To all JKS SA Instructors and Members of our Association
It is with great regret and heartache that I have to inform you of the passing of the great Master, Shuseki Shihan Tetsuhiko Asai, on Tuesday, 15 August 2006. He was born in June 1935 and lived for 71 years.
Asai Shihan was my mentor, a great leader and a man of character and great standing, not only in Japan, but throughout the world. He was a karate master that not only enhanced the great works passed on by Funakoshi, but who also created many more katas with his special techniques. He was very unique and had a style all of his own.
I have known him for some 40 years and affiliated to the JKS in 1991 - then still JKA - and we had become great friends. I will miss him greatly and will mourn him!
I attended the memorial service of Susheki Shihan Asai in Tokyo on Friday, 1 September 2006, to pay mine and JKS SA's respects to this great man. I arrived at the temple at about 12:20. I was fortunate enough to be seated as a VIP in the main temple with the family and approximately 100 senior close associates of Shihan Asai. The actual service was attended by approximately 500 people and started at 13:00. The Shinto Budo service took some 3 hours. Although I don't think Asai Shihan was this way inclined religiously, the family stipulated that it had to be done this way.
Just prior to the actual service they had a video tape running in the main hall, the two outer halls and the large main covered outside area, on reasonably large screens, with Mr Asai being interviewed, answering questions, smiling and doing some karate demonstrations. Portions were taken from some old video footage and in the first one Mr Asai was doing kumite against Kanazawa Sensei, with Nakayama Shihan being the referee. Shihan Asai's style of fighting was so clearly different to the normal JKA linear style of fighting. He had a great Chinese influence in his movement: changing direction, dropping on the legs, jumping above hip height, rotating reaction and take downs.
Also included amongst all the video footage were some very recent demonstrations of himself against the great Osaka, seven times all JKA Kata champion and a really great master of karate. Master Asai moved like a ballet dancer, went beneath his kicks, got behind him and took him down like a baby. Other demonstrations included the likes of Richard Amos and many other famous JKS instructors.
I found myself glued to the video and was in absolute awe of this great master. Even after his death he has re-inspired and motivated me to return to SA and develop and work even harder on my own level. He has certainly inspired me to lead JKS SA to an even greater level, which I know we can attain.
Master Asai was posthumously graded to 10th Dan, as they did with Nakayama Shihan way back in 1987.
After the memorial service we attended a meeting on the 59th floor of a building called Sunshine City, situated in Ikebukuro, a Kyokushin stronghold. Besides myself representing South Africa, representatives from Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, Israel, Mexico, China (Beijing), Hong Kong, Thailand and Ireland were also present.
It is with great regret and heartache that I have to inform you of the passing of the great Master, Shuseki Shihan Tetsuhiko Asai, on Tuesday, 15 August 2006. He was born in June 1935 and lived for 71 years. Asai Shihan was my mentor, a great leader and a man of character and great standing, not only in Japan, but throughout the world. He was a karate master that not only enhanced the great works passed on by Funakoshi, but who also created many more katas with his special techniques. He was very unique and had a style all of his own.
I have known him for some 40 years and affiliated to the JKS in 1991 - then still JKA - and we had become great friends. I will miss him greatly and will mourn him!
I attended the memorial service of Susheki Shihan Asai in Tokyo on Friday, 1 September 2006, to pay mine and JKS SA's respects to this great man. I arrived at the temple at about 12:20. I was fortunate enough to be seated as a VIP in the main temple with the family and approximately 100 senior close associates of Shihan Asai. The actual service was attended by approximately 500 people and started at 13:00. The Shinto Budo service took some 3 hours. Although I don't think Asai Shihan was this way inclined religiously, the family stipulated that it had to be done this way.
Just prior to the actual service they had a video tape running in the main hall, the two outer halls and the large main covered outside area, on reasonably large screens, with Mr Asai being interviewed, answering questions, smiling and doing some karate demonstrations. Portions were taken from some old video footage and in the first one Mr Asai was doing kumite against Kanazawa Sensei, with Nakayama Shihan being the referee. Shihan Asai's style of fighting was so clearly different to the normal JKA linear style of fighting. He had a great Chinese influence in his movement: changing direction, dropping on the legs, jumping above hip height, rotating reaction and take downs.
Also included amongst all the video footage were some very recent demonstrations of himself against the great Osaka, seven times all JKA Kata champion and a really great master of karate. Master Asai moved like a ballet dancer, went beneath his kicks, got behind him and took him down like a baby. Other demonstrations included the likes of Richard Amos and many other famous JKS instructors.
I found myself glued to the video and was in absolute awe of this great master. Even after his death he has re-inspired and motivated me to return to SA and develop and work even harder on my own level. He has certainly inspired me to lead JKS SA to an even greater level, which I know we can attain.
Master Asai was posthumously graded to 10th Dan, as they did with Nakayama Shihan way back in 1987.
After the memorial service we attended a meeting on the 59th floor of a building called Sunshine City, situated in Ikebukuro, a Kyokushin stronghold. Besides myself representing South Africa, representatives from Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, Israel, Mexico, China (Beijing), Hong Kong, Thailand and Ireland were also present.
The JKS Committee opened the meeting by stating that, out of respect for Shihan Asai, things would remain as is for one year. In other words, no new posts or titles would be awarded and, for one year, there will be no Shuseki and no international chief instructor. The organisation will be run by the Shihankai, headed by Mr Tanaka from the Gifu Prefecture, and Kagawa will remain as Technical Director.
I took the liberty of addressing important matters with the Shihankai and also complimented them on their standard of karate skill and excellence. They will discuss these matters and I sincerely trust that all agreements made between Asai Shihan and myself will be honoured.
The following day I had a very nostalgic experience: I visited Nakayama's Hoitsugan Dojo and found some old people training karate on a Saturday afternoon. I then went to look for the JKA Headquarters, where they had moved to after the split, but their old premises had been vacated. I then went up to the original dojo in Ebisu, which was converted to a dojo from a bowling alley. All that I found there now is the USA Monster Toy Shop. This was very sad for me to see.
In closing, I would like to say that I trained with and knew Asai Shihan on a very personal level for some 40 years. I had only the utmost respect for him as my mentor and my friend. His passing is certainly a great loss to me and, more importantly, a tremendous loss to modern day karate, bringing an untimely end to the many new and innovative things that he was creating within the Shotokan system.
Oss
Norman Robinson
I took the liberty of addressing important matters with the Shihankai and also complimented them on their standard of karate skill and excellence. They will discuss these matters and I sincerely trust that all agreements made between Asai Shihan and myself will be honoured.
The following day I had a very nostalgic experience: I visited Nakayama's Hoitsugan Dojo and found some old people training karate on a Saturday afternoon. I then went to look for the JKA Headquarters, where they had moved to after the split, but their old premises had been vacated. I then went up to the original dojo in Ebisu, which was converted to a dojo from a bowling alley. All that I found there now is the USA Monster Toy Shop. This was very sad for me to see.
In closing, I would like to say that I trained with and knew Asai Shihan on a very personal level for some 40 years. I had only the utmost respect for him as my mentor and my friend. His passing is certainly a great loss to me and, more importantly, a tremendous loss to modern day karate, bringing an untimely end to the many new and innovative things that he was creating within the Shotokan system.
Oss
Norman Robinson
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