Never too late

Scott is 42 years old and he just re-started training in martial arts after many years of inactivity . He also quit smoking and he is 100% dedicated to become healthier through the study of kyokushin karate.
Welcome to Contact Kicks !
He is keeping a personal blog about his journey, check it out at :
http://themartialway.wordpress.com/ 

Yuki

Yuki Hanaoka Aviado

 - When did you started training , where and what style ?
 13 years ago, I began training "Nippon Kempo" in highschool in Japan. Nippon Kempo is a traditional Japanese mixed martial art. I practiced it for 3 years and received my Black Belt. After that, I changed activity into something else. Then in January 2014, I started Kickboxing and Brazilian Jiujitsu here at CKMA.

 - Why did you started? Reason?
 The reason why I started Nippon Kempo is I wanted to do something different from other girls. After I came to Canada, my health condition was getting worse. I figured it was because I stopped exercising, so I started martial arts again.

 - Your competition experience.
I have competed in tournaments in Nippon Kempo within Japan. My highschool won the Japanese National Highschool Championships in 2003. I haven't competed in Kickboxing or Jiujitsu yet.

 - Your goals for the future in martial arts ? Will you compete more and in what discipline ?
 The most important thing for me is to keep my body healthy. But I want to compete in the future, because it is fun to compete and to prepare for a competition makes me keep training.

 - How do you feel at CKMA dojo ? How do you like the training ?
 Kickboxing and Jiu-jitsu are different from Nippon Kempo. There are a lot of things that I have never learned. In CKMA, there are a lot of beginner students, so the teachers teach the basic stuff which helps me understand the moves properly. This is the biggest reason why I feel comfortable to train here.

 - What advice you give to other girls who are interested in starting training in martial arts ?
 If you are looking for a great stress reliever or a great workout, don't be intimidated and just try it out. It is awesome to feel exhausted physically. It can get rid of stress and mental fatigue. And I need more girls to train with !

The meaning of OSU in Kyokushin Karate

Osu is the one word that you'll hear the most in a Kyokushin dojo or at a Kyokushin tournament.  When you enter or leave the dojo, you bow and say "Osu".  When you greet a fellow Kyokushin karateka, you say "Osu" instead of "hello".  When you respond to an instruction or question in class, you say "Osu" instead of "yes" or "I understand".  When performing kihon waza (basic techniques) in class, each technique is often accompanied with a loud "Osu".  When practicing jiyu kumite (free fighting) in class and your opponent lands a good, hard technique, you say "Osu" to acknowledge your opponent's skill.  As a measure of respect, knockdown fighters at a tournament bow and say "Osu" to the front, to the referee and to each other, before and after the fight.  Osu is used in many situations and seems to mean a lot of things. 

 

But what does it really mean?

Osu is a contraction of the words:

		Oshi  meaning "Push", and
		Shinobu  meaning "to Endure".

It means patience, determination and perseverance.  Every time we say "Osu", we remind ourselves of this.

Kyokushin training is very demanding.  You push yourself until you think you've reached your limit.  First your body wants to stop, but your mind keeps pushing you.  Then your mind wants to stop, but your spirit keeps you going.  You endure the pain.  You persevere.  That is Osu.

Kyokushin karate is not learned overnight.  It takes years to properly learn the fundamentals.  The basic techniques are performed thousands of times (ren ma – "always polishing") until they are done by reflex or instinct, without conscious thought (mushin – "no mind").  It's easy to get frustrated by doing the same thing over and over again, especially when progress seems to be slow.  To overcome that frustration and continue training takes patience and determination.  That is Osu.

The absolute and unfaltering devotion needed to "scale the cliff" of Kyokushin karate is Osu.

The spirit of Osu is probably best described by Shihan Cameron Quinn of Australia in his book The Budo Karate of Mas Oyama.  He writes:

There is a saying in Japan, "Ishi no ue ni sannen." Translated, it means "Three years on a rock."  This saying symbolizes the need to persevere at all times.  It is one of the most important philosophies in Kyokushin karate.

 

Kyokushin is an art offering many things according to the immediate and long term aims of the trainee.  Ultimately, one realizes that transcending the kicks, the punches, and the kata, there is a special spirit in the heart of the articipants.  It teaches them to face the demands of daily life with a mature and enduring attitude.  A budo-ka is not easily shaken by the blows of adversity, realizing that for a person to draw near to their true potential, a never-say-die spirit of perseverance is required.

 

This strength of character develops in hard training and is known as osu no seishin (the spirit of Osu).  The word Osu comes from oshi shinobu, which means "to persevere whilst being pushed".  It implies a willingness to push oneself to the limits of endurance, to persevere under any kind of pressure.

 

The single word Osu captures most accurately the ultimate in what the art of karate, particularly Kyokushin, has to offer.  One who is truly able to manifest the spirit of Osu in every word, thought, and action may be regarded as wise and brave.  Training should first and foremost be approached in the spirit of Osu.  One's daily life, and the responsibilities it holds, would be more completely lived if addressed in the spirit of Osu.

 

Even for the beginner, who is conscious of his lack of training and does not necessarily want to face the demand of training, it is enough merely being aware that through perseverance and the will to continue, there comes great physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional gains.  All that is needed is that special determination.

In other words, Osu.

Courtesy of uskyokushin.com 

Vlad has started his journey

We welcome Vladimir to our school ! He is only 15 years old and joined kickboxing and jiu-jitsu classes.

... rolling with Coach Mike in the saturday morning open mat class.