I used the Yamanote Line to Harajuku and from there it was a short walk to the venue. As I excited the JR railway station there was a group of people who looked to be dressed up as some kind of warriors practicing a routine with great detail and precision. I didn't stop for long because the sun was blistering hot. It was only 10am!
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| "Warriors" practicing their routine |
When I got to Yoyogi I realised that there was a big Kyokushinkai tournament on in the 11,000 stadium. There were 11 tatami on the floor but the stands were sparsely populated.
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| 13th JKS All-Japan Championships banner |
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| Yoyogi National Stadium |
I took the short walk across to the smaller, 6,000+ seater Yoyogi Gymnasium. The JKS championships were being held here. The place was absolutely buzzing when I went in. The stands were almost full with spectators and competitors! As I went in the door I met Matsue Sensei and then Inada Sensei. All of the Hombu Dojo instructors were very busy all day. They were wired up with ear pieces and radios as they ran around constantly making sure that everything was going smoothly and that their Sempai's (seniors) were left wanting for nothing.
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| Inada Sensei directing the other Hombu Dojo Sensei's from the balcony in order to ensure that the opening ceremony runs without a glitch. |
The one thing that I always notice about competitions in Japan is that everybody competes. Nobody makes excuses. Young, old, beginner or advanced... they all get into the spirit of the occasion! It's about getting out there and giving it your best shot! People don't pass any judgement if somebody performs poorly or forgets part of a kata... It's the competing that matters! That's my understanding anyway!
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| Kagawa Sensei addresses the competitors |
There were about nine tatami (mats or competition areas) being used in the early morning. It was just kids competing today. At 12 noon, all competition stopped and the opening ceremony took place. This was very lively as all the competitors marched in under their dojo banner. There was music and clapping taking place as everybody was welcomed. Kagawa Sensei and all the senior JKS officials including Yagi Sensei, Muriyama Sensei and Tanaka Sensei sat at the top tables. It was very interesting to see the interaction between these people throughout the day and how the Sempai / Kohai tradition was being observed.
Kai Sensei carried the official flag and said aloud some code or motto for the championships as he was the grand Kumite champion for last year.
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| Kai Sensei with senior members from the Hombu dojo |
Kagawa Sensei, Muriyama Sensei and a few others gave speeches during the ceremony. It was concluded in spectacular fashion with a demonstration by three members of the Japan National Team (from Teikyo University). They were unbelievably flawless as they performed Sochin and Unsu to perfection in team kata. The speed, sharpness, timing and precision of movement was something to behold! They rounded off their demonstration with a practical display (bunkai) for Unsu. It was brilliantly dynamic and dramatic!
Taka-San, who I spoke about in the blog last year when I was in Tokyo saw me in the stand and came over to say hello. He's the guy who Inada Sensei insited that I beat to the ground in morning training! He's in his last year of medical school and will soon leave for Okinawa to do his residency training. He said that he's looking forward to training with me over the next two weeks! He told me that he failed his black belt grading in June. He missed a part of one of the Heian kata's. Simple mistake he said but it wasn't good enough! You don't get anything easily in Japan! Taka is very good friends with the younger dojo instructors such as Kai Sensei and Nagaki Sensei and he's always playing soccer and socialising with them. It counts for nothing when you're being examined!! Taka asked me why I wasn't competing and I explained that I only decided to come back to Japan last week. Too late for entry at that stage.
The competition resumed after the ceremony as both kata and kumite for kids took place. It was very funny to watch Yamaguchi Sensei. He was excitable all day as he seemed to be looking out for his students who were competing! He would almost jump up and down with pride when any of his kids won a match. When they lost he would put on a sort of bewildered expression... I was bursting myself laughing! It was great to see that he was taking so much interest and pride in his students though! The overall standard today was exceptionally high. It is very obvious that these kids love their training and practice an awful lot. It was also great to see families competing in team kata together. It was also really good to see wheelchair kata being performed. I couldn't get over how flexible these competitors were in their upper body and how they used this flexibility to evade, block and strike opponents.
I was back in Nippori around 4pm. I went for some noodles at the local restaurant.
I followed that with some kata training in the local park. It has become a little overgrown since I was here last year! The first thing I said was... "where did the grass come from?!". I still managed to find a spot for about 40 minutes!
I'll head back to Yoyogi early tomorrow morning. The seniors compete tomorrow. It should be really good! I'm excited to watch it! I fancy Kai Sensei to do really well. He looks brilliant in the dojo at the moment.
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