Until his death, April 14, 1998, Osamu
Ozawa was the highest ranked master of Shotokan karate in the Western
hemisphere. His place in the history of karate comes from the fascinating
life-form that we just read.
Osamu Ozawa was born in 1925, in Kobe,
Japan. His ancestors were samurai, and he grew up under the centuries-old
traditions. Osamu Ozawa was forced to endure a strict and even cruel training,
which is the norm for the development of the mind and body into Lethal weapons.
His teachers included Gichin Funakoshi, founder of Shotokan karate and
Daiichiro Aizawa master, the second most senior Japanese karate, Wado-Ryu was
the interview.
When Osamu Ozawa me interview with
black belt magazine, I left everything on my calendar, it is a living legend in
the history of karate. I asked the traditional framework for our speech,
perhaps sitting cross-legged on tatami and sipping green tea.
Instead, he asked me whether I would go
hat in addition to pizza. I smiled and knew immediately that I love this man.
After all, what goes better with a discussion about the history of karate as a
pepperoni pie?
There are more than three hours we sat
and languages about its place in the history of karate. It was a conversation
that I will never forget.
Japan’s Place in the History of Karate
"When I was young, who was a
military State and Japan teachers were intended for the development of the
spirit of youth," said the champion. "" In order to achieve
this, the training was terribly difficult. It is not technically difficult, but
physically, he was brutal.
Osamu Ozawa. As a student of discipline
which would today Marines unacceptable in training camp. It is not uncommon for
Osamu Ozawa and 1000 and 1000 joined his classmates start recording in the same
class. Implementation of a single kata (form) was more than 100 times during
the workout routine.
"This type of training to break
our will and make us more, beyond what we have, what we can do," said
Osamu Osawa. "And when we did the Kumite (combat training), we had no
rules at all." we wore no protection and violations were widespread”.
Osamu
Ozawa’s History of Karate Injuries
Was when I asked if Osamu Ozawa was
injured during training, he rented a long laugh and said: "I have been in
many places broken. Then he, his nose, Chin, pages-started human injuries road
map to show art.
He passed through modern American
students who can handle the type of training? Old karate master soon answered:
"no, they couldn't." and they should not. No it should be”.
Discipline, discipline, discipline
This rigorous training has limited this
period in the history of karate until the Dojo (gym). Military style was
recognized in training and strict discipline, the teaching method at home and
in the classroom. "If I don't beat my mom me to my father every morning is
worthy in the face," said Osamu Osawa.
He said, "we would be very
interested in geslappte Fort in the Dojo, if we should pay tribute not a
teacher or a Senpai and kōhai (senior student). "We are our minds stronger
than our body to do just wearing shorts and a t-shirt in winter." We in
school and although this station outside the school, we were two miles away
[for physical training and discipline] increase of train rides”.
Cross-Training
Is An Interesting Aspect of the Japanese History of Karate Training
Judo and kendo classes are mandatory at
this time in the history of karate for Japanese students. In addition to these
events was to choose some sports. Osamu Ozawa decided to baseball, but when he
was 13 years old, he saw a demonstration of karate, his cousin Daiichiro
Aizawa, Shotokan karate master.
"I immediately knew I wanted to
learn karate and was very impressed with the speed and grace of his
methods," said Osamu Osawa. "I was also not very good baseball."
"I trained with my cousin, so when
he moved, I started looking for another place to do." There is no karate
Dojo in his hometown of Kobe Osamu Ozawa was 1937, he traveled many miles in
Osaka, Japan, where he v shito-Ryu Karate school run by Kènva Mabuni, the
founder of this system discovered.
"I joined the Dojo and study on
the street two or three times a week," said Osamu Ozawa. "To get the
class, I leave my house at 17 and station away. On my arrival in Osaka I had to
take another bus to the Dojo. One of the ways it took about one hour and 30
minutes total”.
International
Concerns in the History of Karate Hit Home
Because the story of karate's roots in
Okinawa and China, he said, Osamu Ozawa was not respectable, many Japanese are
not his parents what he was doing.
Since most parents she discovers his
secret, and until alot admitted that he continues to study that allows him to
believe.
"I have a Covenant with my
mother," said Osamu Osawa. "I said, ' I'm training twice a week, and
when I come home, no matter I what this time up to two hours to study."
Osamu Ozawa kept his word, and for two
years, he traveled at night to explore Sieve Ryu, midnight oil burned school
work and very good characters.
When I walked in by Hosei University,
said, I joined the karate and trained with Gichin Funakoshi, Osamu Ozawa.
" "I'm the only person in the Western world, who began teaching
karate until the second world war. Shotokan, that the building was bombed 1945,
who started this after you have studied the Shotokan Šoto Kahn, not the name of
the building. "It was a great honor for me to train in this building every
Saturday."
Training With Gichin Funakoshi
Osamu Ozawa said Gichin Funakoshi was a
great man and a philosopher; Senpai and kōhai young Funakoshi products
militaristic national school system, however, and she ran a karate team, as if
the train.
"The training was brutal, but it
was the way he had in a while," said Osamu Osawa. "We had 50 makiwara
(stamping plates), and all students were punch with great force, more than 50
times on our first day in class. Raw materials of straw, many students
[Knuckles] break through the skin. More than 40 ends on the first day. As they
left, loose Senpai and kōhai called them and told them that he did not want to
never see their faces. It was the only chance of leaving the karate class,
which students receive. Then when someone leave he was severely beaten by all
the members of the class before he can leave. I had to do it, but I have not
done this. It was hell.
Osamu Ozawa stopped, and although his
body was still in the living room, which was pizza, his mind several years on
its way to the history of karate drove again. I saw his eyes locked in this place,
we all go, if we can remember things only once. A few moments later, the
completed home movie playing in his head, and he turned to me and said:
"this is our way, and I do not know what this may be another option."
I think now it's too hard, but it prepared me for the hard times that I would
encounter.
How the History of Karate Was Affected by World War II
The fate of Osamu Ozawa fell into the
hands of the gods of war and it was the inner strength and the ultimate test
will be made at this time. In 1944, he received his black belt from Gichin
Funakoshi. Only six of the 80 original trying karate team has survived for so
long; three of those six die in World War II.
To Osamu Ozawa escalation of war led
her the Japanese fleet, where he was trained as an officer and pilot.
"Even our Commander asked for volunteers,"
said Osamu Osawa. "And he said:" this mission, you have no chance to
come back. "we have all done volunteer work. Each of us believes that it
would be an honor to die in such a special mission of this importance. »
With the same dedication and courage,
his black belt, Osamu Ozawa volunteered to be a member of a secret unit
consisting of young dedicated pilots who became kamikaze. These fearless
warriors were prepared to address a particular death fly when their planes were
packed with explosives in the ships of the American fleet.
"I've learned to just pull out and aim to achieve," he said. "We expected, never to return. And most of them have not returned. With a heavy heart Osamu Ozawa recalls how his friends fly never checked.
Osamu Ozawa continue to train and know
that it would be too early to join his comrades. Japan lost the war, and in a
final, futile effort, the emperor made the Japanese troops, all in an attempt
to stop the advancing Americans do or die.
Among them was Osawa.
He was ready to do what he asked of his
country, but fate had other plans for Osamu Osawa.
It was a wet morning July 29, 1945. He
sat on the plane as a flying bombs were rigged. He wore a sword that has been
in his family for five generations. His goal was the American fleet off
Okinawa.
Because it was a suicide mission, Osamu
Ozawa got as old planes fly most of Kamikaze pilots. It was a biplane, which
was barely seaworthy.
Withdraw waiting for his turn, he saw
the first plane successfully withdraw. The second crashed at startup and
exploded to kill his friend.
