JKA Vic Article - The Road to Japan

Articles

The Road To Japan
By Jodie Pidcock

Jodie Pidcock represented Australia at the recent Shoto World Cup in Japan. As long time successful competitor and current JKAA Ladies Grand Champion (winner of both Kata and Kumite), she was well qualified to do so. Here in her own words, she tells us how she got started in Karate, then gives us a National Team Members perspective of what it is like to have the eyes of the Karate world on you performing in the finals of the premier event of world Karate, the JKA World Championships. Jodie works in the hospitality industry in her home state of New South Wales and speaks fluent Japanese.

The beginning
When I was 16, I went to Japan on a student exchange program and lived with a Japanese family in a country town for a year. I had always been interested in Japan and all things Japanese, so before I even got there, I decided that I was going to learn karate. I had heard about Japanese high school students all joining an after-school ‘club’ of some kind, so when I arrived at my school in Japan, I announced to my teacher that I wanted to join the karate club.

We practiced in the lino-covered corridor near the staircase between two of the school buildings, and the first thing I learned was the kata ‘Jion’. Needless to say, it took me quite a while to remember the moves, having not even learned any basics at that stage. Miyuki was the club’s Captain, and was a black belt who had been learning karate at a dojo in her neighbourhood since she was small. Miki was a green belt. We were joined by another friendly female one afternoon, Miwa Akiyama, who was our Coach. Akiyama-san also lived and trained in the same neighbourhood dojo as Miyuki, and worked at one of the other high schools close by. I don’t remember how long we trained in the school corridor, but it wasn’t long, when one night after practice, they offered to take me to have a look at their dojo.

Jikishin dojo was a small room above a one-car garage in a residential neighbourhood. It was run by Saito Sensei, who lived in the house below, and was packed full of children and adults of all ages and grades. I was completely awed by the sight of some of the senior black belts training there that night. Saito Sensei invited me to come and train with the seniors at the dojo, and before I knew it, I was going there 6 days a week, and training two and a half hours each day. I loved it.

Lucky....
Little did I know, this was the beginning of my Shoto World Cup campaign! At that time I knew very little about the different styles of karate, or about the politics behind it. I also had no idea how lucky I was, for two reasons; 1 – Jikishin is a JKA dojo, and 2 – Jikishin is one of the best JKA dojos in Japan, having had several All Japan and Shoto World Cup place-getters over many years. Saito Sensei’s son Yuki was in the gold medal winning Japan team for Men’s Team Kata in 2000 and 2004, and placed 4th in the Individual Men’s Kata this year also. three of the juniors won medals in the Junior Shoto Cup this year too, and Akiyama-san came 3rd in the Women’s Individual Kata event in 1992, and is still winning the over 35s Women’s Kata event in the All Japan each year. It was only by chance that I ended up in that dojo, but I sure am glad about it now!

I have kept up with my training since that year in Japan, going through various other Shotokan-based clubs whenever there was no JKA dojo around, but always going back to JKA when I could. For the last five and a half years I have been training under Michael Ettingshausen Sensei at Kirrawee Dojo in Sydney, and it has been here that my karate has developed and improved immensely. It is also here that I have made great friends and been given great opportunities. After the Australasian biennial seminars in March 2000, I was over the moon when Takahashi Sensei told me that I would grade for my 2nd dan in August of that year and also that I could compete at the Shoto World Cup in Tokyo that September. This was bigger than I ever dreamed of, and was an eye-opening experience for me. I met up with Saito Sensei and Akiyama-san at that tournament, and I was nervous to be competing in front of my very first Sensei again – hoping that I would not disappoint.

Dreams and goals
That was four years ago, and for the entire four years my goal has been to be selected on the Australian team and compete in one more Shoto World Cup. I decided to postpone my other dream of going overseas on a working holiday, because I could not pass up an opportunity that most people never get – to represent their country!

The long wait and all the hard training were well worthwhile. In September I joined the rest of the ‘Taipans’ in Tokyo to represent Australia at the 9th Shoto World Cup Karate Tournament at the Nippon Budokan. This was a fantastic experience for me and was all the more exciting because we were so well prepared, and I knew that we had a good chance at being right up there with the best in the world. And we were! With so many of us making it to the final 16 in our events, and all the women making it to the finals, it was an effort to be proud of, and a reflection of the level of coaching that we are so fortunate to have in Australia.

The world stage
To be up on the main stage with Deb (Tester) and Storm (Wheatley) for the final of the Women’s Team Kata, was totally fantastic. I knew that we could do well in that event, and I really wanted to make the most of having all three team members training at the same dojo. To come 4th in the world was an awesome feeling, and I have no doubt that Australia can do even better in the future, and take home medals.

One thing that definitely made a positive contribution and has to be mentioned is the Aussie support crew! They were absolutely inspiring and lifted us up with their cheers and their belief in us. Thanks so much everyone – it was a real boost having you all there.

I am very proud to be a Taipan, and I sincerely believe that this tournament marked the beginning of a great future for JKA Australia. The level of commitment of the coaches, captain and team members was reflected in the results and should be an inspiration to all JKAA karateka who have a dream to represent their country in the future too. We are very lucky to have such support from our coaches and teachers, and it’s up to us to make the most of it.

I can only say that every time you’re feeling tired, or you don’t feel like going to training, think about how great it would be to be a Taipan on the centre court in the final of a Shoto World Cup, and that should keep you going!