The Influence of Mas Oyama on This Boy's Karate

Japan Blog Matsuri - Famous Japanese People - Mas Oyama

On the theme of Famous Japanese People a Korean born man by the name of Choi Yeong-eui may not seem like a logical choice. After getting the nod from @reesan I couldn't resist posting about a man who shaped my concept of Japanese culture. If Japan is to survive the next 100 years it will certainly need to embrace more outsiders like Mas Oyama.

When I started training in the martial arts at the tender age of 5, my father gave my brother and I a book called "Boys' Karate". The book was similar to a boy's annual, with lots of illustrations to accompany the stories it told. The exploits of boys our age seemed similar, yet were told upon the backdrop of a strange and exotic land of rice fields and bamboo groves.

The tales were in keeping with a much deeper philosophy of martial arts that I was only to recognise much later in my development. The book was written by Mas Oyama, a Zainichi Korean that was the founder of Kyokushin kaikan, a martial art that for many would come to define Full Contact Karate. His teachings and my life long practise of martial arts would ultimately lead me to visit Japan.

As a boy I was raised on Bushido and tales of Samurai and Shogun. My father taught lessons in a traditional style of martial art popular with bikies and bouncers. Every day there was some form of physcial training and some violence. It was a pretty tough way to grow up.

"Keep your head low,
eyes high and mouth shut;
base yourself on filial piety
and benefit others."

I imagine that for a Korean born during a brutal Japanese occupation my childhood would have been nothing compared to the hardship Oyama endured. At the age of 9 his parents sent him to Manchuria to live on his sisters farm, where he began learning martial arts from a seasonal worker named Lee.

One of the earliest stories I was told, during practice for a high jumping contest no less, was that Lee gave the young Oyama a seed to plant. When the seed sprouted Lee gave him the instruction to leap over it a hundred times a day. As it grew into a plant Oyama continued his practice and later said, "I was able to leap back and forth between walls easily."

As a young man he joined the Japanese Airforce and saw many of his friends sacrifice their lives as kamikaze. When the war ended he grew disaffected at being denied a place among Japanese society. He was pursued by the Japanese Police as a member of a political organisation for the reunification of Korea. He trained in Shotokan and Gojuryu styles of Karate and gained a reputation as a loner and a brawler for his street fights with US Military Police.

Eventually the constant harrassment took its toll, following the suggestion of a friend, he retreated to the mountains to perfect his fighting style. He eventually founded Kyokushin years later in 1953.

"The heart of our karate is real fighting.
There can be no proof without real fighting.
Without proof there is no trust.
Without trust there is no respect.
This is a definition in the world of Martial Arts."

During the foundation of his martial art Oyama would invite people to fight him in public demonstrations. Legend has it that in one three day kumite he fought 300 men. He earnt the nickname 'god-hand' for his practice of killing bulls with a single punch. Even today Kyokushin bears the mark of its founder, as global tournaments are full contact and open to all-comers. Thankfully, to the best of my knowledge his followers no longer travel around fighting and killing bulls with their bare hands.

I admire him though not for his immense physical power, but for his contribution to the spiritual way of the warrior, Bushido.

"Although it is important to study and train for skill in techniques, for the man who wishes to truly accomplish the way of Budo, it is more important to make his whole life in training and therefore not aiming for skill and strength alone, but also for spiritual attainment."

This philosophy echoes that of Miyamoto Musashi the author of the Book of Five Rings, who according to Oyama;

"said that he had no regrets about what he did. If you have confidence in your own words, aspirations, thoughts, and actions and do your very best, you will have no need to regret the outcome of what you do. Fear and trembling are the lot of a person who, while stinting effort, hopes that everything will come out precisely as he wants it to."

Mas Oyama spent most of his life in Japan and chose to become a Japanese citizen in 1964. He is the focus of my post for the January 2010 Japan Blog Matsuri hosted thanks to Lee (@reesan on Twitter) at loneleeplanet. You can find out more at the Japan Blog Matsuri FAQ page.

Boys' Karate by Masutatsu Oyama is now a sought after collectors item. I asked a former flatmate if he'd seen it and this was his response.

Photograph: Masutatsu Oyama! by KEMPO!

Knowledge Bubbles up from Within

Drawn from the spring behind the monk's quarters at Ryōan-ji in Kyoto, this tsukubai, or hand basin, inspires this post. It is inscribed with the words “I know, I alone am sufficient” which are attributed to Dōgen, founder of Sōtō Zen.


A couple of weeks ago a student asked me to write a story that showed life in Japan was survivable. I'd like to dedicate this post to that student, and say that not only is life in Japan (anywhere for that matter) survivable, but it is thrive-able with the right attitude.


I'm not sure if I can be inspirational, so I'll just try and be myself and write about a place that I go to that gives me inner strength. Not so much physical space, but a state of mind.

[Edit: 21st May 2009 - This should have been entered in the Japan Blog Matsuri a week ago when I first posted.
Oh well, better late than never.]

Scattered Spirit

When I left for Japan in 2003, I was not in a very good financial position. I had several part time jobs, but none of them had any security or enough pay. Only a year earlier I had returned from a world trip that started in New Zealand, where I worked as a software developer, then on to Hong Kong, and Shanghai before winding up in London.

I worked hard but I also partied hard, there was a lot that I wanted to put behind me, and with the dot com boom bust cycle in bust, not a lot to look forward to. It came as no surprise that a few people frowned on my leaving my home town Brisbane for Japan so soon after returning. Some said I was just running away from things. It felt different to me, I felt as though for once I was running towards something.

I had always wanted to live in Japan, ever since reading Mas Oyama's book, Boy's Karate, and practicing traditional martial arts with my father. Now I finally had that chance to practice martial arts, learn the language, and become more than just a stranger passing through.

I tried very hard to rid myself of all my preconceptions of what life would be like once I got there. I made a pact with myself to see out at the very least the first year, and hopefully the second year. I also put a maximum limit on my time there, to avoid become listless again. I wanted to feel as though I had some goals and direction, so I made a 5 year plan.

Seeking Peace in Practice

I knew no-one, apart from the other English teachers that lived in our apartment block. I had the perfect opportunity to pour my attention into study. I signed up for free classes at the local international centre and got my books out every morning for a couple of hours. Everywhere I went I carried a phrasebook, and almost every chance I had I bothered the locals with my broken Japanese. Within a month or two, I had mastered the kana and had begun to speak in stock phrases to the Japanese staff.

My days off were mid week, so while the others were at work, I would jump on the trains and go adventuring, day trips to the onsen, over-nighters to Osaka and Kyoto, sometimes hiking through the many mountains between Mie and Nara. Mostly alone, always with my books and my camera. About 6 months later a girlfriend from Australia came to live with me and we found a cheap apartment in a small town for the two of us. So for me the adventure started all over again, this time as the guide.

One of the first places we visited together was a Ryōan-ji, the temple where I had snapped the photo above, which is probably more famous for it's dry rock garden or karesansui. The tsukubai, is behind the monks quarters at a small distance from the temple. At first I was more interested in the composition, not so much the inscription in the stone. This time I was becoming more comfortable with Kanji through the use of a good Kanji dictionary, so I paid more attention to it. The inscription is attributed to Dōgen, founder of Sōtō Zen and can be translated as "I know, I alone am sufficient".

吾唯足知

Kanji Breakdown

Looking closely at the inscription on the mouth of the basin, it is not immediately apparent what the kanji are. They appear to be fragments until you realise the mouth (kuchi) forms forms a part of each kanji. When read in combination the reading becomes

吾唯足知

われただたる(を)しる

ware tada taru (wo) shiru

吾

Kanji details for 吾 - Denshi Jisho
吾　われ　ゴ
I; my; one's own; our

Each of us is caught up with our limitless desires. With our inherently self-centered nature, Even at the table after dinner, with our stomachs full, it is easy to imagine the mountains of food that we would like to eat. Can seperate ourselves from the consumption (口)of the material world through our five (五)senses?

唯

Kanji details for 唯 - Denshi Jisho
唯　ただ　ユイ
merely; only; simply; solely

It is said that the person who knows satisfaction, has a calm spirit, and the person who doesn't know satisfaction, has a disturbed spirit. Is the robin satisfied with eating just one one chestnut?

足

Kanji details for 足 - Denshi Jisho
足　あし　ソク
be sufficient

If you are seeking a peaceful spirit is by all means essential to comprehend the spirit of thankfulness, sufficiency and tolerance. Is it possible to find peace with just two feet and a hungry mouth?

知

Kanji details for 知 - Denshi Jisho
知　しる　チ
Know

Words of wisdom are like arrows shot from the mouths of sages. It is difficult to comprehend their message if you aren't listening.

Translation

I did a quick search and found an explanation of the concept behind the expression.

A76,吾唯知足（われただたるをしる)

　私達は欲望を無限にふくらましてはならない。これで充分、つまり「ごちそうさま」と言える心のゆとりを持たねばならない。

「吾唯知足」は、釈尊が説かれた教えである。

「足ることを知る人は、心は穏やかであり、足ることを知らない人は」心はいつも乱れている」と言われる。

　心の平安を求めるのであれば、「吾唯知足」を是非とも理解しなければならない。具体的には、「ごちそうさま」「もう充分」「もう結構です」の心であろう。

食事などでお腹がふくらんだら言えるが、欲しかったものが目の前に山積みになったとき、はたして可能かなとも思う。

「吾唯知足」は現代の日本人が理解出来にくい言葉である。

理解出来にくいがゆえに、耳を傾けなければならない。

We can not help but be caught up in our limitless desires. We must have room left in our hearts to be satisfied, in other words, to say thank you.

[GoYuiChiSoku] is a teaching of the sage of the Sakyas, Shakuson.

It is said that the person who knows satisfaction, has a calm spirit, the person who doesn't know satisfaction, has a disturbed spirit.

If you are seeking a peaceful spirit is by all means essential to comprehend [GoYuiChiSoku]. Specifically, the spirit of thankfulness, sufficiency and tolerance.

Although it is possible for us at dinner time with a full stomach, to imagine mountains of the things that we may have wanted.

[GoYuiChiSoku] is an expression which is difficult for the modern Japanese to comprehend.

To make it easier for us to understand [GoYuiChiSoku], these words must be heard.

Clear water

For the austere person, practice can be a path to enlightenment. For the rest of us, daily practice and reflection can yield results just as the smoothest flowing stream cuts through the hardest rock over time.


Lately this phrase has come to give me strength to continue, even though conditions may be tough. It has taught me self reliance.


Where do you draw strength?

Three Ways to Enjoy Japanese Curry Rice

Thanks to Deas from Rocking in Hakata for organising this months Japan Blog Matsuri. It's really important to me to have the support of the j-blogger community. I only hope I can be a more regular contributor.


I don't know about you, but curry has always been a comfort food for me. When you are a long way from home in strange place it's important to have something that fills you up and makes you feel warm inside. Japanese curry may not have the same kick as a vindaloo, but it sure hits the spot on a cold winter night.


As is the case with many things that are imported into Japan, curry has been adapted to suit Japanese tastes and fashions. Curry Rice (カレーライス) is nothing like a traditional Indian or Pakistani curry; it's not as hot, sometimes it's a little sweet and it 's always served on a bed of rice.

In my experience a lot of expats in Japan get stuck in the fast food rut for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They either won't cook for themselves or can't find anything they like in the supermarket (which I find hard to believe). There are so many alternatives to the food-that-isn't-really-food you find at Macca's and Burger King.

Even if you don't live in Japan, Japanese curry mixes can be found in Asian supermarkets, or Supermarkets with a Japanese food section. Have you found any in your neighbourhood?

Curry is pretty easy to make, and it's something you can begin to take pride in if done well. If you make enough and store it properly it tastes even better the next day, perfect for when you don't feel like making lunch.

There are three ways to enjoy a Japanese curry, made from scratch, from a ready made roux, or at any one of the many curry houses found in Japan. I'm not going to repeat any recipes here today, you know "you can feed a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day, or you can teach him how to fish..."

What I want to do is pull together few resources to introduce you to wonder of curry rice.

Making curry raisu from scratch

You would have to be pretty keen to start from scratch, since there are so many good curry powders on supermarket shelves. But if you have time to hunt for the right ingredients, and the patience to get proportions right here are a few starting tips.

You'd think the maker of one of the most popular curry powders on the Japanese market, S&B Foods (e-エスビーフーズ), would want to keep their secret safe, but their ingredients can be found on the side of the tin. I've found S&B Curry at a Korean supermarket, you could do the same. In Australia, importers are required by law to label food in English, so there is no need to get the dictionary out.

You don't need to go to the trouble of doing the translation either (not unless you want to, it's good practice) because Maki has translated the formula for making S&B curry powder at her site Just Hungry.

If you follow Maki's instructions, they provide a good base from which to start experimenting. Once you've made the curry powder, you can just follow one of the many recipes that are out there on teh interwebs.

Here are the original instuctions for making S&B curry powder at the Rakuten Ichiba (【楽天市場】カレー粉の作り方：e-エスビーフーズ)

Making curry rice from roux

The first place I look for Japanese recipes is Cookpad (クックパッド). Cookpad has almost half a million user generated recipes, and 423 for curry rice (カレーライス のレシピ 423) The site is pretty good for searching and saving good recipes to your 'kitchen', but it doesn't seem to have any social tools, I guess they come with the premium service.

If you have a roux the process is pretty simple, and involves sautéeing chopped vegetables and meat in oil until the onions are translucent and the meat is browned. Japanese roux is generally sweetened with apple, and it thickens a little like gravy. The curry mix is added after the meat and other ingredients have been simmered on a low heat for about 2o minutes.

Curry rice is served on a flat plate, half filled with short grain rice. There are sorts of things that are addeded to the dish to finish it off; boiled egg, pickled ginger, or fermented soy beans (納豆), just to name a few.

I'm no expert at cooking curry rice, so if you feel you need a little more guidance Maki makes a mean Japanese beef curry.

Visiting a curry house in Japan

If you are travelling in Japan, eating something vaguely resembling western food can be kind of reassuring. Japanese curry, the way they make it in Japan, can usually only be found in Japan, so it's worth trying while you are there. One of the most famous curry houses, CoCo Ichibanya (カレーハウスCoCo壱番屋), has recently opened stores in China, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Hawai'i.



If you're worried about being able to read the menu, CoCo Ichibanya has a Multilingual menu book . You shouldn't be too intimidated even if you can't find a CoCo Ichi, a lot of Japanese curry houses have a "point and shoot menu" with plastic food in the windows.

Hmm, plastic food...



So there you have it. There are many ways to enjoy the experience of Japanese curry rice, all it takes is a little sense of adventure.

Do you have a favourite style of curry rice? What are some of the craziest toppings you've tried? Does any one remember the competition they used to have at CoCo Ichi for the largest serving, something like, if you could eat it within a certain time you got it free? Can any one confirm this for me?

All of this blogging about food has made me hungry again.

Making the most of your stay in Japan.

Does Japan live up to your expectations?

I've been watching the Japan Blog Matsuri for sometime and finally decided to get in there and have a go. Thank you to Nick from The Long Countdown for reviving it and keeping the crowd moving on JapanSoc. I follow Nick on Twitter, you should too! Thanks also to Bill for this months topic.

I recently returned home to Australia from 5 years in Japan where I was teaching English. I'm still teaching languages, including Japanese at eduFire. I'm an unashamed Japanophile and will probably move back at some stage with my wife and kids.


You Can't Have Your Lion Cake and Eat It Too by Rainbowhill LL, on Flickr

I've met all kinds of people who have decided to come to Japan, for whatever reason. Some that barely survived, some that thrived and still others that couldn't get out fast enough. And whenever I found out they were leaving I always asked them the same question.

"How did your expectations of Japan match the reality of living here?"

It's kind of a loaded question, because most people who launch right into an answer haven't really thought that hard about it before. Most people that have got a lot to talk about at this point are those that have decided that Japan didn't meet their expectations, and for that reason they're going home. They're usually disappointed with the way things turned out.

You can imagine some of the answers, you might be surprised by others;

• "I thought there would be more nightlife"
• "I thought more people would speak English" (honestly?)
  
• "I don't really like the food"
• "People are hard to get to know here"
• "I don't like teaching children"

I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture.

Now I don't often get the chance to ask the question of people who really love living in Japan, because most of them are still there! But one thing does seem to important to making the most of your stay in Japan. The fewer preconceived ideas you have about what it's going to be like, the more open you become to the possibilities, and this means more fun!

There are other things go hand in with this, like understanding your motivation for going, having a plan when you get there, and giving yourself enough time to really appreciate the culture. The less these things are based on external factors, the more chance you have of seeing them through.

My motivation for going there grew out my love for martial arts which developed when I was a boy, it was just a natural extension of a childhood dream. I embraced culture through my association with other martial artists and found this deepened my experience. I also made a lot of friends this way, and it enabled to break away from the negative little gaijin ghettoes you find in every Japanese town.

The plan I had was always to learn the language, and pay down debt/save some money. I figured the first goal would be much easier than the second ;-) so I gave myself 5 years at the outside. I hadn't really learnt any Japanese before arriving, so initially Japanese was about survival; asking for directions, getting on the right train, that kind of thing.

Very early on I made Japanese lessons a priority, but even then I didn't rely on my once a week lessons with the obachan too much. Every chance I had, my books were out, I was soaking it up, like a sponge. Being immersed is good, but having your eyes and ears open is even better. Many people think it'll just happen via osmosis. Believe it, there are people living in Japan, longer than 10 years, who don't speak a word of Japanese, I've met them.

Patience was not always one of my strengths, but certainly something that developed during my time in Japan. I used to get frustrated easily when people couldn't understand me. Now after spending countless hours in a cubicle with people who's knowledge of English was limited to 'haroo', 'O-Kei' and 'bai-bai', I've learnt to be a little more forgiving.

Everyone goes through some rough times, no less when you are in a strange country, many miles
from loved ones. It really helped to know that I had a purpose, and to re-evaluate that along the way. Initially the chance I thought I'd give Japan was 3 months, if I absolutely hated it, at least I'd give it that much time. Once I reached that point, I gave myself another year, but then something happened, I really started to enjoy myself.

Sure I missed home at times, but I made sure I stayed in touch with people, and scheduled a couple of visits.

So in a nutshell:

To make the most of your time in Japan, go with an open mind, understand your motivation, prepare yourself for differences, and embrace the culture.

Thanks for reading, I'd really like to hear your ideas in the comments. If you've been to Japan, what advice do you have to offer people who are thinking of going? If you are thinking of going, do you have any idea of what it might be like to live there?

A special shout out to Chris from Nihongo Notes, it was his post "Learning Japanese, Blogging and how not to be perfect" that gave me the inspiration for getting back into blogging with a vengence.