From Friday to Sunday, November 01st to 03rd, 2024, Shihan Eddy Gabathuler, 8th DAN, organised the 29th Kumite Weekend. Sensei Masaki Fujii, 3rd DAN from Kenbukai Kyokushin Karate in Tokyo, was invited as a guest instructor.
A total of 84 karatekas from 14 dojos, who had travelled from five organisations and three countries, met for the training event. On Friday and Sunday, one training session was held in the Chur Dojo and on Saturday three training sessions were held in the Gymnasium in Felsberg.
Sensei Masaki belongs to the last generation of students of the late Tsuyoshi Hiroshige Shihan (who trained the Shihan’s Kenji Midori, Kenji Yamaki, Kazumi Hajime, Masayoshi Takaku, Tetsuya Iwasaki, Tsukamoto Norichika, Masahiro Kaneko etc.).
In terms of fighting, Sensei Masaki has an impressive track record as a 4-time Japanese Champion (Kyokushin Kan) and Vice World Champion of the Kyokushin World Union (KWU) in the heavyweight division. He also played rugby in New Zealand for three years.
His teaching was very rich, as his karate practice is interspersed with numerous physiotherapy exercises that allow body concepts to be better integrated into karate. The three-day course was very rich in information and specific exercises such as:
-
The role of the five lumbar vertebrae.
-
The descent of consciousness into the tanden.
-
The mobility of the spine and its use in generating movements in the execution of the technique.
-
The acquisition of a strong structure and its use in combat.
