Seeking Perfection in the land of the Rising Sun: Part 1

The Entrance of the Honbu Dojo in Japan

The slow rhythmical thwat, thwat sound draws me closer to the source like a moth to a candle. I have a knot in my stomach but it's not fear, just anticipation coupled with excitement. I'm standing in the lobby of the Honbu dojo in Sugamo, Tokyo waiting to be helped. What seemed to be minutes due to my anticipation, have my eyes wandering around the room. Behind me was a little step and raised wooden floor, yellow in colour.  

A pair of shoes were on the floor next to me and I realised that I should take mine off. I quickly slipped them off and placed them next to the other pair. I scanned the room again; there was a shoe rack on the far side of the room. Next to the shoe rack, stood a rack with dumbbells, mitts, belts and surgical tubes. I knew what all those were for. They were aids to inflict pain, to enhance physical ability. Pain for some a means of improving for others. I looked at the sliding doors but couldn't see through it due to the sandblasted windows; I could however see that someone was in the inside. 

The rhythmical thwat, thwat sound continues. Someone is hitting the makiwara and he is serious.

 The reception area of Honbu Dojo

On the wall just above the door are photographs of various groups sitting, posing to the camera, each of the groups consisting mostly of Japanese in between them a handful of foreigners. I'm not sure what the occasion was but it must be some sort of training camp or seminar that was held, all the photos were taken in this dojo. A table was placed next to the door and a reception desk in front of me, there was a few books on the counter, behind the counter a noticeably small area where the receptionist would receive the people.

It is a small room, something I grew accustomed to since my arrival here in Japan. Space is limited. Shops are small, rooms are small. There is a mirror on the right side in front of me that reflects into the dojo. I could almost make out the figure hitting the makiwara. It was a man dressed in a t-shirt and karate pants, his belt was swinging rhythmically from side to side with each blow that was landing on the makiwara. I was hypnotised and time seemed to stand still. My eyes glued to his back, thoughts raced through my mind. I am here, this is it, my quest has begun.

Nobody else seemed to be in the dojo and I waited in anticipation for someone to show. I travelled a long way to Japan and although I was afraid, I wanted to start. 

My mind started wandering back to South Africa and to when I first got the idea of coming to Japan. Yamaguchi Sensei was in South Africa at that time, I was so impressed by his standard and technical skill that I wanted to be like him.

We were in Bloemfontein, the biggest city in the Free State, and Yamaguchi with his flamboyant personality and amazing technical skill stole the hearts of everyone.

We left Bloemfontein the next morning and Yamaguchi and I started talking about the previous days activities. The training sessions went well. We both agreed that our Bloemfontein mission was accomplished and I could give feedback to the Shihankai that we accomplished what we hoped for. 

After talking a while I noticed that Yamaguchi's head started nodding and realized that he needed a rest, Yamaguchi tilted his head onto his chest and I knew that he was having his power nap which normally only lasted for a short while but then his battery would be recharged and he would be ready for action again. 

I looked at him while he was sleeping and wondered where he got all the energy from, wishing that I could be the same. I wanted to ask him how he could do what he was doing without getting tired but knew that I would have to wait for him to wake up from his power nap first. About half an hour later, he opened his eyes and seemed totally afresh. 

We started talking again making a few jokes first and then the conversation started to become more serious. Yamaguchi asked me the question which I most dreaded, "Andre how many times do you train in a week?" I tried to avoid the question by making a joke first but then saw that he was serious. "Not so much lately but I will start to train hard when you go back to Japan again" I said.

He then hit me with his next words, which ultimately I think persuaded me to come to Japan. Those words were the reason why I am now here in Tokyo, standing in front of the reception desk, hoping someone would help me soon.

"You know André, training is for many people the same as going on a diet - they always say I will start tomorrow, but that tomorrow never comes". I was driving not saying a word but I could feel that my head was hanging from shame. It took someone to fly all the way from Japan to wake me up. That night I started training in Pretoria again. I was motivated by his words and had one of my toughest training sessions ever. This serious training lasted for two years and now I'm here ready for whatever Japan could throw at me.

I was still caught up in my thoughts when I realized that someone was standing in front of me "Oss!"  I greeted with as much respect I could muster, smiling from ear to ear hoping that the big smile would show that I came in peace. The Japanese man standing in front of me seemed motionless and emotionless. In broken English, he asked me if he could help me. I was wondering if I was making a mistake but instantly replied, "Yes please I want to train here at the Honbu dojo". The man looked at me very sceptically but replied, "do you want to do one class? That would be 2000 yen or would you like to train for the whole month? That would be 10000 yen".  "I will pay ten thousand yen please". I only realised later after one of the other foreigners training at the dojo informed me that the man who was helping me was called Hajime, and that he was not only the secretary of the JKS Honbu dojo, but he was also one of the instructors. I paid the ten thousand yen. After he carefully wrote my receipt, he told me that I could go to the change room to get ready - "the next class would start at ten thirty". 

The thwat, thwat sound was still coming from behind the closed doors and I was now very curious to find out who it was. With my shoes off, I slowly walked to the sliding doors in front of me. The two doors slid open almost without sound and the back of the man was in my view. Although he was older now, I recognised him to be one of the Japanese that was in the Japan team who fought us in South Africa a few years earlier, but I couldn't remember what his name was. 

I bowed before entering the shiny yellow wooden floor. These floors are definitely cleaned and shined on a daily basis I was thinking whilst walking towards the cloakroom. On my way there I had to pass the Japanese instructor busy beating up the makiwara, in passing I glanced at him and with a small nod bowed my head down and loudly greeted him with the only familiar karate greeting that I knew, "Oss!" he glanced sideways at me and uttered a soft "Oss" back at me and continued his punching of the makiwara. I entered the small change room and squeezed between the hanging  karate  gis  to an open area where I could change into my karate gi. Although I was feeling a bit nervous, I was also excited about the class.

  

The Honbu Dojo in Japan

Busy undressing, fingers nervously unbuttoning my shirt, I realised I have arrived in the same place where many South Africans have come before me. Norman Robinson, my teacher in South Africa, one of the first pioneering members and one of the first groups of South Africans that had the guts to come to this foreign land far from home to learn from the masters. They stayed here for months on end having the living daylights kicked and punched out of them but also giving back to their punishers an equal amount of pain. After months of gruelling sessions they would go back to South Africa to teach the eager, enthusiastic South Africans what they have learned from these masters of the art.

I'm also here now; will the same happen to me?

I walked back into the dojo and started to get myself accustomed to the surroundings. On the far side of the dojo was a wall covered with mirrors and a Japanese shrine above it, a photo of Nakayama Shihan and Asai Shihan was hanging next to the shrine. I respectfully looked at them and thought to myself those are the masters who started it for us. Between those two grandmasters, Kagawa Shihan found his knowledge and skill and we are now the followers of this growing and incredible organization. I felt incredible pride rise up inside me and I knew the reason I was here was to take back whatever I can learn to our members in South Africa. 

I knew that I must go back with as much knowledge possible to help my fellow South African karateka grow to become a show piece to the rest of the world. Still feeling the rising emotion of mixed pride, expectation and excitement in my mind I realised the outside door was opening; a tall European man came walking into the foyer of the dojo. After carefully removing and placing his shoes on the floor, he walked to the entrance of the dojo and respectfully bowed before he walked onto the dojo floor. I was sitting in the corner of the dojo and he didn't see me sitting there. I gave a small sigh of relieve. "Dankie Tog!!!!"* I will at least not be the only foreigner in the class today. I slowly started to push down on my knees, I was sitting in butterfly position stretching but also looking at the people coming into the class, most of them male and female Japanese, all respectfully bowing before entering the floor then dashing of to either the change rooms or the toilets. I also realized that the closer we got to 10h30 the urgency with which they were moving also increased. This sudden urgency of everybody got my heart beat faster and I realised that I was a tad nervous. 

There was a smaller room next to the change room with a closed door.  I could hear two people talking to each other, their voices were louder than the other voices of the trainees and it had a certain degree of authority in it which immediately made me realize that they must be some of the instructors of the dojo. 

Some of my fellow class members started to move onto the floor whilst stretching and warming up, as they moved pass me they greeted me with a soft "Oss" and a smile, I greeted back trying to be as friendly as possible. I wasn't sure what to expect but I needed to make friends as soon as possible.
The clock was nearing 10h30, the door of the instructor room opened and Nagaki Sensei walked onto the floor. I was very relieved, I knew him from the WKF World Championships were I met him several times as the South African Team coach, I sighed softly, glad that there was at least somebody that I knew. I got up and walked over to him. 

Nagaki immediately recognised me and with a warm smile and questioning sound in his voice greeted me. I knew that he wanted to know why I was there. I quickly explained to him that I came to Japan for three weeks of training. He smiled again welcomed me and said "Ahh... OK, OK welcome, welcome, please enjoy...."  He looked friendly and sincere; I couldn't contain myself and asked him where Yamaguchi Sensei was.  In the best English he could muster he told me that he and Kanayama Sensei were taking the morning class but Yamaguchi Sensei would come a little later for the instructor class. With those words Kanayama Sensei walked in and I realised he was the one beating up the makiwara, Nagaki introduced me to him. He had surprised look on his face when Nagaki told him that I was from South Africa but he welcomed me and walked to the front of the dojo. Everybody rushed forward and joined him in a long row kneeling behind him. Nagaki joined him in front but kneeled on his right side on the other side of the class. Everybody first bowed to the front and when both of the instructors turned around we first bowed to Kanayama Sensei and then to Nagaki Sensei.The class was about to begin.   

Kanayama Sensei

 
 
 
 

 
 

Nagaki Sensei

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

            

The sempai or senior member of our training group who called out the commands at the start of the class was also the person who conducted the warm up. I quickly fell into the routine of warming up, not yet realising that from now on all my classes would start off with the same routine of warm up exercises. At the end of the warm up session we turned around faced the back of the dojo and were instructed to fix our gis before the start of the class.

Kanayama Sensei started the class off with gyaku zuki punches slowly punching and counting the first five punches and then instructing the front row to count from one to ten. I was standing in the middle row noticing that each member in the class would get a chance to count, the count started from the left to the right and after the front row the next row started till everybody had a chance.

When everyone had a chance, the count started from the front row again. After finishing fifty repetitions, Kanayama instructed us to do kizame zuki counting the first five slowly. The next five in the line counted the next fifty. Then we started with gyaku zuki, kizame zuki as a combination once again Kanayama started the first five slow and we continued with fifty repetitions the count was fast and I had to work very fast to keep up. I was starting to breathe harder feeling how the pace was picking up. After the one side was done Kanayama moved to the other side starting with gyaku zuki again, then Kizame zuki and then fifty of the gyaku kizame combination. Three hundred techniques in a matter of minutes! The pace was incredible. 

Kanayama then went over to kicking techniques Mae Geri from the back foot then Mae from the front foot, then a combination of both. Once again, first the one side then the other side. The minutes seemed to tick by very slowly, by this time my breathing was very fast and my heart felt like it was beating like a rock and rollers drum. I was looking at the other members around me most of them was also breathing hard, only Kanayama and Nagaki seemed undisturbed going through the actions mechanically, almost machine like, their breathing staying the same Kanayama screaming orders in Japanese throughout the exercise motivating the class the whole time and in between looking at me and the other foreigners with a almost daring, challenging look as if he wanted to say common boys, can you keep up with me.

I sighed with relief when Kanayama gave the order that we should take a short break not realizing that this was only the beginning. Kanayama is well known in Japan for his rubber band training, in South Africa we call it tube training. For me a foreigner doing his first class I had not expected it, so when Kanayama ordered the class to get themselves a rubber band I trotted along like a sheep to a slaughter house not knowing what was going to happen but very happy to participate. I looked at the rubber bands and not wanting to show that I'm weak chose one of the thicker ones. Everyone moved back into the dojo obviously knowing what was going to happen next. Not wanting to look out of place I followed close behind them. They started to tie the tubes onto wooden beams which was situated on the far side of the dojo at about hip height, lucky for me one of the Japanese took mercy on me and he quickly helped me to tie the tube around the beam. Kanayama was already finished with setting up his tube and was waiting for us to finish. 

The next part of the session started with us tubes in hand doing the same basic exercises with which we started the class with, this time with the tube in our fists doing the punches with the band pulling our elbows back to our hips and us trying to force the tubes forward with every punch.  Next we did the same exercises but this time facing the beam and pulling back on the tubes. Just when I thought nothing could get worst we finished with the arms and Kanayama ordered everyone to tie the tubes around their ankles and feet. I remembered how the class started and knew that we were going to do the Mae geri exercises next. My heart sank to my feet, damn! I was going to die today. 

After three hundred of the kicks forward and another three hundred of the kicks facing the beam the kicking exercises was done and Kanayama ordered us again for a short break. I had a water bottle standing in the corner of the dojo and gulped down the water as if I hadn't had water for a month. Wiping the water from the side of my mouth and putting the bottle down I heard Kanayama screaming to everyone to get back to their positions. This time we fastened the tubes around our waists ,we faced away from the beams and started stepping forward and backward into zenkutso dachi, then followed kokutso dachi and finally kibadachi. After completion of this exercise we tied the tubes around our ankles and repeated the same exercises forwards and backwards. I was now moving like a zombie my breathing sounded loud but I didn't care, everyone around me was breathing loud and nobody cared about what they sounded like.

I was seriously getting tired by now and looked in awe at Nagaki and Kanayama, they were moving forward and backward with each count almost looking like they were trying to see who of them was the fastest. Nobody else in the class could match or challenge them. At last we stopped I looked at the clock, there was another fifteen minutes left. 

What else can Kanayama dish up? Bands around the waist again we moved forward until the bands were straight, tightening and pulling us back. "Yoi" Kanayama ordered and then called "Kata, Heian Shodan" "Nagaki you count" without wasting any time Nagaki started the count we were moving at an incredible pace. After yame, Kanayama ordered us to turn around and face the beams. Nagaki started counting again once more we moved at a blistering pace. Just after we finished we faced forward again Heian Nidan, Heian Sandan, Heian Yondan, Heian Godan, then Tekki Shodan over and over. 

Eventually, the hour was finished. I was drenched in sweat, the tube was pulling me from one side to the other whilst I was doing kata causing me to lose balance the whole time. Furthermore, the resistance of the tube made my legs feel like lead, I could hardly lift my legs and to put one foot in front of the other was making me feel like a two year old learning to walk again. Although I was dead on my feet I felt extremely good about myself I've done my first class and I survived. We sat down in a neat row behind Kanayama, the sempai who started the class chanted the dojo kun and everyone in the class followed suit. We then bowed to the front and then to the two instructors separately, after a short command from the sempai everyone ran forward to collect a clean towel and started to run up and down pushing the towel in front of us cleaning the floor. Next, after the up and down pushing, we unfolded our towels and dropped any dust collected into a dust bin, folded the towels neatly and placed them on the heap of used towels. Lastly everybody rushed to the back of the dojo to pay the final respects by bowing to the sempai. The class was finished, and so was I.

While walking of to the changing room, I realized that a lot of other Japanese had entered the dojo, some were working on the makiwara and punching bag while others were taping their toes, ankles or feet. I realized that these were the instructors making ready for their class and I would meet all of them in the next couple of days. I also found it very intriguing that all of them seemed so young. While watching them a sudden stir went through them and some of them rushed of to go to the door. 

My friend Yamaguchi just entered the dojo and some of the junior instructors were ready to take his shoes and other belongings to help him but also to show their respect to him. He walked in and immediately recognized me. With a big smile on his face he came forward and greeted me heartily. "Ahh... André!  Why are you so wet? Have you been swimming?" he jokingly asked. I wearily smiled back at him and wondered, did I make a mistake to come to Japan?

 

Andre Kok Sensei and Yamaguchi Sensei

  

* Dankie Tog* - Afrikaans word which basically means Thank You, can also mean a sigh of relieve.