浅井哲彦の軌跡
The Life of Tetsuhiko Asai
浅井哲彦、字、悠翔、昭和10年6月7日、警察官の浅井常彦と、ツネ子の五男四女の長男として生まれる。
12歳の時、地元の空手道場に入門、空手家としての第一歩を踏み出す。高等学校では柔道部に入部、在学中に二段位を授かるなど、少年期より武道に非凡な才能を示した。空手、柔道の修練により、他の追従を許さない後の浅井哲彦の空手道の基礎を形成させることとなった。
上京した浅井哲彦は、拓殖大学に進み、空手道部の中核として活躍する。
天性の柔軟かつ俊敏な身体能力は、相手の蹴りをくぐり、一瞬にして技を決める、潜水艦というあだ名のついた余人に到達できない、多くの技を生み、空手界の注目を集めた。昭和33年、卒業後は(社)日本空手協会の指導員として、空手道の普及啓蒙に尽力するとともに、空手道の真髄を求め、ひたすら精進を続け、後には技術局長として、多くの空手協会の指導員達を育成した。
昭和36年、今上天皇陛下天覧のもと開催された空手大会において、型、組手の総合優勝を果し、世界の空手界において、浅井哲彦の名声が轟くとともに、空手界の将来を嘱望された。
空手界で名声を得た浅井哲彦は昭和39年世界へ向けて空手普及のため、ハワイを始めとし、台湾全土へ空手を導入、積極的に指導員を育成し、台湾空手の父と称される。更に十数ヶ国、十余年にわたる、指導の旅を続けた。
浅井哲彦29才、若き武道家の颯爽とした旅立ちであった。
帰国後も40年の間、海外指導を続け、生涯に70余ヶ国、その門下生は三十万人余りを数える。平成12年古い因習にとらわれることなく、時代に合致した、眞に新しい空手道を実現すべく、空手界の有志と共に「NPO法人日本空手松涛連盟」を設立、後に車椅子空手を開発し、「日本車椅子空手道連盟」を設立して、その型を作り上げ、海外普及にも励んだ。
浅井は試合性に傾く、空手界の行く手を案じ、その武術性、体育面にも視点を置き、単に試合に勝つ為ではなく、もっと奥深い空手の技を磨き、健康な身体を作り上げ、精神の鍛錬に精進すべしとしている。
その事を実践する為、45年の間、どんな事があろうと早朝の二時間にわたる厳しい稽古を一日も休む事なく続けた。
浅井が提唱する、これら新しい活動は、年齢、性別を問わず、身体に障害を持つ方、年をとられた方も目的に応じた指導と練習により、人生の支えとなる、生涯空手を身につけ、それを通して、人間的に優しさを備えた人格形成を目指すものである。
更に浅井は流派にこだわらない空手を目指し、空手道60年の殻を破り、「松涛流」古典型にあらゆる武術の技を取り入れた浅井空手の完成に全力を注ぎ、そして全ての空手愛好家は仲良く和気藹々と切磋琢磨を成すべく、流派を問わない「国際日本武術空手道会I.J.K.A.」をも立ち上げ、「順路」を始め、新しい42の型を創作し、積極的に海外へ浸透させた。浅井のこの考えは、世界平和に繋がるとし、海外諸国でもっとも支持された。更に、その型を修得すれば、全ての流派の技に有効であり、その新しい技を求め、二十余ヶ国の門下生が集った。
海外で行われる浅井の技術講習会は、近隣諸国から他流派の参加者も多く、家族全員で十数時間も車で馳せ参じる程皆が待ち望んでいた人気絶頂の講習会だった。そして日本国内、欧州、世界、の規模で「浅井カップ国際空手道選手権大会」が日本、チリ、アイルランド、スイス、ロシア、其の他の国に於いて開催された。
(詳細は別頁にて)
本人在世中に其の人のカップ争奪戦が行われるのはまれである。
平成16年、これらの活動が評価され、ロシア国立極東大学より名誉教授を授与された。
浅井先生は海外の警察界に於いても、空手の伝授に尽力した。
スペイン警察学校、ハンガリー、東欧、カナダ、ブラジル、ハワイ、香港、アイルランド、メキシコ、チリ、ペルー、アルゼンチン、ルーマニア、等。
浅井の理念のもと、「NPO法人日本空手松涛連盟」「日本車椅子空手道連盟」ともに、発展を続け、平成18年には、日本国内に350支部、数万人余を擁する会となっている。浅井哲彦自身においても、深く空手道を極めることで、壮年期の実践的空手から内面を重視した流麗、かつ円熟した空手道を確立した。
「双腕を鞭のように撓らせ、予測不能かつ骨をも砕く「鞭拳」や強靭な脚力から繰り出される変幻自在の蹴り技など、類をみない、新技を常に編み出す、その姿は「空を駆けること、龍の如く、地を踏み駆ける事、虎の如し」と詠われ、数々の偉業を成す。」
そして、別れを予知したかの如く、辞世の句とも云える「順応自然」の直筆を大会プログラムに残し、その字名「悠翔」の通り、悠々と大空を翔けて行ったのである。
浅井惠子
Tetsuhiko Asai, azana(a name received upon reaching adulthood), was born on June 7 of the 10th year of the Showa era (1935) as the first son of Tsunehiko Asai, a policeman, and Tsuneko, in a family of five boys and four girls.
When he was 12 years old, he entered a local karate dojo, and started his career as a karate practitioner. He joined the judo club at high school, and reached the second dan rank, showing a remarkable talent for martial arts from boyhood. He began to lay the foundations of his higher karate techniques through training in judo and karate at this time.
Tetsuhiko Asai then came to Tokyo, attended Takushoku University, and became a central member of the karate club. His lithe and agile physique allowed him to create many inimitable techniques, such as the "submarine", in which he passed under an opponent's kick and rapidly made his winning attack. Therefore, he gained much attention in the karate world.
In the 33rd year of the Showa era (1958), he graduated from Takushoku University, and was appointed as an instructor of the Japan Karate Association. He devoted his life to seeking for the quintessence of karate, and later became a chief instructor of the technical division of the Association and fostered many karate instructors.
In the 36th year of the Showa era (1961), Tetsuhiko Asai won the overall championship of "kata" and "kumite" contests at a karate competition that was watched by the reigning Emperor Showa. His name became well known in the international karate world, and was considered to have great potential. After he became famous in the karate world, he began teaching karate outside Japan in the 40th year of the Showa era (1965), beginning in Hawaii, then Taiwan, where he aggressively developed instructors and became known as the father of karate in Taiwan. He continued to travel to over 10 countries to teach karate for over 10 years. He was only 29 years old when he started teaching karate outside Japan, which was a rapid start for such a young martial artist.
Tetsuhiko Asai returned to Japan but continued to teach worldwide for the next 42 years. His students came from over 70 countries and taught over 300,000 students in his life. In the 12th year of the Heisei era (2000), he established "Japan Karate Shoto Federation", an Incorporated Nonprofit Organization, with like-minded people, to create a truly new, modern and unconventional school of karate. He then developed wheelchair karate, founded "Nihon Wheelchair Karatedo Renmei", and tried to spread this new style overseas.
Tetsuhiko Asai worried about the tendency to attach too much importance to competition in karate. He thought that the character as a martial art and the gymnastic aspects of karate should receive more attention, and that practitioners should try not only to win competitions, but also to develop more profound karate skills to build a healthy body and mental discipline. He continued severe training in karate for 2 hours early every morning without a single day off to practice his ideas for over 45 years. The new movement advocated by Asai aimed to shape a humanistic and gentle personality through karate, regardless of age, sex, and disability. Therefore, anyone including the disabled and old could study karate as a support for life through practicing and instruction according to their individual needs.
Tetsuhiko Asai sought a new style of karate, by not adhering to any traditional styles. He broke down 60 years karate's old pattern techniques, and concentrated on establishing the new Asai karate by introducing skills of various martial arts into the traditional Shoto style. He founded the International Japan Martial Art Karate Asai ryu (I.J.K.A.) for all karate lovers, regardless of style, where the karate lovers should improve by learning from others through friendly competition. He created more than 42 new kata, which were extensively introduced overseas. This concept of Asai was regarded as helping world peace, and was mostly supported by foreign countries. As his techniques would be effective against any style, practitioners came from more than 20 nations to study.
Asai's technical lectures held overseas were highly popular. Many practitioners of other styles attended from other countries, and some travelled more than 10 hours by car, bringing all members of their family. The Asai Cup International Karate Tournament was held in Japan, Chile, Ireland, Switzerland, Russia, and other countries, to include both Japan, Europe, and countries all over the world.
In the 16th year of the Heisei era (2004), the Far Eastern National University of Russia recognized his activities and conferred the title of honorary professor on him. Asai also tried to encourage instruction in karate within police services overseas, including Spain, Hungary, East Europe, Canada, Brazil, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Ireland, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Romania, and others.
Both the "Japan Karate Shoto Federation" and "Nihon Wheelchair Karatedo Renmei" continued to progress under the ideas of Asai, and had 350 branches and more than several million members in Japan in the 18th year of the Heisei era (2006). Tetsuhiko Asai himself had reached a deep understanding of karate, and had established a flowing, elegant and mature karate style with more emphasis on the internal aspect, departing from his practical karate practised in late middle age.
As he foresaw his farewell, he spoke some words, like a benediction, describing the "adjustment to nature" in the program of the national competition. He had passed through the air sedately and at ease in the wide sky. Tetsuhiko Asai was admired as "he always created extra ordinary and unprecedented new techniques, for example, bowing both hands as a whip, striking a nonpredictable heavy blow enough to crush bones, and dropping kicks at will with his huge leg power; and his appearance was like a dragon flying in the sky and like a tiger running on the ground." Tetsuhiko Asai achieved a number of great feats, and reached the 10th dan, the highest rank of karate, during his life.
Keiko Asai