Happy Birthday, Sensei Asai ! ( New Video )

Tetsuhiko Asai was born on June 7, 1935, in Ehime Prefecture (on the island of Shikoku), Japan. 

When he was 12 years old, he entered a local karate dojo, and started his career as a karate practitioner. He joined the judo club at high school, and reached the second dan rank, showing a remarkable talent for martial arts from boyhood. He began to lay the foundations of his higher karate techniques through training in judo and karate at this time. 

 Tetsuhiko Asai then came to Tokyo, attended Takushoku University, and became a central member of the karate club. His lithe and agile physique allowed him to create many inimitable techniques, such as the "submarine", in which he passed under an opponent's kick and rapidly made his winning attack. Therefore, he gained much attention in the karate world.




Kumite demonstration 1987

Asai karate video collection

http://master-karate.ru/video.html

History of Asai Sensei. Part 1

You can have whatever reason to do karate - to work out in practices, to win in a match…
However, karate techniques were originally skills just for self-defense.
Mr. Tetsuhiko Asai who has done numerous actual fights - his soul and techniques are extremely practical.
This time, we would like to introduce some of the techniques and philosophy of the Asai Karate.






・Justice and Courage

Why do karate?
There are many reasons that people decide to do karate - for their health, to win a competition, to be strong enough to defeat in a fight…
Suppose there is a bad guy standing right in front of you.
He might be bigger than you.
Or he might be hiding a knife.
"Courage is doing what is right."
Would you stand up against him or not?
There's this one, who cannot overlook injustice in spite of his age.
He's Mr. Tetsuhiko Asai, the Principal Grand Master of NPO Japan Karate Shotokai.

One of his officials says,
"It was a month ago.
There was a guy on the seat of the subway train for Ogikubo, leaning back with his legs crossed, taking a lot of space. He was tall, and looked like 30ish.
Some people around him looked disgusted by his behavior, so Mr. Asai tried to convince him not to do that. He wouldn't listen to him, and suddenly made a snatch at Mr. Asai.
However, Mr. Asai easily got control of him just by snatching the guy's arm.
This kind of thing happens like every day. lol"

 Another official of him says,
"One day, I got on a train at Ebisu, when the train was not crowded although it was a rush hour.
Mr. Asai sat on a seat, and found a vulgar fellow on the other side of the train. He was smoking, and playing a joke on a girl. That was the reason for the emptiness of the train.
Mr. Asai gave caution to the fellow, but he took a knife out, and tried to hack at Mr. Asai.
Mr. Asai ducked his knife without standing up. He just moved his head backwards to the window, and at the same time, he stopped the guy's next step by sticking out one of his legs toward that guy.
In another second, he grabbed him by the neck, and slammed him down back on his seat.
Then, people around burst into applause.
You need to be careful when you pick a fight with someone."
Mr. Asai, now being 68 years old, doesn't really have the ideal masculine body.
He, however, has practiced every day, which made him proud of being a martial artist. Also he has done a reasonable number of actual fights.
"I did some bad things just like other people when I was young.
I sometimes even think how I could survive, lol"
says Mr. Asai.
Despite his dovelike tone of voice, the keenness of his eyes he shows at times is filled with his self-confidence as the true martial artist.

・Tetsuhiko Asai, Half His Lifetime 

Mr. Asai was born in Ehime Prefecture on June 7, 1935. He started learning judo, kendo and jukendo.
His father had a great influence on him.
"When my father passed away, I was conducting karate training in Chile.

He fell sick in the bathroom, and when the family members gave him a hand to take him to the ambulance, he turned their offer down, saying, "Go away!" Then, he stepped forward to get on the ambulance by himself.
He spent a checkered life, and the way he spent his life also influenced mine, I think.
Mr. Asai as a little boy was learning some basic stuff of martial arts from his father until he met karate when he was 12.
That's when he saw a fight between a karate artist and a boxer. The karate artist simply defeated the boxer with a strong kick.
Ever since, he has been devoting himself to karate.
He then joined Karate Club at Takushoku University with the nickname of Fighting University. The practice there was so hard that most of the 150 original members left the club within the first month. The rest of the original members who bore throughout the practice joined Takkujuku.
Takkujuku has been developing a number of human resources that are currently leading the karate world. Mr. Asai describes his hard practice as, "I am always practicing except for when I am eating or sleeping."
After graduation, he joined Japan Karate Association (JKA) as the founder of JKA, the late Mr. Masatoshi Nakayama, asked him for participation.
At that time, JKA was on the first Golden Age, and Mr. Asai practiced more hardly ever.
At the 5th National Karate Competition in 1961, while Crown Prince (present Emperor) was watching, 26-year-old Mr. Asai proudly won the first place.
After that, he flew all over the world, starting in Taiwan, to spread karate.
It was the time when karate was barely known in the rest of world.
It was not easy to introduce a Japanese martial art, karate, in other countries with different backgrounds.
Local martial artists often offer challenges to him, but Mr. Asai went over numerous adversities with his fist.
Also, simultaneously, doing some research on local martial arts gave him a chance to add some new techniques into his karate.
Even after his return, he has been teaching karate as the technical director, and now has countless disciples all over the world.

He founded NPO Japan Karate Shotokai in 2001, and is exerting himself to popularize karate and to make a social contribution.


Source :www.ijka.jp

The secret to Asai Sensei's Karate

сообщение Asai Karate.

Asai Shihan's daily makiwara routine

сообщение Asai Karate.

Kumite training must involve no friendship

"Kumite training must involve no friendship. There is no friendship in fighting someone, so if you want to learn karate as true bujutsu (martial arts) you must train with a serious spirit, right from the onset of your training. For example, when doing yakusoku-kumite, the attacker must aim to hit the defender. They must attack from the correct ma’ai, not too far away, and not too close. This is the most basic point in kumite training, if people do not follow this precisely, they will be completely wasting their practise time. Obviously one must use commonsense when training with someone much less experienced, or physically weaker, but at a high-level, there is no excuse if you cannot handle someone stronger. When defending and counterattacking you must not be afraid, you must foster a spirit of `no fear’. Enter into range without pre-conceived thought, this was my way when I used to compete. I didn’t care, I just reacted. This is essential and needs to be fostered in all karateka. This why I am always teaching that running away is more dangerous, go inside. Everything is step-by-step, but for instructors, there is a responsibility to be strong both physically and mentally. Fortunately most are strong, but some are using age, or high rank, as an excuse, and this is not acceptable. Higher level karateka must rely on superior technique, regardless of age, to overcome strength, size and youthfulness. This is karate, and this is the purpose of all technical skill. Instructors must self-train everyday!"

T. Asai

Kumite demonstation

 
                                  Asai Sensei and Tamang Sensei demonstration

Grand Champion at the All Japan Championships

Asai Sensei also employed his impressive fighting skills in competition, holding several impressive titles to his name. He even became Grand Champion at the All Japan Championships in kata and kumite, impressively beating the likes of Shirai Sensei and Mikami Sensei.

Osaka Sensei and Asai Sensei

Forget everything and jump

"People should forget everything and jump head first into what they want to do. Although, the average person can't comprehend such a way of thinking, or to be in such an enviroment, it this type of enviroment, however, that is most essential for one's success."

T.Asai

Interview with Sensei Asai

                          Asai Sensei demonstrates some techniques based on the crane, snake and bear.

He wanted to be stronger

As a boy growing up, he wanted to be stronger than other people. What impressed Asai sensei to learn karate was at a time when the allied forces had just occupied Japan after the Second World War. He observed a fight between a boxer and a karate-ka. Asai sensei was impressed by the karate-ka’s kick which disabled the boxer. The incident was always in his mind. From there he knew karate was the path he wanted to follow. He wanted to be physically and mentally strong and decided to start training in karate. With great determination, Asai sensei studied hard until he gained entrance into Takushoku University. There were about one hundred and fifty students that started with Asai sensei training at the karate dojo, however, within a month there was only a handful. He overcame the hard training and eventually was allowed to live at the karate dormitory. For Asai sensei it was an honor to live there because all the renowned Shotokan masters attended and trained at Takushoku University. Those who knew Asai sensei said that, they were amazed by him and claimed that the only time he did not train was when he ate or slept.

About Asai sensei

In the photo: jog in park with Nakayama Sensei

"Tetsuhiko Asai’s ever-changing movements, sometimes resembling a dance performed in the air, leave spectators gaping with admiration. His inimitable talent has its source in training since youth, fostering powerful hips, a flexible body, deep technical skill, excellent reflexes and nerveless courage."

M. Nakayama 

K.Funakoshi, M.Nakayama and T.Asai

Calligraphy

The Dojo Kun calligraphy by Asai Shihan

Kumite demonstration

сообщение Asai Karate.

Makiwara training

The makiwara is used by karate practitioners to practice strikes in much the same way as a boxer uses a heavy bag. The makiwara develops ones' striking ability by letting them experience resistance to punches, kicks and other strikes. A poor punch will bounce off the makiwara if the body is not in a position to support the energy generated by the strike. It also develops targeting, and focus, which is the ability to penetrate the target (i.e., opponent) to varying degrees of force.

Fragment of officiale Film about Asai karate system

We remember...

сообщение Asai Karate.