The Kobe University Kyokushin Karate club

押す！

Since coming to Japan I have been tried and tested. My development, I find, was most noticeably tested through joining the Kobe University Kyokushin Karate club. I hadn’t studied Karate in years, and I thought I’d left it behind when I took up Jeet Kune Do. But with my decision to take Martial Arts seriously this year. Kyokushin seemed to be the best option for my growth as a Martial Artist.  If there was a place to do Karate, Japan was probably the best place.

 For me, Kyokushin’s most defining trait is its focus on physical conditioning. Which translates to less protective gear during training (I’m an insurance nightmare just waiting to happen). And it helped me learn just how far I still have to go. I’m self-teaching in Jeet Kune Do, so I focus on the basics at the expense of body conditioning. Going up against better conditioned students during training is definitely an effective way of keeping my ego in check (Spoiler alert: I got f*cked up).

The focus of my growth through doing Karate was definitely my confidence and my drive. Initially, it was terrifying. My proficiency in Japanese ranges depending on my confidence. If I’m shy, I’m basically a beginner. I had to go into that class feeling 100% every single time, because when I didn’t....it was kind of embarrassing. But it was one of those obstacles I had to surpass in order to succeed.  I don’t get it right every single time. Sometimes I embarrass myself completely and just want to go home, order pizza and ignore it all.

But I reflect upon my actions every day. I am often very sober and critical of these actions. Simply put, I couldn’t give up on Karate, then go home and enjoy anime or manga about a hero overcoming insane obstacles. I’ll be watching the whole thing with the thought of “I’m actually a full dickhead” going through my head the entire time.

My drive significantly improved through training with everyone in the club. Kyokushin is a place where I can go all out without being scared of hurting everyone because, to tell the truth, I’m nowhere near as strong as I think I am. I remember going into the club thinking that I’d have to hold back against everyone here. Nowhere near the truth. I swear, the people of the Kobe University Kyokushin club are warriors. It was a humbling experience.

But my humility quickly turned into a Goku-like fixation on improving myself in strength and technique. It went from “ah great! They’re not hurt!” to “Why the HELL isn’t he doubled over...?” A lot of the time, instead of studying, I’d be reading up on strength training ideas. I began experimenting with different techniques. I’m actually a vegetarian now to see the effect it has on my athletic performance. It was through joining the Kyokushin Karate club did I truly begin to comprehend the notion of getting “to a point where victory cannot be denied.”

Turns out being goofy is an international phenomenon...i thought i was special

I got to see everyone’s real personalities when dragging them to an “all-you-can-drink” restaurant. It’s nice to see people and bond in a setting where we’re not trying to kick each other in the face (that doubles as good life advice by the way).

Strong people, fairly weak livers.