World’s Leading Magazine of Self-Defense JULY 1966 50 CENTSHE sPoRT oF JU00 by abayeshi & Sheep, Highly Praised uy the Novotan of Fopan. The Sport of Judo praventestepbystep the throwing. erappling. and Stranaling techniques af Ju Ge. 108 pp, 8 1216" Bue ‘298 JUDO AND AIKIDO by To ilk, The lundarnana pn Plaines in data. 296 pp. au sors ¢ Pat Butler, The author pre: sents a simple teennique tor Seticerense without the Narsto-inderatand. estont that take months to fest or men and women) 185 photograph, fue 3395 2 KODOKAN JUDO saites by Metaumote, Kawamura, Ost fue & Osawa, An nirodue: the fundamentals of the ‘seelal emphasis placed on sof towing. rapping fra holding 180 a. os s25 Se ean) THE SCIENCE OF 1U00, A. P. Harrington. Designed tar the trained judok, this fester ed techniques viel for the range Bus $393 aN mitten especiaty for the rowing US. sudo move. ment. Contains everything om first gaercnes to char lon! techniauer Prepared IED a HOOD ad # [feet TEACH YOURSELF SELF. DEFENSE, by Erle Bomiey. Specially written for th Iie to Atom tow fo defend! himast 99 line crawings Bit 3295 TEACH YoUunsELr suo, Erle Dering. A fundamental handbook for learning judo At home. simple lessons, In BOYS’ JUD0 by sharp & Nodiy. The frst Book on the Sport of Judo written expe: nly for boys Easy to fo low Girestons andar ‘ADVANCED JUDO _ AND SELF-DEFENSE, Pat Butter. [an advanced book for the judohe including descrip tions of afense by stick ia 141 photo 99 A COMPLETE GUIDE To JUDG by Smith Ay aetna ‘ay etntataiie lonaatt pink wings of the. alow a technique, theory. his tery. pioaophy. andthe falationsiip of Jude te Aikido and Karte. 260 om. a8 98 ‘THE TECHNIQUES OF 2U00 by Takagani a Sharp. fe Manontative atep.byatne ‘ptanation snd arabe the commonly used tech igues of Jude 143 pe. 550 ust. 85" 12 Bie $75 THE 1up0_ tsTmUcTOR, Captain M. 6. Harvey, Mic. 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This frst Engh shotegrenhs ot Gyan asic and aovanced tech niques. The author went in {a the mountains for three eere of herald trlrig 368 pp. Big" x 12". aKie 2500 mayne, Guys and gals mia {opt the dojo for a mat ful of cartoons. 27 pp. st eanas ane $100 —_—- ‘Mlolern SEDO Bl MODERN 4000, Chastes Sree explaining ail the techniques of Jee Bat (val. ied (Wal. 2—Advanced Technique) au 5.00 (ol. 340-conyo Tecsinigues) THE WAY OF KARATE by Mattson. An explanation of te Otinawan yte of har tnd the ming. 200 pp. $00 photos. aK ss50 ‘AKIO, by. Upesniba. Not to be confused with To. 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T have been in the martial arts for less than two years, yet have heard of several contests of this kind in- volving some of the top judoka in the US. and some excellent karate men. Many of the men I have heard from and of are tired of the over- glorification and publicity given to our sister art of karate, Tt seems that Black Belt, as the leading magazine on the nsastial arts, should set the record straight and pop a few bloated baloons. T think Karate is fine and I weleome the spread of it. I even plan to study it some day, but not on the grounds that is superior to juclo. Please set the record straight and take the kinks out of some judoka’s backs in the knowledge that they are not studying a second-rate martial art, George Icke Flint, Michigan You may know more about top judomen fighting karatemen because we don’t hear of any news like this from our readers. Could you mention any specific bout between a top kar- ate and top judo player? There are minor skirmishes between beginning students of karate and judo, but we never heard of any top men fighting among themselves, except in movies. As to the editorial of Jon '65, we did mention that a top jtedoman diel Beat a leading karateman from France in a karate tourney. But you must realize that this jucloman is also a proficient karateman. He Knows karate well enough to be ranked a black belt if he considered taking the promational test. The judoman we speak of also happens be an exceptional one, ancl so it would not perhaps be fair to use this one incident as a typical ease. The man is Hawearel Nishioka, who was dast car's U.S, national judo champion. Ibis only fair also to point out that Nishioka won that karate tournament by mixing in some of his judo throws.—Ed. ‘Aikido And Judo Don't Mix T have often read (with interest, amusement, and even skepticism) some of your articles on the incred- ible mind foree principle of Ki and Chi. The idea of a man resisting the scoping se harmed, or brating subzero tempera- ture for haurs with little clothing, or even escaping the path of a bullet shot pointblank, seemed too incred- ible to believe, However, I have just met a yellow belt in Aikido who demonstrated, to my amazement, the unbendable arm trick. T must admit that this has somewhat changed my point of view. However, as a judoka, Tam won- dering that if Kf or chi is what it is cracked up to be, why has it not been used by contest judomen? Following this line of thought, a judoka trained with an Aikido or Tai Chi back- ground, would be able to resist any attempt at being thrown and could turn the attack into a fast ippon. A mediocre judoka would become champ, and @ top-ranked American like Jim Bregman would be much too tough for the likes of Anton Geesink or Isao Inokuma, Also, could not a black belt Aikido expert put on a judogi and throw Sakaguchi or Matsunga before you could say Jig- oro Kano, Would not this ki (if there is anything to it revolutionize sport Judo? M. Jay Goldstein Mt. Vernon, New York This i aquestion that has often come up. Perhaps the best way to answer it ix to relate « conversation we heard Sensei Tohei engage in with a top judo man in the US. The judo man wanted to know: if Aikido could be applied to judo, and Tohet said it was impractical. Tohei contended that the two arts cannot be practiced together, be- cause many of the mavements and the principle of aikido contradict with those of judo. To develop ki in the beginning stage, one must al- most toke the ukemé willingly and follows torts movement without resistance. Since judo ts @ sport, there are many holds which are illegal to use in competition. Aikido, being oniy a defensive art, has no such restrie- tion holds and punches. Because it takes a tong time to develop the ki, a fudoman would almost have to stop his jucla praetice ane concen- trate exclusively on developing. his atkido and the ki. This might affect his technique if he later returned to judo, Most of the top aikidomen in in the US. are formerly high ranking judo men, Tohei, himself, és @ 3rd Dan ins Tudo, ‘Mas Oyama Tighvens Up ‘Ont Qualifications Mr. Augustin de Mello was expel- Jed from our organization four years ago. Therefore I couldn't tell you anything about the certificate issued by him claiming to represent us. T agree with you that there are many new organizations formed by such people who are claiming they have (Continued on page 69 5INTERNATIONAL KARATE CHAMPIONSHIPS 200 Ft. 8mm MOVIE See the action and Learn from. the champions of the mast ex: citing event of the year See Mike Stone suceassfully detend his title and enjoy a rmaside seat for the ultimate in Karate. 200 FT. ONLY 911.98 ppd. KARATE PRODUCTIONS BOX 43081 LOS ANGELES 43, CALIF. LEARN JAPANESE RECORDS 3 Albums, plus Book $5.95 MARTIAL ARTS SUPPLY CO. Letters to the Editor (Continued from page 6 6th dan or more when they have not. We have many inquiries from people who want to affiliate with our as- sociation from different countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Spain and Ceylon ete. However the problem is that we have never seen these people and da not know their tech- niques and personalities. Who could give authority for our branches to such people we don't know? You have pointed out in your letter that we have issued dan certificates leniently. Surely I cannot help ad- mitting such a tendency to some ex- tent in the past. But this was some years ago that we gave shodan or second-dan to the so-called branch chiefs, who were unworthy of the rank, I must say that at present the certicate from Kyokushinkai is con- sidered to be difficult to get in Japan, or in any other country. Mas Oyama Director Kyokushinkai-Kan Tokyo, Japan Disagree With “Cat” Article T feel that I have to disagree with the statement which appeared in the article, “The Cat" (March-April 1966), saying that Yamaguchi ar- rived at the conclusion that Okin- awan karate, with its aneient Chi- nese origins, was too static and limited in style. Tf Okinawan karate is static and limited in style it certainly isn’t be- cause of its Chinese origin. If this were so why did Yamaguchi bother to study the various Chinese martial arts while he was in China? Why should other karate masters such as ‘Oyama have studied Chinese kenpo? Why did Oyama in his book, “This is Karate’, write that"... in matches between modem karate men and kenpo men, the modern karate man always comes out on the bottom...” Do you not agree that the martial arts — unlike sports such as swim- ming, track and field, weight-lifting — are not achieving new heights? To believe that techniques in modem karate are surpassing the technique of its ancestor is just wishful think- ing. Modem karate style canbe mastered more easily because i's simplified and restricted in compari- son to what is practiced in its ancient form. K. Yuen Sunnyvale, Calf Jury Clears Nash Reference is made to your “Edi torial” in the May issue as well as the Letters to the Editor entitled “A Shocker” concerning myself and the Memphis Karate Academy. For your enlightenment, in Amer- fea there is a presumption of inno- cence until proven guilty; there is no condemnation by accusation, except by the ignorant. A Federal jury in Clarksdale, Mississippi on March 18, brought in a verdict of Not Guilty exonerating me of the charges which had been made, This was the con- sidered opinion of 12 men after hear- ing all the evidence and circum. stances. An attorney representing numerous people charged with com- jon of crimes will infrequently himself be charged with crimes by association, Now, with respect to “A Shocker” in Letters to the Editor, this young, man was not injured in a class nor was he injured by one of our black belt instructors; he was injured by another student demonstrating a technique that should never be shown to a beginner. The few in- juries sustained by students in our dojo invariably are results of horse- play between students when the in- structor is mot present, One of our basic rules is that there be no herse- play and this older student should have known better. ‘Our dojo is the oldest one in Mem- phis and one of the best equipped. We maintain extremely high stan- dards morally and otherwise and do not appreciate unfair editorials. We Further feel the contents of this letter in all fairness should be published in the next edition, Glenn W. Nash Memphis Karate Academy (Continued on pageCALENDAR June 19— Ogden Judo Club Invitational Tournament. Sponsored by Nanka Kodokan Judo Yudanshakai. Contact Patricia Flores. Tel: ED 9.6663, June 25—Tulss, Oklahoma Atarashit Kal. Contact W. G. Barker, Je, 2731 So, Boston, Tulsa. June 26 —Orange County Dojo invita tional Tournament. Sponsored by Nanka Kodokan Judo Yudanshakai. Contact Patricia’ Flores. Tel: . ED 96668. July 1966 — CANNES, FRANCE. Intera- tional Karate Championships. Open to contestants through the world. Contact M. Mochizuki, ¢/o European Karate Union, 12 rue Lecuirot, Paris L4eme, Tel. BLOmet 52:00. July 23— National Junior Champion: ships (Los Angeles, Calif). Sponsored by Nanka Kodokan Judo Yudansha- kal. Contact Patricia Flores. Tal: ED 9.6683, July 10— Las Vegas, Nevada, Cromwell Dojo Tournament. Sponsored by Nan- ka Kodokan Judo Yudanshakai. Con- tact Patricia Flores, Tel: ED 9-663, July 1024 — Camp Bushido Summer Training Camp. Outdoor judo training in the High Sierras at Squaw Valley, Calif. For information, eontaet Ben Campbell, Camp Bushido Ha, 8401 Jackson Road, Sacramento, Call July 17— Elkhart, Ind. Second Annual ‘AAUSponsored Elkhart Joshi Clinic and Kata Contest, Elkhart YMCA. Can: tact Joyee Fickies cfo South Bend International Schoot of Judo, 202 E, Calvert St., South Bend, Ind. July 17 — Oxnard, Calif. Oxnard Dojo In- Vitational Tournament. Sponsored by Nanka Kedakan Judo Yudanshakal Contact Patricia Flores. Tel: ED 9.6663. July 17— Miramar, Calif, Naval Air Sta tion Invitational, Sponsored by Nanka Kodokan Judo Yudanshakai. Contact Patricia Flores. Tel: ED 9-6663. July 24— Regional Grade Limit Cham: ppionships. Sponsored by Nanka Kado: fan Judo Yudanshakal. Contact Pa. tricia Flores, Te: ED 9-663. July 25 —TULSA, OKLA. Junior and Ser for Atarashil Kai Judo. Contact W. G. Barker, Jr, 2731 So. Boston, Tulsa, July 31 —Long Beach, Calif. Third Inter: ‘rational Karate Championships, spor sored by Ed Parker. Long Beach Mu: ricipal Auditorium. Contact Ed Par- ker, c/o Kenpo Karate Self-Defense ‘Studio, 1713 E. Walnut, Pasadena, Calif, Tet SY 3-2860 or S¥ 92305, July 31 —dundokan Judo Club Tourna tment. Sponsored by Nanka Kedokan Judo Yudanshaksi. Contact Patricia Flores. Tel: ED 9-663. ‘Aug. 7. — Western. States Grada Limit ‘Championships. Sponsored by Nanka Kudokan Judo Yudanshakai. Contact Patricia Flores. Tol: ED 9-663. Aug. — Nisei Week Tour ‘sored by Nanka Kodok sshakal. Contact Patric ED 9.6683, ‘Aug. 28 — Budokan Dojo Tournament. ‘Sponsored by Nanka Kodokan Judo Yudanshakai. Contact Patricia Flores. Te: ED 9-6663, ‘Sept. 4 — Miami Beach, Fla. Faurth USKA ‘AlLAmeriean Grand Championships to be held at North Miami Beach Aud {orium, For info, cantact John Pachi- vas, 16820 N. E, Sixth Court, Miami Beach. ‘Sept. 17 — BARTLESVILLE, OKLA. Junior ‘and Senior Atarachii Kai Jude. Con: tact W. G. Barker, Jr, 2781 So, Bos: ton, Tulsa ‘Sept. 19— Elkhart, Ind. Second Annual ‘AAUSponsored Elkhart Invitational Junior Senior Shiai, Elkhart YMCA. ‘Contaet Don Wrobel c/o: South Bend International School of Judo, 202 E. ‘Calvert St., South Bend, Ind, ‘Aug. 1967— WINNIPEG, CANADA. Pan ‘American Judo Games, yment.. Spon: Judo Yuden. Flores. Tet BLACK BELT MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE "365017 Wastingion Bic les Angeles. Calfrnia 99016 7 supscnme snail ths form with your payment shack on SUBSERIPTION RATES us. seco 5.900 size (CHANGE OF ADDRESS shout your so lace your magarine acess label lip thle form to your Iter SPECIAL OFFER: Alll new 3 year subscriptions are offered a bonus price of $1.90 for a handsome Black Belt Binder (Reg. price $3.90) made of hard, grained vinyl, and holds 12 issues, This one YM Wici-s50-3s¥c.TIGER BRAND JUDO Gl Wodekan Approved) (Inchides: Jacket, Pants & White Belt) CHILDREN SIZES (Single Weave) JS. Small (Under 9 years old. 3 JST Medium (Avg. 1014 yt3. Olan ADULT SIZES (Double Weave) JS1-2 Small (Avg. Person 125 Ibs. JS1-3 Medium (Avg. Person 150 Ibs... JS1-4 Large tAvg, Person 175 ibs. JS1-5 Yarge Avg. Person 200 Ibs... $11.90 BUDO BRAND KARATE Gl apan Karate Association Type) Includes: Jacket, Pants & White Belt) MEDIUM WEIGHT — Summer GI (Bleached White) G1 Child (Avg. 10-12 yrs. old). veal) O65 2 Small (Avg. 125 Ibs). “ G3 Medium (Avg. 150 Ibs). G4 Large (Avg. 175 Ibs). KOS XLarge (Avg. 200 Ibs), reer $10.00 HEAVY WEIGHT — Winter GI (Blesched White) ‘MGI Child (Avg. 10-12 yrs. old). ‘KGI2Z Small (Avg. 125 Ibs). GIS Medium (Avg. 150 Ibs). KG14 Large (AVE, 175 Ibs)... WGTS X-Large (AVE. 200 105.) ese COLORED RANK BELTS — $1.30 each SWE GREEN BROWN BLACK PURPLE RBZ = BRBZ = BLBZ = PUB CRBS = «BRB = BLES PUBS GRB4 = BREA LBM PUB RBS = BRBS BLES PUBS Exclusive Distributor MARTIAL ARTS SUPPLIES CO. P.O, Box 8176 lLes Angeies, Calif 3000s —Eisase, add freight ar per Maria! ArteEDITORIAL We Will Be Watching In the past three issues this column has been rid- ing the contemporary problems of Karate rather hard, We had planned to let up this month and had written an editorial dealing with the subject of high school training in the martial arts. However, news stories often have a way of popping up and spoiling even the best laid plans. Like this month, for instance, when we got wind of the plans of Ed Parker and Jhoon Rhee to form new national karale organization. (See Article on Page 12 .) We think this development is important enough to deserve comment in this space. So out went our high school editorial and we once again address ourselves to the turbulent state of karate in America today. It is a big step that Parker and Rhee are taking along with a number of other karate men. The im- plications of launching a new karate group extend beyond what they may have foreseen. This is a de- velopment that bears watching by those interested in seeing the unification of karate in this country, It can be argued that almost the last thing that the badly divided American karate movement needs at this time is another organization seeking members, This would especially be the case if the result was a sharpening of the already fierce infighting and a further splitting of American karate, The wounds left from a battle among major organizations might shat- ter any hope for unity for years to come. ‘However, this is probably too dire a picture. Actu- ally, the new organization could have a quite salu- tary effect on the entire karate situation. It's not too unreasonable to assume that it could actually act as a spur to unification, We believe that the time is right for it. ‘Around the world, karate organizations are pulling together, wearied of fighting and willing to put past differences behind them. Those who up until now have been glibly predicting that it would be another 10 years at least before karate could be consolidated had better take another look at what's happening in Europe, the Philippines, and other countries. (See Black Belt Times.) The trend is obvious: It's toward cooperation and consolidation. We think American karate men generally feel the same way. Surely it's only a few ambitious dichards who still believe that one man — or one style —can dominate the American karate scene. The time for that is long past — if indeed it ever existed. There are just too many established organizations, and too many different styles, for that simple vision of American karate ever to be realized. Any man or any organization that thinks otherwise, and is unwilling to cooperate with all groups should state so clearly and be recognized as such by other American karate iment. It is for this reason that we laud the statesmanlike policy announced ‘by the new karate federation to shun domination by anyone and to welcome all karate groups under its roof. With such a policy, if it is truly followed, there is no reason why an ac- commodation can't be reached for the eventual merger with other major organizations, perhaps into some modified bigger grouping to assuage sensi ties. We also think the selection of Senator Milton Young an excellent choice as a nonpartisan president of the new federation. But we feel that an active operating head is also needed to run the organization if it is to succeed. Any selection of such a man should be made with extreme care. He should be someone of impeccable reputation and acceptable to all sides and groups. He should be, in short, a man above the battle. For our part, we would feel much more assured if a dedicated karate man like Tsutomu Ohshima could be persuaded to accept such a sensitive post. Not only is it true that Ohshima is a superb karate technician with enormous respect among other karate men. He runs only a single dojo, and is not inter- ested in gain or glory for himself. Those who know him can testify that his is a passionate and honest desize to see the advancement of karate in the United States. If, however, our hopes are not realized and there is a further splitting of the American karate move- ment, this magazine will have no choice but to throw its full support to the U.S. Judo Federation to step forward to pick up the pieces and organize karate as a branch of the USJF. This has been the course suc- cessfully followed in most of Europe. But this is a step that most leading karate men would prefer, at present, not to see have to develop. ‘They would like to wait a bit and try to work out their own problems first. This is an approach we also can support. But we, as well as all those who respect this great art, would want to see some re- sults. We will be watching the new development very closely.Anthony DeLeonardis Editor David Lee Ass't Editor Paul Liquori Managing Editor Dr. Philip J. Rasch Assoc. Editor ‘Curtis. Voss Art Director ‘Oliver Pang Photo Editor William GC, Hu Fred Bleicher Historians Dave F. Enslow Cartoonist John Nakao Adv. Director Jane K. Moss Cire, Manager Mitoshi Uyehara James Uyehara Publishers CORRESPONDENTS Kei Tsumura Eastern Canada Herbert Velte Germany John D, Schilder Holland David CH. Wai Hong Kong Kim Byung Soo Korea Emmanuel E. Querubin Philippines Thang Din Burma Zarko Modrie Yugoslavia (61996 by BLAGK BELT, ING. AL 10 COMING SOON! ‘The Tournament Season is in Full swing and our correspondents around the world will be busy the next few months covering the stories. Next issue we will give the highlights of the AAU national judo championships. A little later, on the same day, the national karate championships are being held in Washington, D.C., and the European karate championships in Paris. We will also cover the European judo championships, the Asian judo and karate championships, both being held this year in Manila, and the Japanese judo championships to pick a successor to world champion Isao Inokuma. We will have other stories also, including an article on Tsutomu Ohshima, the “Grand Old Man” of American karate. HTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION WITHOUT PERMISSION 15 STRIGTLY FRONIBITED.BLACK BEIT MAGAZINE OF THE MARTIAL ARTS VOLUME IV, NO. 6 CONTENTS ARTICLES 12_THE RACE FOR THE AAU: Fd Parker and_Jheon Rhee form new nationwide federation. Their goal: to try to win AAU recognition as the official Ameri can karate organization. Fifth annual High School Championships provides a preview glimpse of tomorrow's challengers for the top spots. 22_|. KOREAN KARATE. Though comparatively un- knawn; the Korean style of karate is one of the old- est in the world, with a tradition dating back several thousand years. 28__SUMO STRIKES OUT TO BASEBALL: An irreverent look at the state of sumo in Japan today. After @ long history, the sport of emperors is in trouble. 36_COVER STORY: THE CODE OF BUSHIDO. This fea. ture article retells the story of the little known ronin who fought the last great battle of the samurai class. 42_MOTHER KNEW BEST: Frank Rackley and his 3rd ‘dan mother make @ unique team in the judo world, DEPARTMENTS: 5 LETTERS 9 EDITORIAL: We Will Be Waiting. 17_BOOK REVIEW: Winning At Any Cost 47_BLACK BELT TIMES: Wave of karate-judo mergers sweeps Europe: Philippines to host first Asian Judo Championships; Japanese students tour U.S. iving demonstrations of taijutsu karatedo. 52__ PROMOTIONS 53__ TOURNAMENTS: Puerto Rico mounts a rising judo threat in East Coast college circles; Mike Johnson, Canada's version of Isao Inokuma, wins college Judo meet; Tony Tulleners takes California Karate 55 INSTRUCTOR'S PROFILE 62__DIRECTORY & CARTOONS: JULY 1966 ABOUT THE COVER: Three Hundred Years Ago The Samurai Class Was Being Driven to its Knees When There Arose a Great Ronin to Cham- pion His Cause. The Story Is Told on Page 36. Painting by Curtis Voss, A.D. BIACK BELT Side Black Bolt is published monthly by Black Belt, Inc, 5650 W. Washington Bivd., Los Angeles, California 90016. ‘Subscription rates in the United States ‘are: one year, $5.00; two years, $9.00: ‘three years, $12.00 (foreign countries ‘944 $1.00 per year for postage). The publishers and editors will not be re ‘sponsible for unsolicited material. Man uscripts and photographs to be accom [panied by a stamped, self-addressed re ‘um envelope. Printed in the United ‘States by World Color Press, Inc., St. Louis, Mo. British Circulation Office: BUDO, 14 West St, Dunstable, Beds. England. Germany Circulation’ Offic Herbert Veite, 24 Lubeck, Eutin ‘Strasse 24, Germany. MwTHE RACE FOR THE AAU Ed Parker and Jhoon Rhee are two of the most success- ful young men in American karate today. In many ways, the two are dissimilar, Parker was born in Honolulu and now heads a string of west eoast dojos. Rhee comes orig- inally from Korea and makes his headquarters at the other end of the continent in Washington, D.C., where he is a dojo operator and recently elected head of the U.S.- Korean Tae Kwon Do Assn, But one thing the two do have in common. They are both laying their prestige on the line in the riskiest gam- ble of their careers. In cooperation with a number of ‘other prominent karate men, the pair is preparing to phinge into the treacherous: currents of American karate politics to set up anew nafionwide karate association, ‘The organization is so mew that it still doesn’t have an official name yet. Suggested titles are the US. Karate Congress or the Karate Black Belt Federation (after the Judo Black Belt Federation), But whatever the name finally selected, the fod ling organization is starting. off swith some impressive credentials, President of the grodjp will be U.S. Senator Milton Young of North Dakota, Other prominent karate men tive in the founding are Henry Cho from New York ity, and from the west coast, Tsutomu Ohshima, Tak Kubota and Fumio Demura. Plans now call for prominent businessmen to be assigned to the group's board of direc- tors to give the organization financial strength and help in its administration. (One likely candidate: Blake Ed- wards, prominent Hollywood producer of such films as “Breakfast at Tiffany's,” “The Great Race,” and “Shot in the Dark.”) Courting the AAU ‘Headquarters of the new organization will be Wash- ington, D.C,, a site which has several advantages. In the first place, the organization during its formative period will be removed by several thousand miles from the squabbling politics of the west coast and other western arate groups. Secondly, location in Washington should give a shot in the arm to the spread and advancement of the art in both the eastern and southern sections of the country. 13The new group was launched with the aim of trying to unify and strengthen the badly split American karate movement. The organization will be open to members of any recognized karate group, both in the US, and Canada. The big prize that the new body hopes to get is recognition from the AAU as the official karate organiza- tion of the United States. This puts the new federation directly on a collision course with two other major karate organizations, Robert Trias’ U.S. Karate Association (USKA) and Hidetaka Nishiyama’s All-American Karate Association (AAKA), the arm of the Japan Karate Association (JKA) in the United States Both Trias and Nishiyama have been courting ‘the AAU to try to land that organization's official blessing. But so far the AAU has been wavering. Both these organi- zations have certain strengths and glaring weaknesses going for them in their drive to become the official spokes- man of US, karate. Karate with a Conga Beat Official statistics of any karate group are usually highly suspect. But the USKA could be what Trias says it is, the biggest karate organization at present in the country. ‘Trias claims to have 10,000 members, a figure that some knowledgeable observes say can be shown only on paper. However, he is a tireless campaigner and he attracts new dojos to his banner every month, But he has seen # num. bber also drop out each year. ‘Trias’s biggest problem is that he bas been unable to bring in the really prestige groups to his organization. ‘Though his USKA is open to all groups, the Japanese organizations, for instance, have stayed away, So have ‘most of the really important names in the country. Some members in these groups have shied off from what one wag has called the famboyant Trias’ "karate with conga beat.” This is partly reference to the kata demonstrations put on by Trias’ attractive daughter, Roberta A. Trias, where she has been accompanied by young man slapping out the beat on a conga drum. Roberta has been promoted to second dan by her doting father. The question of issuing ranks has been another point at issue with some of the old-tine traditionalist groups, ‘Trias’ organization has no official links with any organi- zations from Japan, or any of the other Oriental karate countries. He himself issues black belt ranks to his in- structors, dojo operators, and others, and he has been lavish in showering them with fifth and sixth dan rankings. Members ofthe Japanese groups never tre of pointing out that their groups, have been sparing in the issuing of ranks in this country, making their students really work to eam their promotions. To this day, for instance, no Caucasian has ever attained higher than a third dan ranking from Nishiyama’s group. 4 ‘On a related issue, there is a doubt in many minds about ‘Trias’ own personal rank in karate. Trias has claimed he has been awarded high rank with several major karate organizations, without being too specific about it. Some people say they have seen documentation of his rank. But Trias has never made it public, thus adding ta the confusion on the subject. Nishiyama’s Big Problems Prestige, on the other hand, is Nishiyama’s strong point, The author of a best selling karate book, Nishiyama’s name is well known. Many impartial observers believe that Nishiyama teaches some of the best karate in the United States— A Shotokan style that is authentic, dis- ciplined, and strict, But Nishiyama also has his problems, big problems Proud and aloaf, he has often stood apart from other groups. For instance, in a recent tournament he sponsored in which the leading college champions from Japan took part, Nishiyama restricted participation to a few groups and shut out all others, a tactic hartlly likely to endear him to those from other organizations. For his part, Nishiyama has certain definite opinions about karate in the United States. He is known to feel that a number of karate groups are second-rate, with inadequately trained instructors. A perfectionist himself, he has shown little patience with those of lesser ability Operating out of Los Angeles, Nishiyama has several dozen dojos spread around the country that pay loyalty to his AAKA. His approach to American karate might be termed an experiment in Japanese rule. Nishiyama is a Japanese citizen, and his fst loyalty is to the JKA. He has, therefore, always had to avercome the obstacle of being an “outsider” in a foreign land, a problem that Trias and Parker do not have. ‘To have overcome this disadvantage would have called for diplomacy and tact of the highest order. But Nishi- yama has stepped on a number of toes, and his aggres- sive recruiting tactics have alienated some important karate men around the country. Even if ithad been otherwise, Nishiyama still would be bucking long odds. The history of the development of the art in every major karate country has shown that, * almast invariably, the leadership of the country’s Karate ‘movement has gone to citizens of that country. A Lesson in Europe This has been the lesson Iearned to his regret by Tetsuji Murakami, an early Shotokan pioneer in Europe, Murakami refused to cooperate with the native karate ‘organizations in Europe, and has found himself on the outside looking in as the European Karate Union was formed by Europeans without him. The result has been that Murakami, a top-flight instructor, has isolated him- self from the mainstream of European karate.And the question that has been asked of the JKA else- where was whether it was working for the beneBt of the karate movement in the country that was hosting it, or working for the beneft of the JKA in Japan, Recently, however, there has been one sign that the JKA may be shifting from the go-it-alone policy it has often pursued in the past. In the Philippines, the JKA joined with other Japanese, Korean and Okinawan groups to form the Philippine Amateur Karate Organization. (See Black Belt Times.) If this situation was applicable in the United States, Nishiyama would strengthen his case be- fore American karate men. Given Trias’ and Nishiyama’s difficulties, Parker, Rhee and the others think they see a spot for a third karate organization in the country. The details of the new group still remain to be worked out, but some of the rough out- line can already be seen. In order to bring in as many dojos and organizations as possible, the present plan is to make for a loose federa- tion that will accommodate everyone, Theoretically, no ‘one man or one group is supposed to dominate. Special accommodation will be made for special styles, For in- stance, if the Shotokan followers want to set up a special section under the general tent of the new organization, that is all right with Parker and Rhee. The basic aims of the new federation are to promote and unite karate in the country, to set standard rules for tournament play, and, eventually, to set minimum stan- dards to help elevate the quality of karate taught. An- other function would be to act as a central registry for all karate ranks in the United States “For one thing,” Parker says, “it would answer once and for all the question of how many karate men there are in the United States. Nobody really knows now.” It would also help end the numbers games played by many karate organizations, and identify specifically how many members are registered with each group. ‘The real organizational structure is to be hammered out in Washington, D,C., when the representatives from around the country gather for Rhee’s big ational Spring championship tournament. The organizers are making the tournament a special affair. Political and diplontatic figures are slated to attend. Robert Culp and Bill Cosby, stars of the television series “I Spy,” head the gntertain- ment contingent. “The new arganization has several advantages going for it from the start, Both Parker and Rhee are well known Agures in karate and can command a large following. The two have proven to be effective showmen. This has caused some wrinkling of noses on the part of some of the more conservative organieations. But there is no denying their success, They produce the two biggest and most successful karate tournaments in the U.S. each year, Rhee’s Spring nationals and Parker's fall tournament in Long Beach, Calif. And initial reception to their plans for F Trias 4 new organization has been enthusiast tors across the country. from dojo opera- Not All Roses But everything is not all roses for the new federation. It too faces some big tasks before it can be called a suc- cess. For one thing, a loose federation with no strong head might cause administration problems. The president of the organization, Senator Young, is « busy man and cannot be expected to devate too much attention to or- ganizing and running the new bedy. But a fledgling organization usually needs a driving, aggressive, full-time head to make it go. ‘Then there are the geographical problems. Rhee appar- ently will concentrate on lining up members on the east coast and in the south where he is strong. Parker's job will be to deliver the troublesome west. Rhee looks to have the easier time of it. Easter karate clubs have shown more willingness to cooperate among themselves for the greater promotion of all. And Rhee can. work within the framework of the numerous Korean karate clubs in the east. Henry Cho is an influential Karate figure in New York and can be expected to attract a lot of fol lowers in the big town and surrounding areas. 15Rhee brings with him high credentials. The son of a Protestant minister, he teaches a top brand of Korean karate. Rhee has just been named president of the U.S. Korean Tae Kwon Do League. Rhee's federation claims 12,000 members. If he could swing into the new organiza- tion anywhere near this number, it would represent a hefty base from which to start. Combined with what Cho can steer in from New York, and Rhee's strength in the south as well, the new group appears to be off to a inning start in these sections of the country Parker will have it rougher. The westem karate man is oF a rugged and individual breed. Totally obsessed with what's happening among themselves, they tend to think that anything east of the Sierras is beyond the pale of true karatedom, And while they have cooperated among themselves. on occasion, it has generally been a rather lukewarm sort of cooperation. But of all the west coasts karate men, Parker has seemed to get the most coperation out of them. He has been able to tum them out for his tournaments, And interestingly enough, he has been able to work success- fully with both Trias and Tsutomu Ohshima, the latter a member of the 24-carat inner prestige group. Interestingly enough, Parker's credentials have never been verified. If he has ever received any official rank from a major karate organization, he has never men- tioned it, Parker teaches a brand of Kenpo karate said to have a passing familiarity with Chinese kenpo, But how much is Chinese and how much is the 37-year-old Parker's own contribution is subject to some speculation. Yet this fact has never really hampered Parker's effective- ness. For one thing, Parker is recognized as one of the carly founders of karate in this countzy and he has worked hard and long at it, a fet that other karate men seem to give him credit f ‘Federation Lands Ohshima Parker's big job will be to bring in the prestige groups and the Japanese organizations which earry such weight con the west coast. He has already made a start in this direction by lining up Tak Kubota and Fumio Demura. And he scored his biggest triumph by bagging Tsutomu Ohshima for the federation, Obshima could well be one of the keys to success to the new organization, Obshima might almost be called the grand old man of American karate, He came to the United States in 1956, the Grst pioneer from Japan to instruct a major brand of Karate. He teaches a Shotokan style that is as authentic as Nishiyama's, Ohshima has only one dojo, in Los An- geles, so it is not sheer numbers that he will contribute to the new organization. But it will be something far ‘more valuable. By bringing in a man of his unimpeachable character and prestige, it could swing a lot of the fence straddlers around the country who have been wailing to sce just which way to jump. Tak Kubota is a pisie-sized young man who teaches his own style of karate, Cosoku Ryu. Kubota's face is often split with a wide grin that shows his gold teeth, and he seems: constantly to be sporting bandages around his wrists and ankles from injuries eared in vigorous umite sessions, For a little man, Kubota teaches a rough brand of karate, He feels that his students should make contact now and then to lean to take it, Kubota runs his own dojo in Hollywood and is head instructor forthe International Karate Federation, a stnall chain with half a dozen dojos on the West Coast, Fumio Demura is a man on the way up in the karate world. He teaches the shitoryu style of karate and has trained under Kenei Mabuni, the head of the school in Japan, Demura is considered one of the best karate styl- ists in the United States, He left this Spring to go to Korea ta study the karate styles of that country. This survey of American karate would not be complete without a word about the Okinawan and Chinese groups. Both groups are small and neither is well organized. The Chinese groups are just beginning to come out into the open after generations of secrecy, But when they have come out, the Chinese groups have shown « willingness to cooperate. ‘The problem with the Okinawan groups is more com- plex. What is really needed in this area is a big influx of Qualified instructors from Okinawa, Much of the instruc- tion in the United States is uneven —some good and some bad. And there is 2 woeful lack of knowledge and background on the part of some of the Okinawan graups in this country. For instance, many of the Okinawan styles bar toumament play. yet some of the people in this country claiming to be followers of these styles do engage in tournament competition. The confusion on this point could stand to be cleared up. If competition is to be allowed, it could help to draw Okinawan groups closer into the general fabric of the American karate movement. In Hawai, for instance, the followers of Okinawan Goju do not enter into tourna- ments, which is one factor in the confused scheme of Hawaitan karate, The question of issuing ranks is another factor. The Shimabuku school of Okinawan karate, for instance, has ‘been criticized for being too easy on handing out ranks. ‘On the other hand, the Okinawa groups have generally shown a willingness to cooperate with other karate groups in advancing the general welfare of all karate. In fact, this urge to merge appears to be « world-wide. movement. What is happening in the United States is only part of the same movement. (See Editorial.) One of the three major organizations mentioned — USKA, AKA, oor the Parker-Rhee tandem — appears to be the most ly vehicle for organization in the United States. But which ‘one it will be is still anybody's guess. As of now, the race is still wide open,BOOK REVIEW Winning At Any Cost ‘The Science of Judo, by A. P. Harrington. New York: Emerson Books Inc., 1962. 160 pp. $3.95 Although it is not apparent from the title, this book is designed to help the skilled judoka improve his contest tactics and skills. The author does deal with the techniques of various moves to some extent, but he is interested in them mostly from the standpoint of how to modify them to meet different tactical conditions. Perhaps the more important parts of the text are found in the drills to increase speed and in the prac- tical tactics for winning matches. Recommendations are made that one not demonstrate his favorite moves to prospective competitors. Hints are given on how to mislead an opponent, or surprise him, and what to look for when a prospective opponent is on the mat. ‘The author gives advice on how to handle the judoka who remains on the defense, and explains ground- work tricks such as kneeling on an opponent's jacket. He discusses how to use the edge of the mat to your advantage and effective use of strangle holds, and similar matters. Much of what the author has to say construes the psychological aspects of a match. For instance, he suggests that you always work a few decisive throws against any training partner junior to you to prevent his building up confidence that he is able to throw you. As can be seen, many of the author's suggestions border on gamesmanship or are just on the edge of violating the spirits, if not the rules, of judo. None- theless, we recommend this baok for the serious com- petitor. Even the judoka who would not himself care to make use of the tactics given should nevertheless be familiar with the possibility of such moves in order to adequately defend against them. For those who feel such tactics perfectly permissible, any of the p n could be the key to winning an important match. The author also goes into training exercises to some extent and it is here, I believe, that hhe really gets onto shaky ground. Unlike Ishikawa and Draeger, Harrington does not recammend the use of barbells or other weights in training. He argues that this is not necessary, since the judoka can work with heavier men than himself and get all the wet lifting practice he needs. Personally, I feel it is difficult to find partners of various weights who can and will spare the time ane needs to develop a well-rounded musculature in this manner. The convenience of the iron weights is a great point in their favor. Any instructor making such a suggestion centainly has the responsibility of warning his readers that exercises of this type have been condemmed by the Committee on the Medical Aspects of Sports of the ‘American Medical Association and the National Fed- eration of State High School Athletic Associations as potentially injurious to the internal and supporting structures of the knee. Ina sport in which @ number of attacks are directed specifically at this joint, anything which would weaken it should be avoided like the plague. The medical men and the coaches may or may not be right in their views, but it would seem to us that a1 teacher of judo who employed these exercises in his dojo might be in a very bad position legally if the juvenile suffered knee damage and his parents enter- ed suit against the teacher. Almost surely the court would hold that the juvenile could not be expected to know these exercises had been criticized but that the teacher had a legal responsibility for being famil- iar with and governed by the opinions of the pertinent professional organizations. Of course, this book was written in 1962, and it's only been more lately that such medical findings have become well known. But bearing these training this book is still recommended for those whose every desire by Dr. Phillip J. Rasch 7James Ogata lets out a loud kial of victory as he drops his opponent with a left Osoto. FE New Crop of Judo Stars Coming Up Future Young Hopefuls Display Their Wares At This Year's National High School Championships. by George Wilson espectacled James Ogata is widely considered to be the best of the new crop of young stars coming up, an opinion fully shared by the cock- sure Mr, Ogata himself, Young and with a lot ‘of growing up to do yet, the 17-year-old Ogata nonetheless hhas come a Jong way already. Last year the 17-year-old Chicagoan placed third in the 135-pound division at the AAU national championships. ‘This year he ran off with first place in the same division at the recent Spring National High School Championships and came within a whisker of winning over John Shimoji, the 205-pounder who took the grand championship. 18 Photo by James Ogata Ogata therefore has already picked up a lot of tourna ment savvy ina few short years, and his style shows it, He plays a waiting game, and lets his opponent make a mistake or get off balance by coming to him before he makes his move to throw, Ogata throws well, executing with spirit, and. has the speed to go with it. ‘But Ogata has his weaknesses, too. He is poor on the matand he has no techniques that execute to his opponent's rear: e.g., ouchigari, kouchigari, osotogari. And he ishandi- capped by the fact that he doesn’t have enough consistently strong opponents to compete against day after day who can challenge him and force him to bring out his best. In many ways, Ogata sums up the strengths and weakpoints of the young American judo players on the way up. ‘And in a larger sense this is a comment on the system in the United States for training its younger players during their formative years of judo development. A country’s judo future is only a8 good as the young men rising through the ranks. The recent High School Championships held in Mil- waukee presented a good opportunity to see how the teen- age set is progressing. Some of the best of the young players from around the country gathered for the tourney. The first thing apparent was that today's young judo player is in good physical condition, stronger and healthier than those from a number of years ago. And his enthusiasm ABOUT THE AUTHOR: George Wilson is chairman of the High School Committee of the U.S. Judo Federation, Wilson teaches judo at Kent-Meredian High in Seatile, Wash., where he introduced the first high school judo course in the country AMEE «7955. ? is high. But techniques are spotty — some were excellent and others obviously needed development and training This, of course, reffects the caliber of training supplied the budding young judokas. If a youngster is fortunate to be living in a good judo area, he'll develop better and faster. With a few exceptions, the results in the senior divisions showed where the strengths are in American judo, and the new areas beginning to develop. ‘New England is starting to-come up and so is the Wash- ington, D.C, area, Denver is providing some excellent young judokas. The Central Coast Yudanshakai of Cali- young judokas. The Central Coast Yudan-shakai of Cali- fornia, and California in general, continues to be the domi- nant area. It will probably be a while before any other sec- tion is in a position to challenge California players across the board, because of the great depth in all divisions and the high quality of instruction available there. Milwaukee's boring city of Chicago sent a large contingent of play- ers to the tourney and the Chicagoans did very well in the lighter weight divisions. But they managed to place only ‘one man among the top 15 in the heavier weight divisions, Endurance A Big Factor On the basis of their performances this year, at least a half a dozen young players will bear watching in the future. They could become the national champions in their di- ions within the next couple years if they seek and get higher training in the sport. Among the latter would be Ogata, Luis Gonzalez of Cleveland (168-pound division), Pete Madau of Garden Grove, Calif. (180), John Shimojt of Glendora, Calif. (heavyweight). ‘There were several disappointments at this year’s tourna ment, Some players who scored well last year just did not live up to their promise and failed to show the improvement, at this tournament anyway, necessary to continue their de~ Luis Gonzales (right), 165-pound champion, puts his arm around Ogata after defeating him in the round robin. velopment. Toshiaku Kurosa of Anaheim, Calif., placed second among 120-pounders in 1965 but wound up fourth this year. John Love of Berkeley, Calif. and Gary Mayeda of San Jose, Calif., who placed high in 1965 finished out of the money this year. ‘A premium was placed on endurance at this year’s tour nament. The matches stretched aver nine hours with only a short break in between for dinner. Regulation mats also Were not used and the poor surface of the gymnasium mats virtually prohibited the use of sweeping foot techniques. ‘The advantage went to the judoka who plants his feet and powers into the atttack. Below is a rundown of some of the top players and how they fared in their bouts. Of the 24 contestants in the 135-pound division, Ogata was clearly the class of the group. He is tournament-wise and waits for his opponent to come to him. He usually throws as the opponent moves in after him. Weak on the mat, he would appear to be in trouble from anyone who would pull him forward and then apply. But after a brilliant start, Ogata is threatening to throw away his chances. His father is a photographer, and the youngster is'planning to go to photography school in Chi- ‘sago upon graduation from high school, This would prob- ably mean he would stay in the Chicago area all his life, and not be subjected to stiffer training at a good judo college like San Jose State, or the universities of Michigan or Cali- fornia. ‘There is nothing like running up against older and better competition and getting thrown a few times to bring the young judoka down to earth and give him the desire to try harder and succeed. Without this advanced training, a man can continue to do moderately well in national competition, but advanced international play would almost certainly seem tobe out. Needs Seasoning Luis Gonzalez, who engages in a lot of clowning off the mat, could be the best of the entire new crop of youngsters. Gonzalez could either wind up national champion and famous, or pumping gas in a filling station and forgotten, depending upon his outlook over the next couple years. Clever and strong, he dumped Ogata twice in the round robin for the grand championship with two wazaris gained on a right kouchigari and a left tsuri-komigoshi. But Gon- 1zalez is still unseasoned and he needs discipline and severe training on an advanced level to live up to the promise he shows. Kent, Wash, Referee Mas Tamura, 7th dan of Chicago, looks on John Osaka (center left) and George Uchida of the U. of Cath Tomia give last-minute instructions to participants, Southern California's Pete Madau must be rated a comer. Fifth in the 180-pound division in 1965, he took it all this car. His coach, Shag Okada, just recently awarded. him first dan, figuring it was time after Madau threw two second dans and a third dan in competition in California. Fellow Californian John Shimoji steamrolleced his way to the heavyweight title and the grand championship. He pt the first on clean jear-old Shimoji is possessed of a flexible body and a determined right morote-seionage. The final match between him and Ogata was fast-moving and most of the crowd were on their feet shouting for the judoka of their choice. Ogata needed to score an ippon to in the championship as the round robin system provides that the lighiest man will prevail in the events points are won all his matches, every one throws. The 17. It was an exciting match. Ogata attacked, attacked, and again, taking advantage of his superior speed. He nearly scored several times but was unable to turn over the heavier and stronger Shimoji The heavyweight champion also had Ogata in trouble on two occasions, but the elusive Chica; aged 10 avoid being thrown by last-minute adjustments and by spinning in the air, At the end of regulation time the judges and referee called it a draw, though many in the audience felt that Ogata had gained a slight edge In the overtime it was all Shimoji as he utilized his weight to good advantage, The maxim of a “good big man and a ‘good Jittle man” again prevailed. The tiring Ogata simply could not physically stand up to the aggressive Shimoji and was thrown by a right morote-seionage after the first minuteLair of Tigers ‘The Ishikawa award for best consistence technique dur- ing tournament play went to 17-year-old Mike Poppleton of Kent, Washington. Poppleton, who won his black belt at 15, brilliantly executed a deep, hard, and classic right morote-seionage. He used kouehigari to both sides and left tsurikomigoshi to set up his opponents for the major tech- nique. Poppleton won five matches in a row by clean ippon, ‘two matches by wazari, and his final match by ippon to enter the 150-pound division round robin, He lost there to champion Eddy Nakai of Chicago, a newcomer on the na~ tional scene. Nakai showed good reflexes, tournament savvy, and aggressiveness in climbing to the top of this division, ‘Though the lightest, the 120-pound division can be a lair of tigers. Usually you can be assured that anyone possessing rank in this division won that rank by competing against heavier opponents, and hence the competition generally is tough. Grand champic ‘the tourney's fi John Shimoji takes = spill going for Ogata 31 match, Robert Mita (on top). His strategy backfired. And so it was this time. Robert Mita of Chicago, last year's champion, had his work eut out for him from the start. Tournament-wise Mita’s strategy is to avoid his op- ponent's attacks by moving swiftly to the side or backing off the mat. But he got tripped up in his own strategy in the final match against Patrick Burris of Southern California. Mita was warned once by the referee for his tacties and given a second official warning a few moments later. This provided the margin of victory that gave Burris the decision, COMPLETE RESULTS: 1120-pound: Patrick Burris, Orange County High, Ana Robert Mita, Uptown YMCA, Chicago; Gary Guchi, Obukan, Partland, Ore,; Toshiaki Kurosu, Orange County, Anaheim, Calif; Emest Watanabe, Uptowa, Chi- cago. 135-pound: James Ogata, Uptown, Chicago; Daniel ‘Yamasaki, Senshin, Los Angeles; Jeff Green, Uptown, Chi cago; Mack Kusumoto, Buddhist, San Jose, Calif; Barry Sell, Detroit, 150-pound: Eddy Nakai, Dunean YMCA; Chicago; Mike Poppleton, Kent-Meridian, Kent, Wash, Kenneth Okada, Orange County, Anaheim, Calif; Winston Tumaneng, Jia su Inst, Chicago; David Long, Greater Washington, Wash, D.C. fi 16S-pound: Luis Gonzalez, Ohio Judo, Cleveland; Ted Okada, Orange County, Anaheim, Calif; Dick Okimoto, Denver, Colo; James Holland, jiu Jitsu Inst., Revere, Mass.; Richard Watamura, Reedley, Parlier, Calif. 180-pound: Pete Madu, Orange County, Garden Grove, Calif ; Dennis Ikuta, Parlier, Calif; Wallace Beaver, Island, Alameda, Calif: Alan Nissenbaum, Northeast, Somerville, Mass, Stephien Carper, Greater Washington, Wash., D.C, Heavyweight: John Shimoji, Glendora, Calif; Kerry Shintani, Uptown YMCA, Chicago; Robert Tsuboi, Parlier, Calif; Douglas Fortune, Detroit, Michigan; Gerald Ryuto, Stockton, Calif. ‘Grand Champion, John Shimoji (hy) Runner Up, Luis Gonzalez (165) ‘Yamauchi Award for fighting spirit and sportsmanship, James Ogata, ‘Ishikawa Award for best technique, Mike Poppleton ~ a1I_KOREAN KARATE: The Foundation The Monks Were Afraid 0 Korean Karate is One of the Oldest in the World. a Three-Part Series We Will Discuss Its Developme} jin Korea and the Progress Being Made in the U: States, forea’s contributions to karate are varied and fascinating, and the art has had a rich and color- ful history in that land. Yet Korean karate is probably the least known in the United States ‘of the four major versions, The average budo fan is much more up on how the art developed in China, Okinawa and Japan. This is true especially of the Japanese styles of karate ‘which have had such a big impact in the United States. Yet from the standpoint of age, Japan is strictly a newcomer to to the art, having taken it up only in the 20th century. ‘Okinawans have been around the karate field longer, and can trace their history back some 400 years. But the ancestry of Korean karate can be traced back to ‘the period of the Three Kingdoms founded more than two thousand years ago. Not Long after its development in China, the early version of the art showed up in the Korean penit sala, In those days the art was called Kwon Bop, @ mame ‘which lasted until recent times, Even today, Korean karate remains in some ways more faithful to Chinese versions than do the Okinawan and Japanese. Karate came to Japan, for instance, after h been filtered through 400 years of turbulent history on ‘Okinawa, which had adapted the original Chinese versions to its own styles. Little is known about the early history of Kwon Bop ‘except that it spread into all parts of the peninsula of what is now Korea, Depending upon the province, the art went by different names: Suba, Yusul, Sangbak, etc. One of the best pieces of graphic evidence we have of Kwon Bop showed up in the middle of the eighth century in the two beautifully executed statutes on these pages. By this time Kwon Bop had developed into a flourishing fight- ing art, as can be told by an examination of the statues.Bandits and Wild Beasts by Kim Pyung Soo ‘The two works are the best preserved of any major pieces of art on the early development of Chinese-style fighting techniques. There are some wall sculptures discovered in China from a century earlier, but certainly these are nothing in comparison to the finely wrought beauty of these two sculptures with their fine detail in expression and technique. ‘These two sculptures stand guard outside a temple at Mt Toham in Kyungju, flanking the entrance to where a large stone Buddha sits staring impassively at the art treasures surrounding him. ‘The two sculptures are called Kum Kang Ryuk Sa, and the forms they are demonstrating could be considered the same as those of the Palsek (photo at left) and Sipsu (right) forms af today, No Slaves to Tradition ‘The courageous and hostile expressions of these two fight- ing men, together with their challenging poses, stand in distinct contrast to those seen in almost all other sculptures, ‘which emphasize the gentle in the Buddha and his disciples. ‘The protruding breast muscles and the expression of power shown in the clenched fists, together with the girded robes, are all part of the sculptor’s efforts to express the dignity of a face contorted with anger. Both sculptures show hand techniques in the tradition of the Chinese boxing style which is the historical taproot of Korean karate. But while the Koreans remained faithful to basic Chinese styles art, they were not slaves to that system. They subtly modified techniques even in those early days, a process that has continued until our own time. The result hhas been a style of karate that, while heavily indebted to the Chinese, has been adapted to the Korean character to produce a unique Korean style.For instance, the use of foot techniques, which later came to be the distinguishing feature of Korean karate, was first, developed in the southern provinces in a system called Taik Kyon, Another ancient technique that is stil used is one called pakchiki, which was developed in the Northwest provinces. In Pakchiki, the forehead is used for butting an opponent. In its more vigorous application, a man will fly through the air, forehead extended, to strike his opponent in the nose or chest, much in the manner of a soccer player going for the ball with his head. It became a great national joke in Korea after World War II that when the Russians temporarily moved into North Korea, they quickly became afraid to engage in close conversation with the Koreans for fear of getting knocked cold by a fast pakchiki to the head. This process of change started early. In ancient times, what is now Korea was divided into three separate king- doms, and cach of them added their embelishments to Kwon Bop. The Kingdom of Koguryo ruled in the north, Silla in the southeast and Paikche in the southwest. After a long series of wars, Silla emerged victorious over its neighbors and in 668 A.D. formed a unified kingdom. The Silla period lasted until 935 A.D. It was overthrown in turn by the war lord Kyonghum, who founded the kingdom of Koryo from which the western term, Korea, was derived. Koguryo THREE KINGDOMS Paikche ‘The Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea. ‘While it lasted, the Sillan kingdom was a high point in Korean history. The period of its unified rule was a golden age in Korean development, and there were great achieve- ments scored in science and the arts. The great stone fight- ers guarding the temple of Suk Kul Am were sculptured early during this period. Later numerous figures illustrating Kwon Bop techniques were sculptured along the eaves of the National Museum at Kyungju, ancient capital of Silla, 24 ‘This 13-story stone pagoda was built in 1467 and carries many figures carved In delicate rellef,Sukkuram Stone Buddhist Grotte guarded by the two fierce statues. Bandits and Wild Beasts ‘The development af Kwon Bop in Korea bears two strik- ing parallels to the history of the martial arts in China and Japan, Similar to what happened in China, the Buddhist monks were to be extremely important in the early growth of Kwon Bop in Korea. And as in Japan where the code of bbushido arose, so in Korea, a code of principles was de- veloped that was to give Kwon Bop its moral armor plating. Buddhism was introduced into the northern kingdom of Koguryo in the fourth century as part of a general Chi- nese cultural invasion of the Korean peninsuls. The Bud- hist monks were quick to adopt the Kwan Bop fighting styles. As in China, the art flourished in temple grounds. The ‘monks saw in it a way to train both their body and spirit. But there was also a practical aspect. Koguryo at that time was a turbulent area, infested with bandits and wild beasts. The monks did a great deal of travelling, and to protect themselves on the open road many took up Kwon Bop. ‘The monks also had the time to train in the art and they perfected and refined many techniques. Living by them- selves alone in the mountains, they could train quietly and with the intense concentration demanded by Buddhism, It’s an interesting footnote to history to observe that the Kwon Bop developed in. Koguryo laid stress on free-style sparring 1500 and more years before it was extensively practiced elsewhere. The only remaining sculpture of Kwon Bop we have left from the Koguryo kingdom shows two fighters standing face to face with spear hands upraised One is poised for offense and the other for defense in the style of Naichiki still used today. The sculptures from the Silla dynasty, in contrast, shows only single fighters doing forms. This emphasis on free-sparring is another great hall- mark of Korean karate, Koreans today engage in numerous free-sparring practices and participate in tournaments on asscale as in no other country. The Tae Kwon Do association, for instance, holds 10 nationwide tournaments each year and four promotional meets to select @ national champion. Koreans also don’t believe in holding back but attack with enthusiasm. They ‘wear chest protectors and make hard contact with cach other. Buddhist priest before the altar at Kuman-sa temple located near Mount Moak in North Cholla province. 25Popjusa in North Chungchong province has been sacred ground for centuries. The original temple was built on this spot during the Silla period! in the 8th century. Tt was during the Silla dynasty that there arose the other great development that affected Kwon Bop. This. was the establishment of the Hwarang-do, a patriotic group dedi- cated to cultivating the spirit and the health of Silla’ youth. Infused ‘with the spirit of Buddhism, the Hwarang-do laid moral code that bears many resemblances to the down code of bushido formulated in Japan. The five major commandments of the Hwarang-do- were (1) loyalty to the throne, (2) devotion and duty to one's parents, (3) faithfulness to one’s companions, (4) the prohibition of any retreat from the battlefield, and (5) a bar against killing any living ereature except for defense or survival 26itn No ete ‘73-year-old Song Duk Ki Is the country’s leading authority on the ancient art of Taik Kyon. Here he practices with the author on ‘the Kyong Bok palace grounds. Prepared to Give Their Life ‘The requirements for entering the Hwarang-do were strict. One had to be of noble birth, learned, and pure in mind and spirit. The organization did much to shape the future life of its members and set the moral tone of the age. ‘The mode of life of the Hwarang-do was moral improve- ment. The Hwarang (members of the organization) made pilgrimages throughout the country, noting the beauty of the majestic mountains and rivers as they trained their bodies and emphasized the spirit of knighthood. They con- sidered their life to be as nothing and were prepared to give it on the battlefield in-an instant. It was only natural for such an organization to be at- tracted to the study of Kwon Bop, and many of its meni- bers were devoted to the art. Thus Kwon Bop became part of the official training of the Hwarang-do. ‘The greatest period of Kwon Bop came after the estab- lishment of the Koryo kingdom in 935 A.D. The kingdom was strongly militaristic in spirit, a fact necessitated by the need to defend the country against foreign enemies on many occasions. Founded by a warlord, the soldicrs of the Koryo dynasty were among the finest the country has ever pro- ‘duced, and their martial spirit and bravery has been an in- spiration ever since. ‘The soldiers were enthusiastic practitioners of the art. One of the most ardent lovers of the art was King Chung Hae, a daring military figure who was perhaps too bold a man to be unduly concerned about the moral side of Kwon Bop but who was unstinting in his approval of the physical aspects. Every Spring and Fall, the king organized com- petitions which were held in his presence. The soldiers of Koryo carried to its furtherest extreme the practice of toughening up their hands, and the possession of powerful fists was highly prized. They slammed their fists into blocks of wood and wooden walls. According to legend, some struck with sueh foree that their hands stuck in the walls. It was said that the sole reason that two giants of their time, Lee Yi Min and Kyong Sung Du, were appointed as premier by the king was because of their powerful fists NEXT MONTH: The decline of Kwon Bop and the rise of modern karate. The establishment of the Tae Kwon Do and the Moo Buk Kwan will be discussed along with further details.on modern styles and techniques. PrdSumo Strikes Out to Baseball Black Belt’s editors take a less than reverent look at Japanese Sumo today and come up with some startling observations. Some of the glamour is beginning to fade from this aging queen of the martial sports.HE MOST successful sumo wrestler of to- day is a dimpled young man they call the Golden Boy, a name singularly appropriate for a multi-million dollar sport. The young wrestler’s name is Taiho, and he's just won his 19th major event, the Osaka Spring Tournament. Taiho, who also goes by the name of the Big Bird, is, 320 pounds of well muscled, lovingly eared for flesh. For the short time he lasts as the reigning monarch of the sumo ring, he will be bethed, primped, massaged and looked after by a host of managers, trainers, and appren- tices =the latter hoping some day to replace him and take the catbird seat for themselves. He will be idolized by the masses, written about by the press, and have a small army of adoring patrons, businessmen, and geishas chasing after him, all anxious to lavish whatever appropri- ate gifts they can upon the shy young man from the north country. ‘The young Taiho is in a unique position. He is the end product of some 2,000 years of Japanese wrestling his- tory, and half a century or more of highpawered pub- . Today, the publicists are working overtime to'try to keep public interest high in Japan's national sport But somchow, it's not working out quite the way it used to, even with all the attention bestowed on Tatho and other top yokozuna champions. A growing uneasiness is beginning to be felt in Ryogoku, the Tokyo neighbor hhood where the top 15 or so. sumo gymnasiums are k cated. After more than twenty centuries, the sport of emperors is in trouble, Actually, sumo is beginning to show the telltale signs of age: it's a little creaky, even more old fashioned, and losing its admirers to younger and more glamorous rivals. And the signs of its fading charms are becoming embar- rassingly plain to see. For a sport that relies on paying customers, sumo is suffering from the most fatal of ail- ments — anemia at the box office. ‘The reason is not hard to seek. Japan's emancipated post-war generation, fascinated by anything foreign, is increasingly transferring its affection to Western-style sports. Golf; boring, and baseball — especially baseball — are the new “in” sports. In fact, a good ease could be argued that baseball already has unceremoniously dumped the huge wrestlers and become the new national sport of Japan. This is a sad prospect for those wha love the sport and see in it something of the spirit of Japan itself. For sumo is much more than just a sport to its followers. It is almost mystical to them, and they love it at least as much for its elaborate ritual and pageantry as for the actual wrestling. ‘Last month we reported on the development of Korean Sumo. This month's concluding article on sumo deals with the contemporary problems facing the Sport of Emperors in Japan. "Taibo pours for anather fa Bomb at the Box Office Perhaps the best way to understand what is happening to sumo is to take a closer look at the spring tournament that Taiho just won. In many ways, the toumey serves to illuminate just what has been happening to the na tional sport over the past several years. The meet figured in advance at least to be a success from a financial standpoint, It was the first major sumo match in several months. And it was the only one that ‘would be played in Osaka, so that it could be expected to draw a big crowd from the city. Instead, the toumament bombed. at the box office. ‘The Fans stayed away in large numbers. The 15-day event proved to be one of the worst financial failures that any- ‘one could remember in a long time, When it was over, the dazed promoters were talking to each other asking ‘what happened. ‘The promoters had started off the tourney with high hopes. The newspapers played it up. There was a lot of advance publicity. A few days before the opening the sumo association published the new rankings. of the players, and the sports writers solemnly conimented upon the shifts made. Pursued by fans everywhere.Kashiwado, a pleasant young man who some critics think is a bit overrated, had been installed by the sumo association as the favorite for apparently no other reason than that he had won the previous tournament, and who knows, perhaps because the officials got tried of always putting Tatho on top. Daigo, a veteran grappler who goes by the nickname of Big D, had been moved up a notch, Wakatentyu, a s0-s0 fighter, was on the skids and had been knocked down a couple of places. Also there had been the usual shuffling around in the lower rankings. Bat essentially, the card presented to the fans was a big yawn. Outside of Taiho, and perhaps Kashiwado, there are no really outstanding sumo wrestlers around today. And worse, nobody promising appears to be coming on the scene to lift the sport out of its lethargy. Most of the 40 top-lsted players are grunt and groan club fighters, hanging on to pick up some loose change to pay for the rent. The opening day of the tournament ga¥e an indication of the way things were to go. Tochinourni, Kitabayama, and Kitanofuji, all high-ranked players, were knocked off by men further down in the lists. Tochinoumi's case, especially, was becoming a cause of embarrassment to sumo officials. The veteran Tochinoumi, or the Technician as he is called, is a Grand Champion of sumo (yokozuna), a title awarded him in his earlier and better years. In his ‘opening bout, Tochi ran up against Kotozakura, who drove hard against the little Technician from the opening clash (tachi-ai) and shoved him to the edge of the ring. There Tochi put up a futile stand but his knees buckled under him and he got the heave-ho out of the ring to lose the bout. Tochi should have retired long ago, and probably would have if he had lost his title in open competition. But the sport provides an unbeatable social security sys- tem for men who make it to the top rank of sumodom, that of Grand Champion. Once.a man becomes a Grand Champion, he can never lose his title. It's his until he retires. The trouble is once he attains this exalted status, a ‘man never really wants to retire. It's a hard life for the young topknot on the way up, but onee he makes it into the charmed yokozuna circle the rewards can be abun- dant, and the grand champions tend naturally to want * ta hang om as long as possible, even long past their prime. (There are four grand champions competing at present: Taiho, Kashi, Tochi, and Sadanoyama.) Winning a major tournament can be worth perhaps $5,000 or more in. prize money. But that's only the be- ginning, Businessmen, sponsors, and others contribute to fatten the kitty, and this ean be worth considerably more than the prize money. Furthermore, any wrestler worth his purifying salt has his own patrons ~ or patronesses — who contribute gifts, apparel, and anything else he or she cares to be grateful with for consorting with the great mai A Catastrophe for Sadanoyama The problems of having less than outstanding cham- pions around showed up early during the Spring tourna ment. On the third day of the 15 day meet, three of the Four yokozuna were dumped. Only Taiho was doing ex- ceptionally well, and he was threatening to make it a rout Taiho had been confidently picked to do poorly this tournament by the pundits because of troubles with his left elbow. But if he were any the weaker for it, someone forgot to tell him about it. Coming up to the midway point, the Big Bird had won seven in a row, booming his opponents out of the ring with great abandon or else driving them powerfully into the sand, Even the men in the other top ranks, the ozeki, sekiwake, and komusubi—were faring poorly. (These three grades, rank immediately below the yokozuna. ‘Usually, there are half a dozen or so men in these “junior champion” ranks. Below them are the 30 other top jpro- fessionals who make up the rank of maegashira. ) ‘The tournament turned out to be a catastrophe for Sadanoyama, the Yokozuna Strong, Boy who is neither as strong nor as proficient as he once was. Sadanoyama has ‘been ailing for same time with various stomach and liver ailments, and he withdrew on the 10th day after posting only a mediocre 5-5 record. As for Tochi, he was strug- ling along with a 6-4 mark at this point, with Taiho and Kashiwado still to be faced. Taiho stumbled a bit in the middle days of the tourney, dropping his matches on the Sth and 10th day. But from then on he was never headed and finished up with a Bne 1-2 mark. Kashiwado had looked good competing against[Lower left: Four sumo man attract attention of passersby as they go shopping in outdoor market. Left: Salt is sprinkled on the ring before the match to purify the scene of combat. Below: The gyoji. or referee, is an important part of the color surrounding sumo. ke the wrestlers, the gyoji are graded. Only the top referees, like the one shown here, get to weer such elaborate garb. The lowersranked gyoji ga barefoot and officiate at the less important early matches. 31the men in the lower ranks and he stood 10-2 at the end of the 12th day. But then, he collapsed in the face of stiff opposition during the always crucial final three days ‘f the tournament, when the grand champions face each ‘ther and the ozcki. Kashi blew the last three matches, Taiho having little difficulty defeating him on the fin day. Kashi's record was 10-5, just about the barest mini- mum expected of a yokozuna, Tochi, however, refused to give up and he made a strong comeback. He won four of his last five matches, losing only to Tatho, and ended up with a 105 record. also. His fine stretch run probably saved him from forced retirement at the hands of sumo officials for a little while yet Such a ote is the only way that a man ean be forced to vacate the rank of yokozuna, and officials are under standably reluctant to have to take a man’s livelihood away from him. But the longer they hesitate, the more that poor performances tend to detract from the dignity and worth of the office. From another point of view, the rank of grand cham- pionship lacks much of the suspense created by cham- pionship matches in other sports. If there were to be only one grand champion defending his title, the competition for it could probably create more interest and excitement onthe part of the fans. Yet sumo officials, instead of easing up, have gone in the other direction and created what many consider to be far too many grand champions since the end of World War TL. “Taiho, center, takes part In pre-bout veremonies. 32 But essentially, itis the impact of Western ideas and sports in recent years that has been pushing sumo to the wall. For one thing, the elaborate ritual that the older sumo fan finds so fascinating is driving away more modern young people. Instead of the rapt attention to the little details af the ceremony, the young person may find himself increasingly fidgety and waiting for the action to begin. Calling the Gods’ Attention To such a person, the Western sports have an enormous appeal. Shunning ritual, such sports as baseball! and golf find their deeper meaning and exeitement in the play of the sport itself. Hence it is that Western sports offer mainly pure action, which so many of today’s Japanese youngsters seem to find appealing. In sumo, pageantry takes the place of much of the action. In faet, the rituals take up far more time than do the actual matches, And the ritual never varies. The appearance of the yokozuna is always preceded by the colorful march of the champions. ‘The elaborately gowned referee bangs his clapper to call the attention of the gods, the ring is swept, and then down the aisle solemnly march the rinks of cham- pions, their great bellies protruding before them, ac companied by the cheers of the crowd. The wrestlers are garbed in gorgeously colored aprons that might be Studded with jewels and cost anywhere from a thousandWith the force of a couple trucks. Before they actually compete, the wrestlers kneel down and engage in a mutual growling and glaring contest for four minutes to pretend to try to unhinge their opponent. When this little play-acting ritual is over, the ring is swept again if it needs it and purified with salt. By the time the bout starts, it is almost anticlimatic, The two wrestlers kneel once again, and when the referee gives the signal, they slam into each other with the force of a couple of trucks. Actually, the whole thing, can be over ina couple of seconds if one of the wrestlers is quick enough to get out of the way of the other's rush and he sails out of the ring, or if a wrestler sticks his foot out as the other goes by and trips him. Even if they grapple, the bouts usually are over in less than a minute, as to be able to push his opponent g or have any part of his body touch the floor to win, Three or four minutes would be an extremely Jong match. Today's sumo is also caught in a vicious circle that ‘centers on urban-rural life. Most people in Japan today are living in or moving to the cities where opportunities are better, But city living is not conducive to producing sumo. champions. Most of today’s sumo champions and ‘young apprentices come from the countryside, which is ‘diminishing in population. It is in the countryside where the living is simpler and where sports that rely heavily on sheer physical strength such as sumo are found to be most popular. The city youth has a wider chaice of sports to pick from and can indulge in more sophisticated forms. ‘And to the eity dweller, already enticed by a bewil: dering variety of sports, sumo promoters also seem to be offering too much of a good thing. There are now six major tournaments a year, each lasting 15 days. It no sooner seems that one tournament is over than another is beginning. There is no end of the season in Japan, to allow sated fans six or eight months breather before starting up again. What the answer to all this will be Sumo is not by any means about to shrivel and die any time soon, But i's undeniable that an erosion has set in. ‘One indication of the way things are going is making, died-in-wool sumo fans wince. ‘Along with baseball, the other fastest growing sport in popularity is Western-style professional wrestling. For Japan, where for centuries sumo had been king, to. em- brace professional wrestlers, with all their hammed up performnances, would have been as unthinkable a few years back, as it would, say, for the Kodokan to throw out judo in favor of Indian wrestling or for Gogen (the “Cat”) Yamaguchi to dispense with Karate and start giving boxing lessons. It is not a happy outlook that the sumo man is pondering today, and he faces the future with a sense of foreboding. shard to foresee.