KI DOKORO TOSHIYUKI
1961年、8月28日生まれ
本籍 日本愛知県
日本麗澤大学卒業
“My Karate Life”
September 27, 2019 Entry
No1
I started karatedo from college.
It began when my high school classmate, an avid karate practitioner, told me if we went to Reitaku University we could pursue strong karate. (He now runs his own small dojo and still teaching.) I was on the baseball team in high school, which I spent fair amount of time and energy for, but I wanted to try an individual sport next.
Looking back, the university karate club 40 years ago may seem a little bizarre now, but I think we all aspired to be strong.
Because there were many beginners in the club, we mainly focused on the basic training routines, following the policy of then Shihan, Takeshi Oishi Sensei.
The memories of the spring and summer training camps are only about doing the basics. My seniors had left some good results at the JKS tournaments, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to break any records. After graduating from university, I practiced in dojo in Tokyo, then at the IJKA dojo “全民道館” since I moved here in Taiwan due to my work.
The way I think about Karatedo has definitely changed as I aged. I am now able to understand people have varying physical capabilities, and perceive karate differently.
As for myself, instead of fixating on strength, I would like to deepen my understanding of my own body, and explore deeper into karate jutsu and waza.
No2
Ever since I started karate at 18 years of age, I was presented with many encounters with various teachers, seniors and juniors, which I can see now an integral part of my life. After graduating from university, I was extremely fortunate in terms of my training environment, as I was surrounded by talent such as selected JKA members for competing in the nationals.
Then about 25 years ago, I relocated from Japan to Taiwan due to my work. It was a mere coincidence that my office was close to the IJKA 全民道館dojo. Because of its proximity, I visited the dojo and started practicing there. Despite having a one-year hiatus from karate, I was still full of enthusiasm. At times the training with the dojo members became a little too rigorous, but the master of the dojo, Chen Hung-stung Sensei and Chen Hsin-koei Sensei treated me with such generosity that I only have gratitude.
It is also true that having the experience of being trained directly by Master Asai has had an enormous impact/inspiration on my life. When I had to help Master Asai demonstrate a waza in front of everyone, I would panic as I could not follow what he was doing! Those were nerve-wracking moments.
In fact, some people called his karate not karate (as his techniques were at another level.) Some said his karate was “inhuman,” and “impossible.”
I am now 50, and I still love working a sweat practicing karate. And I want to pursue this path to reach my goal. In doing so, I hope to give back what others have given me over the years of my karatedo life.
Toshiyuki Kidokoro
Memories of Asai Shian
Asai sensei, being the chief judge and sitting in the center among other judges at the judge table in the JKS main dojo in Tokyo, mostly had his gaze casted down and stared at my legs and feet, only occasionally looking up to see my face. I still vividly remember the moment when he shifted his gaze higher.
For those of us at my level only got to see Master Asai perhaps once or twice a year, at a tournament at the very end when he came out to judge the final match.
Later on, I had a chance to ask him why he evaluated examinees only by looking at their legs and feet. He told me that that was enough to tell him the level of examinee. Apparently, he was studying leg techniques at the time.
Back then, each sensei had his or her own judging style. Many copied Asai sensei’s unique style.
I remember him telling me the reason why he would hold his hand with palm up when he called out a score. He told me it was not a matter of simple habit, but rather a manifestation of respect to the contestant who earned the score through hard work. He explained to me kindly that the connotation would be significantly different with palm down or palm up, and that was why he had always his palm up when he was a judge for a tournament.
I also recall some instructors at the main dojo talk about Master Asai. They said “You may not believe this, but just to illustrate how exceptional Asai Sensei’s techniques are, he can duck under the kicking leg or even hop on the kicking leg.” There were times when I was not convinced fully for unknown techniques such as Whip Arm (鞭拳) but later on I was told that this technique “could easily break three to four roofing tiles.” Every single one of Master Asai’s moves has become legend.
Master Chen used to say how he wished Master Asai lived for another ten years, as that could have changed the karate in Japan and the world. There are people who reject Master Asai’s karate because they don’t understand it. Another ten years would have given them more time.
Some people describe Master Asai’s technique as something that derives from the use of joints. That is true, but lately I have come to know how mind-blowing his technique was when he so smoothly closed in on an opponent, something that I experienced every time he came to Taiwan to our dojo to give his training. His perfect timing is impossible to achieve, and he would expand on more wazas from that. I believe Master Asai could do this because he never thought about the retreat.
And Master Chen Hung-tsung is the person who best understands the karate techniques of Master Asai. So, I will do my best to learn from Master Chen, to get closer to Master Asai’s wazas. This is my way of karate life.
Also, my seniors told me they were put to practice even on a flight.
Toshiyuki Kidokoro