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Kanpai – The Kyokushin Way
Image via www.dragonballclub.net Yesterday, we had a kanpai ; a practice that is strong in Kyokushin karate. It is the only time when shihans , senseis and sempais allow kohais (juniors) to consume alcohol. Kanpai, like Sayonara, is an essential component of karate. It is when the rivalry ends and the friendship begins. Unfortunately, I've noticed that the practice is strong in Papua New Guinea (PNG). We had a couple of beers and shared pizza while talking about the recent PNG Games that we attended as officials and athletes. It was post-mortem and a bonding session rolled into one. Sempai Bernard Soari told us about the kanpai they used to have after international tournaments. He regaled us with stories of how uchi-deshis could not refuse food or drink from their seniors or how they used to have eating competitions after the world tournaments – the rest of the world versus the Japanese. The other sempais, Samson and Sailas, also thanked the athletes and students ...
My First Full Contact Tournament
Last weekend was the first I ever competed in a full contact tournament despite training for almost 7 years. This is mainly due to the fact that there has not been any formal competition since I started learning Kyokushin which was mainly due to the soured relationship between Sensei Wally and Sempai Bernard. That was rectified and for the first time in nearly a decade, the two hosted a tournament as a symbol of their reconciliation. It was a must attend and compete event for me. I did not do well in kumité and injured my big toe seconds into the fight. Of course, that is the only injury I had besides a few small bruises. However, I did bag a gold in my division for kata which is extra special because this is the first time that kata has been introduced into our competitions. The loss in kumité has fired me to train harder and try better in the Nationals which is coming up in September. The results of the tournament can be found on the PNG Warrior blog (http://papuaniuginiwa...

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