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The Road to Karate – A Budoka’s Way To Live
By Hiroshi Shoji. Shihan of the Japan Karate Association.

Part 15 - Exchange

If we learn something from a person who was born before us, it may be a kind of the cultivation of ourselves.

Training is not only the practice of techniques. Together with the practice of techniques, we need to train ourselves for the development of our humanity. We usually cultivate our minds through self-teaching. But in some cases we may do it through learning from other people who are better than ourselves or from superior objects. Our life is a sequence of constant learning and studying. We do not need to use the rather grandiose expression of “cultivation of mind”. If we learn something from a person who was born before us, it may be a kind of the cultivation of ourselves.

Nishiyama sempai, a black belt and the captain at that time...was like God to me..

When I first joined the Karate Club as a freshman and at a time when I was getting beaten miserably by white belt senior members by one year, Nishiyama sempai, a black belt and the captain at that time, currently the president of the All American Karate Federation, was like God to me, a freshman. I would imagine that Nishiyama Sempai was from a refined family who would fit into the description of being bright and handsome and was popular with ladies.

Sempai always wore a worn out and shiny raincoat which reflected his strong personality. When I saw him at library, he was quite often reading an English newspaper, which impressed me that this bright person was different to us. In a later year when I saw him at the office of the Japan Karate Association Headquarters I told him about it.

“I was reading the English newspaper, although I did not understand it well.” He joked rather shyly.

...our bodies trembled and shrank when we heard in the old building the echoes of his footsteps which were peculiar to a never-resting person.

He is a man of ability who went to the US alone to teach Karate and has built up today’s strong and wide-spread Karate in the US. He has theories with which he organised a university student Karate federation in Japan when he was a student. He is a leader equipped with the ability in Karate, who is also a doer. His active nature also came out in his teaching of Karate to his juniors. After his work, he used to come to our night training to teach us. His training was famous for being hard. Even though we were attuned to hard training, our bodies trembled and shrank when we heard in the old building the echoes of his footsteps which were peculiar to a never-resting person.

One night the dojo had a blackout and the night training was called off. However, our feelings of relief were immediately blown away with an order from Nishiyama Sempai.

“Bring me a candle, please.”

He worked on the distribution panel under the light of the candle brought by a Karate Club member and in the end he managed to fix it. This was how eager he was about teaching his juniors. Nishiyama Sempai taught us not only technical matters through training in the dojo, but also he sometimes came to the dormitory after the training and provided us with opportunities for us to learn theories from him. He talked about the future development of Karate-do in a clear logical way. He gave us advice on correct techniques. He talked about the development of humanity. He explained it to us as if he did not notice that the night was advancing. He quite often stayed overnight at the dormitory.

There were few seniors who would sit and have discussions with us cordially. The occasions we had with Nishiyama Sempai were exciting for us. It was particularly so to me, as I was awed by his strength when I was a freshman and to become like him was one of my goals.

I would like the juniors to experience the same excitement that I experienced and I also enjoy talking with the juniors.

I learned the importance of understanding each other through a dialogue from Nishiyama Sempai. What I have learned from my experience is an asset to me and it is my duty to pass it onto those who are coming after me. I would like the juniors to experience the same excitement that I experienced and I also enjoy talking with the juniors. I quite often learn from young people. The way I think which is a product of my experience may be new to the young people. Conversation would be productive if we learn good aspects and gain a better understanding of each other, even if such a conversation has no particular subject or even if it is held over drinks.

It is my belief that I am passing the excitement that I received from Nishiyama Sempai onto my juniors through my instruction. This may be the reason why my house is dubbed as Shoji Gasshuku Lodge. If the result of my activities is different to what Nishiyama Sempai created for us, it is due to my personality. It would be ideal if the result is good, but I do not think that it would be necessary to worry about the outcome. I believe that the fact that people influence one another through their humanity and depth of mutual understanding would be more important. To be continued...

Read our Tribute to Shoji Sensei from November 2003

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