After 19 years of life in "Joshinmon" karate You decided to create Your own
Karate style. What is the main purpose?
First of all I took into account that my pupils are mostly adults - with their life style, habits, interests, job, etc. And for these people the most important thing in karate training is to feel joy of what they are doing.
So I tried to understand what karate technique is better to study, how to make training interesting and pleasant for my pupils. I came to the conclusion that my karate should be not for the sport and tournaments, but mostly for the self-defense - the original okinawan technique that does not demand physical strentgh. For several years I studied the character of the old okinawan karate.
What makes the basis of Your style?
First of all I study the heritage of Chotoku Kyan - the grandfather of many modern karate styles, including "Joshinmon". And also I make karate research of his two pupils and followers - Zenryo Shimabukuro ("Shorinryu" style) and Joen Nakazato
("Shorinjiryu" style).
When I chose kata for my style as a criterion I took the oldest and the closest to the original . Now I practice and teach seven old Okinawan kata.
In a way Chotoku Kyan showed these kata to his pupils?
Right! I practice the kata Chotoku Kyan studied from his teachers and that originated from the Chinese fighting technique.
Why did You take special interest to the oldest forms of karate?
Several years ago I began to doubt about my own karate technique. Kata
performance in "Joshinmon" is very good for the young, who take active
part in the tournaments. But I felt it is difficult to understand meaning of
the "Joshinmon" kata and need too much time to learn technique as it is in
the real fighting..
Once I saw an old film with pupils of Sensei Nakazato performing the same
kata that "Joshinmon" has in its arsenal. I was shocked! In all the kata
performed by pupils of Sensei Nakazato it is absolutely clear what the
technique is and how to use it! It is much more simple and clear karate!
Is there any connection between karate for sports and karate as martial art (budo)? What is the difference between sport and budo?
In budo substance is immutable. The Masters who created the martial arts techniques had in their mind the possibility to implement it in all kinds of situations.
Sport always changes in chasing the results -in time and distance. The main task is to find the most rational way to achieve the result -sometimes by means of machinations -and for this purpose style and techniques can be changed essentially.
Of course, taking part in tournaments is very important thing. While a student You feel joy participating in tournaments. But it often happens so that after graduating the universities young men do not take part at tournaments any more and then stop practicing karate at all. And it's so distressing!
Personally I support the idea of karate that can be practiced through the whole life, and moreover - to become stronger year by year. Such a karate techniques do exist and to study it is a real joy. This is the key point of my karate phylosophy.
The attitude to the importance of kata in karate is different. Some people neglect kata at all. What is Your opinion?
Kata is the axis of karate. From the past we received karate techniques exclusively in the form of various kata. Masters of the past understood that there is no other way to transmit karate techniques to the future generations than to create kata.
That is why kata are very important in karate training. But if You do not understand the true meaning of movements in kata it makes no sense to study them.
The bunkai (how to use technique) is compulsory to understand the true meaning of kata.
What is the best way of practicing the kata?
In my opinion, the best way is to take turns -first perform kata many times, then bunkai, and kata again: the level of both kata and bunkai grows.
But it is important not just to remember the order of movements in kata, but gradually move from basic bunkai to oyo waza (techniques that can be used in real fighting).
Do You practice bo-jutsu (techniques with bo) in Your style?
Yes. We begin to study bo-jutsu after the pupil achieves the "black belt" level in karate. I offer three old Okinawan kata with bo: Tenryu- no kon, Sushi-no kon,
Chuun-no kon
A few words about the structure of Your new organization. How many branches do You have?
The first branch was opened in Moscow on May,1, 2000 (the branch-chief-Natarov-Sensei).Then the branch in Osaka. The opening ceremony was held in November, 2000. In March this year we opened a new branch at Saint Mary International School, Tokyo. A new branch in Hiroshima is to be opened by the end of the year. Also I have a request from Great Britain to open our branch there too.
How did Your perception of karate change: when You were 20? 30?
When I was 19-20 I mostly thought of how to stand hard karate lessons.
At that time my idols were Bruce Lee and Masutatsu Oyama, and I wanted to strong.
Up to 30 I regularly participated in karate tournaments. So my thoughts were about the preparations to the tournaments. Besides, we had very difficult exams in "Joshinmon" so I also had to think about passing the exams.
But now I think that tournaments and exams are not the most interesting things in karate. Now I personally prefer bo-jutsu and seitai (healing exercises) and I feel joy practicing them. And it is true that by means of practicing bo-jutsu I took a fresh eye at studying karate.
What is the most sorrowful recollection for all the years of life in karate?
The work in The Organizing Committee for the celebration of the 30th Anniversary of "Joshinmon"(laughes).
I think, it is hard exams and some wearing karate lessons under the supervision of Hoshu Ikeda. The 3d dan exam is a sad recollection too: ten fights for three minutes each- it was so hard! But I don't have bad memories about the tournaments.
What did You feel when You passed Your first " black belt" exam?
Of course, I was glad, but I also remember strong physical pain - after the fight with the 3d dan level karateka.
Actually, the real karate just begins from obtaining the "black belt". So I did not feel that I achieved the final goal. I felt the growth of interest to bo-jutsu and many other things in karate.
Do You have hard exams in Your style?
Not at all! During the lessons I can check all of my pupils so I know their real karate level. In fact, when the organization becomes very big You have to work out the clear-cut rules for the exams, but at the present situation I still can personally supervise each of my pupils.
And as I told You before, most of my pupils are salary men and businessmen.
They live not for the sake of karate -just vice versa: karate is to help them in their everyday life!
That is why I think that there is no sense to hold hard karate exams.
What is the ideal frequency for practicing karate? How many times a week?
When I was a student I practiced karate five times a week. It is better to practice karate every day, if You have a possibility for it. You should not forget that even a ten minuets training will be good. In Okinawa people had their trainings several times during a day, during the breaks: some trainings were ten minutes long some - even five minutes (for kata).There was no time for full two hours trainings so there were several short trainings during a day.
If we speak about the training in dojo once in three days for two hours is quite enough. Muscles will have a good rest and the efficiency of the karate lessons will be high. So it is normal to have karate training twice a week.
What in Your opinion is absolutely prohibited in karate?
I don't think that there is any taboo in karate different from the everyday life.
Of course in the karate world to fight in the streets is no good but ordinary people hate street fights too, don't they?