MARTIAL ARTS PRESENTS... MASTERS OF Pain ee ress HR Faas Straight Shooter KEI! TOMIYAMA The Challenges of Budo SWEEPING TECHNIQUES Unlocking the Secrets SHINPQ MATAYOSHIL The Heritage Keeper — Comag £2.95 MARTIAL ARTS PRESE 03, | olen ts yww magazin iii ses 00 ins WADA $7.99 K £295The Challenges of Budo By Jose Fraguas is one of the icons of tanicha shito-ryu karate. A direct st- dent of founder Chojiro Tani, “Tomiyama was chosen by Tani to spread the art in Europe according tothe ethical and moral principles of the old Japanese traditions. Once known only for his fero- cious fighting skills, Sensei Tomiyama has matured not only as a karate-ka, but also as individual. With this maturity has come. philosophy that puts proper per- spective on when to fight and when not to fight. However, he still believes that there are times when a man must not recat. "To fight with another is wrong’ says Tomiyama, "but to lose a fight with another over principles you deem hon- urable is worse. To fight wel is as prop- ras being able to study correely oF walk properly. By learning to fight, you are actually educating yourself to avoid bat tle." Described as a teacher who gives as ‘much as he demands, Tomiyama contin- tues his dedicated task of spreading the message of his teacher. His schools around the world continue to flourish because they have been established on a ‘nucleus of loyal instructors and students ‘who live by the same budo principles that fostered the spirits of the ancient warriors of Japan.How long have lyou been practic- ing martial arts? 1 sated karate atthe age of 17, 50 I have been practicing for 35 years. However did alte tle kendo atthe age of 13 and judo at 16 as they were compulsory at school. I hold 7th dan in shigo-zyu and 6th dan in gojutyu, but T do not actively teach goju-cyu as everything I have learned in itis included in my shito-ryu teaching. Shito-tyu is a broad style Which includes both shurite and abate. Moreover, my teachers eared their goju-ryu ftom master Kenwa “Mabuni, the founder of shito-ryu, who also caught goju-ty juse to my teachers. I still practice with my teachers in gojusryu cvery time I go back t0 Japan. Also, T have ‘been practicing shinto muso-ry jodo forthe lst cen years oF 50. Q Who were your first teachers? scart ith my cousin who was studying hito-oy, but my serious taining started when I entered Doshisha University in Kyoto and joined its karte club atthe age of 18. The teacher there was Sensei Fukuda, Master Chojco Tani, one of the senior students of Kenwa ‘Mabuni and founder of tani-ha shico ryu, was the technical director and came to the dojo and taught regularly. MASTERS OF KARATE sich 2003 «41‘What do you remember most of your early days in karate? A was doing boxing at high school. At the same time my cousin, who is two years older, was studying karate. So one day we decided to fight to see which was beter. I was beaten conclusively. He just kepc kick- ing me and I had no answer for that. At ‘that point, I gave up boxing and st ed learning karate! ‘Ac the universey club, we trained for three hours every day — one hour Of fitness taining, one hour of bases and katas, and one hour of kumice, Sic ups were a important part of fitness training and we did a minimum of 500 every day, We jokingly called ourselves ‘members of the Doshisha University SicUp Club. When you do so many sit-ups inevitably che skin around your backside forms a callus. At public bachs, which were quite common in those days, we could recognize mem \ bers of the karate club by | jusc looking at their backsides! Ac x ceaining camps, where we practiced three times a day for one week, we used 10 do 1,000 sic-ups in the morning, another 1,000 in the aftemoon and another 1,000 in the evening. Our record was 2,500 sit-ups at one time, We also had training camps at Sensei Tani’s dojo in Kobe, Smoking was the norm in those days and almost every adult’ male smoked. It was a sign of adulthood and almost every male student started smoking upon entering the university. Sensci Tani, myself, and everybody else in the dojo were smokers. There was a big ashtray, maybe ewo feet in diameter, atthe end ofthe dojo and, atthe beesk in the middle of training, everybody, including Sensei Tani, sat around the ashtray and smoked while discussing techniques. On finishing a cigarece, we resumed training, Both Sensi Tani and I stopped smoking quite soon afer those university years, and the dojo became a non-smoking zone several years later, + How has your personal karate changed over the 1 was fairy suecessal in come petition, winning second place in the All-Kansai_ Individual Championships — so I was one of the top universcy fighters. Master Tani tried to modernize karate and devel- ‘oped a unique theory consisting of many new ideas such as “double-hip shock,” “recoil,” “changing weight, “dropping body.” and more. Following his instruction, I developed very good speed which helped me to be succesful in competition. When I came co Europe by Master Tani’s request in 1972, afier graduating from the Universi I realized that European people were thicker and heavier than the Japanese. So I tried «0 |, develop more power. LuKeiji Tomiyama faces his opponent (1). He starts punching with his right hand to close the distance (2), and follows with a left gyaku-tuski (3), a left mawashi-geri jodan (4), aleftura-ken to the temple (5), and a right gyaku-tsuki fo the mid-section (6).‘Sensei Tomiyama squares-off with opponent Isaac Florentine (1). Florentine attacks with agyaku-tsuld that is countered with a left- hand parry and a right-hand ura-ken to the temple (2). He followswith a front kick to the stomach (3), a newgyaku-tuski chudan (4). Using his right hand, Tomiyama sensei throws ‘his opponent to the ground (6), where he finishes with a punch to the mid-section (7). {March 2008 «MASTERS OF KARATE Sensei Insteucte fal cechr tose be Wher Master Y pojueryu enable y history Karate dents fx Risumei in Kyoo Miyagi, master ( and mo: Japanese Riesume On ths Universe tion fron had sexe the advie not say Tosh Kenvea } Doshish Taniag eventual and, wi Mabuin, the univ buc I fll ashito-r and expl: by Kem impresse must ha modern was quie In l9Sensei Yasuhio Suzuki, Chief Instructor for Europe, had very power ful techniques and he caught me how to use body weight more effectively. ‘When I visited Japan in 1980, I mec Master Yamashita and Master Uchara of gojueryu at the university dojo, To «enable you to understand the situation mote clearly, Iwill briefly tell you che history of the Doshisha University Karate Club, In the 1930s, some stu- dents From Doshisha University. and Risumeikan University, both situated in Kyoto, got together and sought instruction from Master Chojun Miyagi, founder of goju-ryu. These two universities are the birthplace of goju- ryu in mainland Japan, The famous master Gogen “The Cat’ Yamaguchi and most other senior instructors of Japanese gojuckai are graduates of the Risumeikan University Karate Chub. On the other hand, Deshisha University Karate Club sought instruc- tion from Master Kenwa Mabuni, who had seetled in nearby Osaka, following the advice of Master Miyagi who could ‘mainland Japan all che time. TTo show respect to his fllow master, Kenwa Mabuni only taught naha-te ac Doshisha University, thus the club remained a goju-ryu school, Master Tani, a graduate of Doshisha University, eventually became 2 shitosyu. seylsc and, with permission from Master Maburi, started tanicha shito ryu. So the university lub is basically goju-ryu, but I followed Master Tani and became a shito-ryu stylist. Both masters showed and explained some goju katas as aught by Kenwa Mabuni, and 1 was quite impressed by the theories and wisdom contained in these forms. Master Tani must have ako learned these, but his instruction was more geared towards his mode theories so their explanation ‘was quite eye-opening to me. In 1982 my father fll ill and T had 10 go back to Japan to look after him and his business. Istayed therefor three years and, during hese cheee_ years, ‘rained with both masters every week. I was also very lucky co be able co train with Master Fujimoto, the most senior instructor on the goju side of che radi- tion, who had refused to teach prev cusly. I absorbed a lot during this peri- od. [also managed to rain with Master Tani quite regularly, learning: many yu katas, Upon returning to Europe, I had to train and think hard ro combine Master ‘Tani’s modern theory with goju's tradi- tional wisdom, The answer came to me fairly quickly because it had alteady started to form within my body during my three years in Japan. The key ly in Master Tani’s teaching. When he had taught his theory, he had always said thar once mastered, these movements would become smaller and smaller and eventually invisible. Once these invisi- ble, oF internal, movements were mas tered, there was no conflict beoween his modern teachings and the traditional gs. In 1990, 1 wrote my book “Fundamentals of Karate-do," explaining these traditional teachings in a more modern approach. For the last ten years or 50, 1 have started realizing that one has to reach 2 high spiritual level in order to reach a high technical level. So thae is whae Lam trying to achieve at the moment. Although I have almost all the informa- tion material needed, I have to further refine my techniques and reach a high- cr level. The border berween spiritual and physical states gets blurred atthe higher levels, So I stl have a long way ogo. How did Westerners respond to traditional Japanese training? Very well, actually: When Len 1 Europe forthe first time, I was in Paris and I could not speak a single ‘word of French. I was alo young and inexperienced. So I just kept training normally and everybody had to follow and copy me. I remember the language barrier but I do nor remember any dif ferences in training between the Westerners and the Japanese. Ie is rather impossible to categorize Western karate and Japanese karate. ‘There are many kinds of karate and karate-ka in the ‘West as wel as in Japan. Some Western people ae far more advanced than some Japanese. What I can say is that there are a small number of old generation karateska in Japan who reached quite a high level, just because they practiced for a longer period and were closer to the source, : How has your teaching philosophy evolved? Unsil 1982 T was teaching what I had learned from Master Tani are Sensei Suzuki, I was just a messen- ‘get. However, when I came back from Japan around 1985, 1 sarted to teach ry own ideas, which does noc necessar- ily mean my creations but rather my understanding of what Karate should be. Thad to explain and convince my old students of the vali ofthe teach= ing, as my approach was different from my pre-1982 period. The majority understood or trusted me, but some failed co understand and lef, which did nt bother me too much as I was con- vinced that my new approach was far superior tothe old one. In 1990 I decid- ed to spread the word outside Western Europe and started to travel the world. Within a few years, { had established branches in Eastern Europe, Southern Aiea, the Middle East, and the Indian sui-continent.Sensei Tomiyana faces Isaac Florentine (1). Tomiyama closes the distance with sweep to Florentine’s left eg (2), which disturbs Florentine’s balance (3),and allows Tomiyana to turn 360 degrees (4), and ajodan ushiro mawashi-geri (5), and follow with aKeiji Tomiyama faces his opponent (2). He stops his aggressor's attack with his left hand (2), and follows with atetsui-uchi to the temple(3), right elbow to head (4),a down- ward ura-ken to the back of the neck (9), a front kick to the stomach (6), and a finishing straigit-punch to the face (7).With all these changes, do you think there is Pure shito-ryu and goju- ryw? + Ie is werydifficule ro define what pute pure shito-ryu, goju-ry, of even shorokan is, The first ct shotokan elub was the Kei Karate Club. Th ferent fiom the JKA, for example, but nobody can question their pedigree. 1 believe in my version of shito-ryu, but another shito-ryu instructor will proba- bly disagree with me. Also, my gojusryu is quite different from other goju branches. Having said chat, there are distinctive differences between the shorokan group and the shito group, and between the shico goju groups. When you see people from reputable shorokan organizations, although there are some differences, you can recognize them as shotokan people from their movements. The same can be said for + goju, wado, ucchi, shorin, et cetera, On the other hand, I admic that there are some people whose style we cannot recognize by just observing their movements. Generally speaking, the technical standard of chese untecogniz- able people is poorer. 1 do think that different schools are important because one cannot just leacn one style of karate. There is no such thing as a standard karate Different styles exist because of dil ‘ent historical ideas and principles. At the higher levels, all styles beeome quite close and similar. Ie is like climbing a mountain, Thete are many paths to climb a mountain. Although all paths lead to the same summit, one has to choose a path to climb. On the other hhand, there are people who are only interested in competition fighting. They train only how to move around 48 each 2003 # MASTERS OF KARATE and how to score points. For them, dif ferent seyles are nor important. ‘What is your opinion of full-contact karate and + People who are engaged infill. contact karateand kiekboxing are very committed and very strong. 1 respect them very much. Although these activities are eombae sports, they are not budo. So they lack the philo- sophical aspects that balance their exs- tence as human beings. What are the main characteristics of your shito-ryu method compared to other branches? Master Kenwa Mabuni ughe shur-te fist in onder to acquite basic fighting skill. Then he taught naha-te to develop porwr. So all other shito-ry groups ae shur-t based and pur naha-te on top ofthe shuti-ce base. (On the other hand, Master Tani and myself leamed nahacte oF gojt Fist then shuri-te was added on top of the rnaha-te base. This is the main differ ence. As Texp earlier, now prace tice the invisible version of Master “Tani’s theory and, as a consequence, cour movements may be slightly smaller and more subdle than other shito-ry ‘g0ups. Moreover, as our techniques do not require great muscular strength or big dynamic movement produce power, ic is wel suited to older prac tioners who have started to reach lim tations in theie external power. Do you feel there are any differences between ‘Western karate-ka as com- pared to Japanese karate-ka? A None whatsoever Japanese peo- ple used to be smaller chan ‘Westerners, bur the younger generation Japanese ate now quite tall due to che change in lifesyle and nutrition. Alo, Japan is no longer a poor country with strong social discipline whose people readily accept harsh discipline, ‘West Compared to the rest of the world? For me, karate isa whole pack- age ~ physical, echnical, spvicusl, and cultura. Therefore, etiquette and discipline are quite important. ‘There ste many Japanese instructors resident jin the West who teach this wholesome arate. Many Western inseructors who learned from them also teach this kind of karte, Bue there are many instruc- tors who did not lean properly or did not like this kind of approach. They usually tech karate a just a physical and technical exercise. On the other hand, there ae some people who have gone in che opposite direction and teach mystified karate which, in my opinion, can be harmful to one's men- tal health, Karate has been in the West for quite a long time now, so it is quite diversified. : Do you think it helps to train with weapons? x Ic generally does, although ii nor essential to train in weapons to progress in karate. One has to have good stances and postures as well asthe correct distribucion of strength in order tohandle weapons properly. So traning ‘with weapons will help to develop the aspects which are equally essential for karate. On the other hand, people who are already quite good in karate can learn weapons faicly quickly as they already possess these qualities "What's your opinion about makiwara training? adSensei Tomiyama waits for his opponent's attack ().Tomiyama deflects the punch withachudan yoko-uke (2), hooks his left hand over his attacker's arms to apply an elbow wrench fromseipai kata (3), and follows with an elbow strike to the face (4). He then applies a wrist lock (5), followed bya palm strike to the groin (6).Tomiyama Makiwara taining is good for eveloping focus and power and strengthening the body, but ic should be done correcdy. Moreover, a maki- ‘wara board should be flexible Do you think an instructor's personal training should be different than what he teaches his stu- dents? A Definitely. When you teach people, war they need for the development should be your main com- com. This can be quite different from your own needs. These are ovo com- plesely different things which need to be approached separacely and individu- ally, Kata and kumite - what's the proper train- ing Patio? AL sector s0s0 What determines a Karate-ka’s level? ~The quality of your karate is determined by the quality of your basics, so you have to practice basics regularly and ty to improve them whatever level you are at. This does not mean you ean neglect kata and kumice practice. You should practice kata and kumite to improve your karate, but do not negleet the basics. Tradition is the most important element. Tradition includes self-defense cechniques, self development exercises, and personal ethics Is going to Japan to train necessary? Not celly. Ie depends who you are learning fom in your country and who you are going to learn from in Japan. OF course iis nice to vist Japan and see the culture, but whether ie i highly necessary or not depends on cach person's circumstance. I have great respect for many of the Japanese inscructors teaching outside Japan. ‘They are much better than the average inscructor in Japan and, moreover, can speak the local language. ‘What are the major ‘changes in the art since you began training? Daring the lst three or four decades, karate has spread around the world and become one ofthe major combat sports. So this worldwide development of karate asa sport can be seen as the major change, although tx ditional karate is still mostly unchanged ‘Who would you like to have trained with that you have not? + I consider myself extremely Jucky w have met and ined with so many legendary teachers. I do nor fel a need to have trained with any ‘other ceachers, although I try to leara something new from everyone I meet. As a shito-ryu sys, you might expect me to say Master Kenwa Mabuni. Bus since all my teachers are direct students of Master Mabuni and | learned a lot about him I do not feel a need. Perhaps the only person I would like ro have trained with is Master Choki Morobu, ‘What would you say to ‘someone who is interest- ed 1g karate-do? Well, I would sy, "Karate is good for you, so start straight away.” Some people are very natural when it comes to any kind of physical activity buc Ic was never this way with ime. Even if you are ‘gifted, I always believed the factors to determine the quality of your karate were the quality of instruction you reccive and. the amount of work you put in, At the University Club, we gave several hun- «dred repetitions in each technique with senior grades constantly correcting jun jor grades. IF we did not correct our- selves following thei instruction, senior grades did noc hesitate o slap our face or kick our stomach. So, to avoid get ting hurt, we learn faicly quickly. ‘My teachers have constantly given me inspiration and motivation. I have formed ideas about karate should be and [try coimplementitin myself. Iris ‘the main motivation for my own devel- opment. On the exher hand, I would like to help others to develop them- selves. That is why I keep traveling and What is your opinion about mixing karate styles: Can it be beneficial? Aw are styles which are com- patible and others which are not 1 do not think practicing two incom- patible styles is beneficial. For example, 1 myself cain in shito-ryu, gojusryu and uechi-yu, Moreover, some ryuc ryu katas were included in the shieo-ryt lise in recent years. I have no problem with this because the underlying princ- ples of these styles does nor confit. On the other hand, I think 1 would hhave a problem with mixing shorokan and shorin-ryu. Some branches of goju- yu are also t00 different from mine, and thus incompatible. As I explained carlier shito-ryu is a very broad style and I teach all chese styles of katas under one roof of shito-ryu. To avoid confision or conflict, 1 teach all of these with the same principles How important do you think bunk is in theunderstanding of kata? + Originally, co leam karate meant to learn katas and their bunk Ie sail applics to traditional karate Aldhough practicing a kata and improw- ing its techniques is most important, che performance becomes incomplete and hollow without understanding and prac- ticing is bunkai and chat is exacly what is happening in competition kara. To combat this, the Word Karate Federation has put kata bunkal in the finals of the ‘cam kata event. So we sal see what hap- pens. ‘What is the philosoph- ical basis for your karate training? Tn common with mos Japanese ‘martial artists, 1 have leamed, and. am sll earning, the budo philosophy of the simumis, which is based on Zen Buddhism, Confucianism and Shintoism, Bus I believe che majority of its virtues are universal and ean also be found in other religions and philosophies of the world, Although they aso apply to life in genera, I believe the most impor tant virtues specifically «9 martial artists are muishin of "no mind and mug or "no ego.” One as to empty ones mind to bee able to understand the opponent's intention and got id of ego to harmonize with the opponent in order to control him. Ia othee words, che principles are ‘easy 0 say but nor that easy 10 achieve. Do you have a memo- rable experience that pired your training? A; Yes, when T saw Master Fujimoto for the second time. ‘When I i him forthe fis time, Teas sell a white bele and could not under- stand whae he was doing. But when T saw him for the second time, many years later, [was actively seeking knowl- cedge and I can sill remember the shiv- ring which went through my spine with exitement and dation. | getasim- ilar inspiration every time cain with ‘What does the practice of karate-do mean to yor Another grand question! In short, i isthe continuous betterment oF improvement of one's technique, under standing and personaliq: Bue the basline is to enjoy the taining and to achieve your goal - whatever it may be Iecan be to get fit, to pas the nex grading, to mas. ter a technique, 0 Team a new kata, et cetera, Once your current goal is achieved, seca new goal and keep enjoy- ing the training. Hopefully, this cone trues co improving the quality of your life for which the social side is also quite important. : How can a practitioner ‘can increase their under- standing of the spiritual side of karate? + Primarily by reading relevant materials consaining core infor- mation, and meditating and practicing kata with the right arritude and state of rind, One has to try 0 achieve the sat ‘of mind I explained earlier - mushin and mga. Buc ifyou behave aggressively with a big go in daly if, the higher levels of spiriual development are impossible to achieve, How much training should a senior karate- ka Be-doing to improve? + Everything, every single day, has 0 be impregnated with the spirit of taratedo, One bas 1 incorporate daily life with karate praice ~ how to walk, how to breathe, how speak, et cetera, Karate is no nly a way ofsimply punch- ing and kicking, iis away of if and as suc flats the faeets of your existence Ac esse thi is the way ieshould be. Is anything lacking in the way martial artists are taught today, compared with your day? What do you mean by "your dy: T am still leaming, you know. Well again it depends on the instructor. As Tstid earlier, maybe et- gin some dojos. But the world and is peo- ple are changing constandly and there are saied cultures and customs in the worl, so certain changes are inevitable. quette and discipline are : What are the most successful karate-ka? + Perseverance and modesty Open-mindedness to absorb the teaching, and friendliness to get on well with fellow students also helps. Enthusiasm is also important, but many over-enthusiastic students burn ‘out quickly and leave. Steady students who keep coming regularly and perse- vere are the winners Do you recommend »plementary training? ching and running are very good and very important for the ‘overall physical condition of the karate- ka, Bucone has to be careful abou weight tmiring, Although ie is very good to screngthen the whole body, I have seen too many people who started t0 use bre tal force rather than technique as they: grew stonger dic to weight wining “Thiss detrimental wo arate practice. leis ‘very important to remember that it is “supplementary” raining and put the primary emphasis on karte taining and ‘noton the other aspects. MASTERS OF KARATE orc 2009 #81MARTIAL MUSINGS 4 Portrayal of- [Martial Arts: | fin the 20th | aes area eee ar nur big ad Sond Brat) this book had beter be in your ibrar" er et all ror one OED it tend Sores sucint, witty animated and fowiagly accurate prose. For anon aes ab and eat ee tha have shaped our onodern world fom China vo Japan to America, for anyone derstand hat sodsing te thes a extsordinay tides helps ese our own tundancxscnc, or anyone wus Interested in unig, god rea, Maral Ming oa bags me ay eee) “Read it wl be o your advantage: sodas a Days IT Marns + Whig trig Ctr oper My Karte ih ‘oko Etlrson = Laas Or Top Sdens ‘Tovah stotanes | the Weed aa 1 The Bo tivo + Nahing Coal Nip ga aha ier is | * Rew Ls Cereb Correspnicns Femne Tati las "| © ord on Weapos + Hardbound 6x9" + Full-color cover TWo-color text + 400 pages + Over 300 illustration * Price: $39.95 Pro Racers roe ioe NOD zee ED izce CALL TOLL FREE 1(800) 332-3330 Why do many students leave after two or ree years of training? There ae so many things o do these days and many people send to do a ltd of everything rather than stick to one thing. and reach hig level. Abs, thre arc some barr wo break though in onder wo progres in karte. The fist barter isto become a brown bbl and che neti to become black bel Tivo co thc year isthe Fime when student fice these arviers, Probably these hariets are too ‘much Forsome students. Thereare als people who successflly ove ‘come the barriers burt have no energy left o cary on. The next bar riers between 3nd and 4th dan. People ean progges up to 3d dan ‘with plenty of spirit and enthusiasm, but refinement is needed co pass to 4th dan and many people find this quit dificult Those who made the 4th dan grade generally continue t eain for the rest of thei life and keep progressing, ‘There is very little written about you in ‘magazines. Do you avoid publicity? ty two main teachers, Master Tani and Master Fujimoto, both did noe like publicity so pechaps that influenced me. Master Tani could have gotten an important position within the Japan Karate Federation but he declined it. Master postvely against public’ and believed that those who wanted learn from him had ro seek him out. Although I would like people to know what Lam doing to a certain extent, a | might be able co hp some of them, se glorification i agains my’ belie Have there been times when you felt fear in your training? AN the university club, our seniors did not use contro a all during fice sparing Talking 10 them after graduation, I found ‘out cha dey had sincerely believed tha ic had been beneficial tous. Many of us gor broken noses and tccth because of the fice-sparring sessions everyday. Weal le some kind of Fear asthe fre sparing ses sion approached. Having once stave fighting, you are wo busy baling with the job at hand and have no time to fel Feat ‘What is the key to gaining a deep under- standing of karate principles? ime san important ment n ones progression. Ifyou do not understand something straight away, you have to keep Then one day if you remain diligent, you wil sudden practicing Iy understand ike a ripe fic dropping ofa branch, IF you do not keep practicing, you will never understand, [eis important co give youre ime, be patient, an jose keep proctcng. Bal oe Fagus general manager of CEW Emergis, neSensi Tomiyama faces his opponent (). He blocks an attack with his left hand (2), and immediately coun- ters with a nuki-te to the eyes (4), followed by a left ‘finger-jab to the throat (4). Tomiyama then drops his body and grabs his opponent's right leg (5), bring- ing him to the ground (6), where he finishes with a Kakato-geri to the groin (7). “The quality of your karate is determined by the quality of your basics, so you have to practice basics regularly and try to improve them whatever level you are at.” MASTERS OF KARATE» March 2003 #53,