Page 52 - Martial Science Magazine April/2016 #14

on me. I decided that I wanted to be like Kanazawa style of karate, the kata Sanchin is very important
Sensei, so I joined the karate team of Sensei’s alma in the same way that our Shuri-te style kata Nai-
mater, Takushoku University, and after graduating, hanchi (Tekki) is. But as I haven’t studied Sanchin
became a trainee of Shotokan Karate-do Interna- in much depth, I don’t think I am in the position to
tional and an instructor at SKI’s headquarters. Af- comment on the kata.
ter that, I not only trained with Kanazawa Sensei,
I also served as his partner for demonstrations As for kime, among the skills we employ in Sho-
and accompanied him when he traveled overseas tokan karate, it is the most important. We must
to teach. Although I was always with him, never control shin-gi-tai (the mind, techniques and the
once did he tell me what I should do. I learned body), synchronizing them all and directing them
from everything he did, watching him from behind toward the target. And at a single instant, all of
wherever he went. For example, I would ask myself these must converge to fulfill a single objective,
why Sensei was able to perform such techniques. achieving a state of nothingness, which changes to
And why he was able to maintain such mental for- become something of substance. Put another way,
titude. And what I would need to do to be like him. you could say that the sutra “Form is emptiness;
In this way, I did my best to emulate Sensei by loo- emptiness is form” represents the foundation of ka-
king for and studying as best I could the effort and rate-do.
approach to living behind his techniques and men-
tal fortitude. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER MOST
IMPORTANT IN KARATE TRAINING?
CAN YOU EXPLAIN YOUR JUDGMENT
ABOUT THE KATA SANCHIN AND I believe that the path of karate is one in which we
KIME? can never find satisfaction, even if we spend our
whole life trying. But continuing down this path
It is my understanding that, within the Naha-te provides us with a means of discovering something

52