and KERI 大腰筋、腸骨筋を意識し下半身を安定させて体幹を締める準備運動 Warm-up exercises that focus on the psoas major and iliacus muscles to stabilize the lower body and tighten the core. 腰を大きく回し切るよりも、三〜四割ひねる程度の意識 Rather than rotating your hips completely, focus on twisting them about 30-40% of the way. 脚はタイヤ、腰はハンドルだとイメージします。 Imagine your legs as the tires and your waist as the handlebars. 蹴る前と蹴った後の踵は軸脚の膝内側に寄せる。 Before and after KERI, bring the heel close to the inside of the knee of the supporting leg. 《行雲流水》 like floating clouds and flowing water 私の動画で度々登場する風船 Balloons often appear in my videos 私にとっては、稽えさせてくれる要素が沢山あります。 For me, there are many elements that allow me to learn. 容易いようで膨らませるのは簡単ではない風船 Balloons seem easy to inflate, but they’re not. 武道の普及と発展や、知恵と想像力も似てる気がします。 The spread and development of martial arts, as well as the expansion of wisdom and imagination, are equally difficult tasks. でも互いに触れ合うと広がろうとするエネルギーを感じます。 But when we touch each other, I feel an energy that seems to be spreading. あとはどうやって伝えるかを稽え探求します。 The next step is to practice and explore how to communicate effectively. 自分は居着かず相手を居着かせる術を稽えています。 I’m considering the art of not staying put myself, but rather making others stay put. 《1+1+1=１》 trinity 《これらを自由組手の中で実践》 These techniques are put into practice during free sparring 私はメダルや賞賛を得るために競技しているわけではないし、名誉や誇りをかけたりしていません。武道を生み切り拓いた先人たちの精神と私自身を含め人間を深く知りたいと思っています。 I don’t compete to win medals or receive praise, nor do I stake my honor or pride on it. I want to deeply understand the spirit of the pioneers who created and pioneered martial arts, and also understand humanity itself, including myself. 国籍、宗教、肌の色、老若男女問わず、互いに手を取り合い調和を生むための努力とその意義を共有し合える世界を私は望み続けており、実現するために与えられたのが武の道だと信じています。 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 martial arts is what has been given to me to make that a reality.
① 自作の『時機読力向上器具』”ローリー”で流れやタイミングをつかんで、「今やる／まだ待つ」を判断する能力の向上を目指します。 Using my self-made “timing-reading device” “Laurie,” I aim to improve my ability to grasp the flow and timing, and to judge whether to “act now” or “wait.”
② ラダーで細かいフットワークを連続して行うことで、脳から筋肉への指令がスムーズになり、動きの反応速度が上がります。 Performing a series of short, precise footwork drills on a ladder improves the smooth transmission of signals from the brain to the muscles, increasing reaction speed.
③ フットワークを用いることで相手との間合いを測ることが出来たり、床反力を利用することで動き始めを素早くすることが出来ます。 Using footwork allows you to close or widen the distance between you and your opponent, and utilizing ground reaction force allows you to start moving quickly.
④ これは2005年に出場した世界大会から4年後に開催された国際大会の映像です。31歳の私は勝利を掴むこと以上に、「応援してくれる生徒たちと共に闘うチームメイトと観客の胸に響く試合を対戦する相手と見せたい」という想いで挑みました。 This is footage from an international competition held four years after the World Championships in 2005. At 31 years old, my motivation for competing was less about achieving victory and more about “creating a match that would resonate with my students who support me, my teammates, and the audience, and show them a game that would touch their hearts.”
⑤ 相手の動きに惑わされずに自分の律動を保つ心身を養います。 This helps cultivate a mind and body that can maintain their own rhythm without being swayed by the opponent’s movements.
⑥ 脳から最も離れている足指を刺激し脳の活発化を図ります。 By stimulating the toes, which are the furthest point from the brain, we aim to activate the brain.
⑦ 相手の体動だけでなく心動と考動に反応を目指します。 The goal is to react not only to the opponent’s physical movements, but also to their emotional and thought processes.
⑧ このような単純に見える運動を繰り返すことで、不安定の中で安定を作る能力が養われると考えています。 I believe that by repeatedly performing these seemingly simple movements, one can cultivate the ability to create stability in unstable situations.
⑨ 私は道場を開設した当初は生徒たちに「何を教えるか」を日々考えていました。それが次第に「どのようにして伝えるか」に変わり、それを機会に自分の身体を知る研究を始めました。それらを経て、また週７日毎日生徒たちと過ごす日々を20年続け、人生も半世紀生きて来て悟ったことがあります。彼らは私から教わるために道場に来ているのではなく、私の不変と可変を見続けていることです。私の向き合い方や関わり方、言動や行動が自分の心にどのような影響を及ぼすか彼らは自ら考えを巡らせて人間関係、未来、人生をより良いものにしようと努めています。 When I first opened my dojo, I spent my days thinking about “what to teach” my students. Gradually, that shifted to “how to convey it,” and that prompted me to begin studying my own body. After going through all of that, and continuing to spend 20 years spending 7 days a week with my students, and having lived half a century, I’ve come to a realization. They don’t come to the dojo to be taught by me; they come to observe my unchanging and ever-changing nature. They reflect on how my approach, my interactions, my words and actions affect their own hearts, and strive to improve their relationships, their future, and their lives.
⑩ これは2018年に出場したホノルル国際空手道選手権大会の映像です。41歳の私に主催者が「貴方なら出来る」とWKF世界大会に出場している選手たちが集う18歳以上有段者の部へ出場を勧めてくれました。 大きな期待が私に漲る力を与えてくれました。緊張している生徒に「私も挑戦するから一緒に闘おう」と声をかけ、共に成し遂げた後に過ごした素晴らしい時間と信頼関係はこれからも不変であるよう精進します。 This is footage from the Honolulu International Karate Championships in 2018. At the age of 41, the organizers encouraged me to compete in the 18+ black belt division, which features athletes who have competed in the WKF World Championships, telling me, “You can do it.” This great expectations placed upon me gave me immense strength. I encouraged my nervous students by saying, “I’m taking on this challenge too, so let’s fight together,” and I will strive to ensure that the wonderful time we spent together and the trust we built after achieving something together remain unchanged.
