少林寺流拳行館空手道 総本部 館長 久高正之空観独占インタビュー（英語）
Interview with So-Shihan Masayuki Kukan Hisataka, 9th Dan Hanshi. Chairman of the World Koshiki Contact Karate Federation and the World Shorinjiryu Kenkokan Karate Federation
Interviewer: Did you recently hold a big Karate tournament in Japan?
So-Shihan: The 19th World Koshiki Contact Karate Championship and the 30th Japan Open tournaments were held in Zao, Miyagi prefecture, to support the Tohoku area.
Interviewer: Could anybody attend the Japan Open?
So-Shihan: Any style of Karate-ka could attend the Japan Open for Kumite (where two competitors fight), Kata (each contestant performs Kata) and Bunkai Kumite (three contestants compete to demonstrate a proper understanding of Kata).
Interviewer: What is Bunkai Kumite?
So-Shihan: Three contestants perform Kata together and compete to demonstrate a proper understanding of the movements. The contestant in the center demonstrates the two kinds of empty hand techniques against the other two teammates (Juho: throwing, choking and joint lock techniques, and Go-ho: punching, kicking, and striking techniques). Koshiki Karate also has Buki-ho (weapon techniques for Bo and Ken), so the contestant must also demonstrate Buki-ho techniques as part of the kata bunkai. Originally, Karate started as a way to defend against weapons, so to learn the Buki-ho is the best way to understand real Karate.
Interviewer: Which countries attended the World Koshiki Contact Karate Championship?
So-Shihan: By the strong support of Zao city, we could have almost 160 foreign competitors from 15 countries. It was the largest tournament to invite so many people from overseas to the Tohoku area since the earthquake in March 2011.
Many spectators also enjoyed the tournament which had so many world-class competitors.
Interviewer: Where were World Championships held in the past?
Twice in Australia and Canada, as well as in the US. The Championship in California had over 5000 contestants. The numbers of contestants are very big overseas.
Interviewer: You use the word “Contact” very often. What is the meaning of “Contact”?
So-Shihan: There are many different styles of Karate, but they can be broadly categorized into two groups which are Sundome (non-contact) Karate and Contact (Koshiki) Karate.
Karate is a martial art, so we can’t understand real karate without direct attacks to the body. However, if you attack to the face or body directly, people get injured, so the rules of Sundome (non-contact) were developed to never allow direct contact. Even in this situation, however, people often do not stop safely, and make heavy contact. So even in Sundome you can see competitors missing teeth.
Interviewer: So, how can a Karateka avoid losing teeth, but still be able to practice direct punches and kicks?
So-Shihan: To address this problem, I developed the Super-Safe protector which is a faceguard and body protector, by studying Fencing, Kendo and other world martial arts.
The material of the faceguard is bulletproof glass which is 500 times stronger than average glass and cannot be broken even if an iron ball is dropped on it from 20 meters above. Even if the faceguard becomes cracked for some reason, the material does not shatter. So, it is very safe. We have had the World Cup Championships 19 times and the Japan Open Championships 30 times, and have never had any serious injuries.
Interviewer: Karate is always a candidate for the Olympic games. How about in 2020?
So-Shihan: Holding the Olympics in Tokyo is good news and we have a bright future in Japan. When the last Tokyo Olympics were held in 1964, Judo was the Olympic game.
Therefore, we believe Karate should be the Olympic game in 2020.
Interviewer: Wrestling remained an Olympic game at the final decision recently.
So-Shihan: Wrestling is the original game from the ancient Olympic games, so it was the right decision to keep it in the Olympics.
But for example, beach volleyball is an Olympic game even though only a few countries compete, like the U.S., Australia and Japan. I believe there is some hidden secret why this is an Olympic game. Baseball lost being an Olympic sport because only a few countries play baseball seriously.
On the other hand, Karate is one of the most popular sports in the world. I have taught in over 100 countries. So from this perspective, Karate is an excellent Olympic sport – people from around the world who train hard and exert themselves can compete and build a harmonious, healthy society.
Interviewer: Over 100 countries?
So-Shihan: Yes, I have many students who I taught directly in their countries. They attended the recent tournament in September with just one phone call from me. The first Euro Olympic games will be held in Azerbaijan, Baku in 2015. Azerbaijan is very famous as an oil producing country and also very famous as a Karate country. The president of Azerbaijan is a member of the Euro Olympic Committee and his uncle is chairman of the W.K.K.F. (World Koshiki Karatedo Federation).
Interviewer: It means that there is a possibility for Karate to be in the Euro Olympic games?
So-Shihan: Yes, we are working towards that with the support of many parties.
We will have the 20th World Koshiki Contact Karate Championship in 2014 at Azerbaijan in Baku, aiming for the Euro Olympics in 2015. The 20th World Koshiki Contact Karate Championship will be a good demonstration for the Euro Olympics.
That increases the possibility that Karate will be an Olympic game in 2020.
Interviewer: Why is Karate not an Olympic Game already?
So-Shihan: Karate is very popular all over the world. Even in the desert, we can find signboards for Coca-Cola – and Karate! So, the Karate population is both large and spread around the world. The challenge is that there are too many different styles of Karate in the world, not just one.
Non-contact Karate is the most popular form of Karate now. I used to belong to the non-contact Karate association, but the competition rules of Non-contact Karate are not clear.
On the other hand, the competition rules of Contact Karate are clearly understandable due to the sounds of striking and the visible impact of well executed techniques. So, judges and audiences can enjoy exciting and clearly officiated matches.
Interviewer: Is there a difficulty to be in the Olympic games because we have different rules of competition for these different styles?
So-Shihan: Karate can be an Olympic game with two different categories. For example, wrestling has two different categories which are Freestyle and Greco Roman. Or, Swimming has many different styles of competition as well.
Interviewer: It means that there are different categories, but the same Karate?
So-Shihan: Yes, for the purpose of becoming an Olympic game, all Karate-ka should cooperate with each other.
The first non-contact Karate World Cup was held one year before the last Tokyo Olympics. At the second non-contact Karate World Cup in France, a poorly trained French competitor was able to win a bronze medal solely due to the disqualification of opponents who lost three consecutive games because they made contact with techniques, which was prohibited under the rules for non-contact. So, sports journalists saw that and said that Karate must be a unique martial art because competitors who hit their opponents lose. Is that a martial art?
Interviewer: What do you mean?
So-Shihan: I believe that winning because of disqualification of an opponent for 3 games is not the right competition system for Karate.
I am not saying that Koshiki Contact Karate is the best.
There are many wonderful non-contact Karate competitors. I hope that both Koshiki Contact Karate and non-contact Karate mutually cooperate to make Karate an Olympic game.
Interviewer: Other than Azerbaijan, in which countries is Karate most popular?
So-Shihan: Karate is popular in many countries and I currently have students on all continents. If you ask me to name one country, I could say that karate is very popular in the ex-Soviet Union countries. For example, the so called “Father of Soviet Karate”, Mr. Alexsen Shytoramin, is my student. I hope that the ex-Soviet Union countries strongly support Karate to become an Olympic game.
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So-Shihan: I used to teach Karate in the Soviet Union and held the Soviet Karate Cup for 5 years. At that time I taught Mr.Alexsen Shutorakin, too.
Dr. Shigeyoshi Matsumae, Chairman of Nihon Budokan and Chairman of Tokai University, tried to introduce Japanese Martial Arts to the world. The leaders of Judo, Kendo, Karate and Aikido demonstrated and taught in France, West Germany, other European countries and Australia. Some talented Japanese college sportsmen were also in the group such as Mr.Taisuke Yamashita, who got the Gold medal of Judo at the later Los Angeles Olympics.
The Japanese Karate coaches were the Chairman of the World Karate Federation, Sensei Eiichi Eguchi, head coach of the Japan Karate Federation, Sensei Yuichi Negishi, and myself. At that time, we were strongly asked to teach in the Soviet Union.
The Soviet Union was very strong in the Olympic games and got over 50 gold medals, and the United States got around 25, and the other countries in total got 25. So, it was a great honor to introduce Karate to such a strong sporting country. As a result, we have a big Karate population in Russia and Azerbaijan.
Interviewer: It means that many Karate Instructors in the world are So-Shihan’s students?
So-Shihan: Yes, that’s right. Therefore, I can hold a World Championship tournament in Japan easily, because many countries will participate.
This kind of organization structure is very unique. We would like to make Karate an Olympic game, and can ensure strong global participation even in the first year of Olympic competition because we already have a global framework of world-class competitors in place.
Interviewer: By the way, when did So-Shihan start practicing Karate?
So-Shihan: When I was born, I started. Originally, Karate originated in Okinawa.
My last name is “Kudaka”. “Kudaka Island” is very famous as the island of God in Okinawa, same as the “Ise Shrine” in the mainland of Japan. My ancestor was the ruler of the island. And my father, Kori Kudaka Kensei 10th Dan, is the founder of Shorinjiryu Kenkokan Karate.
Interviewer: I know that you taught around the world, so are there any interesting stories?
So-Shihan: India is a very interesting country.
When I hold the Karate seminar, thousands of people attend.
They do not have a good transportation system, so some people take over one week to arrive at the seminar place just to take my seminar.
A major language in India is English. But there are many people who do not understand English, and since there are over 40 dialects to translate, it takes a long time to communicate. For dinner one time, over 100 people sat at one long table and they did not start eating before I started. And some unknown dish was on the table, but nobody would eat until I started, so I had to start. In India, people eat by hand. The dish was like slippery jelly. But anyway, I had to eat, saying “This is very delicious.” But, the dish was the brains of monkeys! Also, I was in many Indian movies. I am a movie star in India and was in a movie with the famous Mr. Born who was a teacher of Mr. Jacky Chan.
One time when filming a movie, the lights were broken and we had to wait in a restaurant until the system was fixed. The dish is the restaurant was monkey brains again!
Interviewer: Did you sometimes visit dangerous counties?
So-Shihan: Yes, I visited Algeria when it was in an unstable situation. At that time, many Japanese were leaving the country because of safety concerns. In addition, the Japanese Foreign Ministry did not recommend visiting the country, but I have many students there so I felt it was safe. Once I decided to visit there, I received a letter saying “the hotel is secured 24 hours a day.” My guards were either my students or Olympic Judo competitors. When I was moved by car, there were two cars in front of my car, and two cars behind. The security was like that for a foreign leader or foreign minister.
The celebration dinner was a whole baked sheep, and to start the feast, I had to cut some pieces off by hand, even though the sheep was too hot to eat.
Interviewer: Is Karate’s God Hand suitable to cut a freshly baked sheep?
So-Shihan: It was just too hot, but still so tasty!
Interviewer: At the end of this Interview, could you give some comments for Karate people?
So-Shihan: Karate starts with proper salutations and ends with proper salutations.
To learn proper salutations is very important for Karate.
We have three minds for Karate:
“Zen shin” is the mind for preparation.
“Tsu shin” is the mind to do one’s best in the moment.
“Zan shin” is the mind to examine the results.
These three minds are not only for Karate but also for study, work, etc.
Karate is a martial art, so one must respect one’s opponent.
We need to consider the opponent in order to win.
Watch the opponent, and think and make the right strategy for winning.
Without strong effort for achievement, people cannot improve.
There is a mind for trying hard.
There is a mind for winning.
Then, there is winning the right way.
Continuity is the most important thing.