HIDETAKA NISHIYAMA

STUDENT OF GICHIN FUNAKOSHI EXPLAINS KARATE'S REAL GOAL - NOT TO BASK IN THE GLORY OF ACHIEVEMENT BUT TO PUSH FORWARD TO THE LIMIT OF YOUR CAPABILITY! -

- GEORGE ASAWA

Suddenly, the stillness of the room was shattered by a deepthroated roar: "Ah-h-h!"

All eyes were focused on a man uniformed in a white training suit. He wore a black belt. His movements were relaxed, and yet one sensed the unbelievable speed and force at the termination of each thrust, chop, kick or jab. The apparent destructive power was overshadowed by the beauty of continuous flowing movement.

The man was master Hidetaka Nishiyama, a permanent director and head instructor at the Japan Karate Association in Tokyo.

"When I practice during free sparring (kumite), I am oblivious to everything around me," Nishiyama said. "I feel exhilarated when my movements are uninhibited and flow quickly and smoothly. All movements are done spontaneously. Each movement is performed with an objective or purpose."

Nishiyama was born 33 years ago in the city of Tokyo. At age 17, he was attracted to karate. He wanted to master the art to acquire physical prowess as well as to gain the admiration of those around him.

"At 17, one's goals are very simple. If one wants to do something, one does it. I wanted to learn karate, so I sought a school on karate," he said. "Whether it is for a selfish reason that one takes up an art is insignificant. What really counts is how one applies what one has learned.

"As I became more and more engrossed in karate, I discovered that karate possessed a stimulus which could not be gained in any other art or sport. I became sold on the art."

Nishiyama studied under the late master Gichin Funakoshi. The development of karate as it is now practiced in Japan is largely due to the efforts of Funakoshi. The Japan Karate Association, with more than 200,000 members throughout Japan, was established under his guidance.