Blitz - June-July 2017

38 ƫđƫ333ċ(%06)#ċ*!0 | (^) FEATURE STORY
to continue your training into
your middle and older years in
order to achieve the mastery
that only decades of training can
accomplish. He saw tai chi chuan
as a vehicle for this purpose;
tai chi also helped achieve the
softness or ju in Goju-ryu that
was disappearing.
My wife, Mikami, studied
with Yang Ming Shi for over 30
years. [James Sumarac’s note:
Mikami’s tai chi needs to be seen
to be believed!] Yang Ming Shi
was Ohtsuka Sensei’s first tai
chi teacher and main translator
of the Bubishi [aka ‘the bible of
karate’] from ancient Chinese to
Japanese. After Ohtsuka Sensei
passed away, I have been working
more diligently on my own ideas
and this would not have been so
freely possible if Ohtsuka Sensei
was still alive.
James, what are these ideas
that Noguchi has been working
on since Ohtsuka Sensei
passed away, as you have
witnessed? And why could he
not pursue these beforehand
— was it due to cultural
expectations of following
one’s master’s way, or because
Noguchi was not yet senior/
experienced enough to be
allowed this freedom? 
Sumarac: I believe there
is a natural evolution of
creativeness in any discipline,
be it music, sport, writing
etc. I think Noguchi Sensei
adapted many of the Goju
Kensha methodologies to suit
his small frame; for example, he
never moves back or sidesteps;
he moves straight in on you
with devastating speed and
timing with a barrage of strikes.
I also believe Ohtsuka Sensei
was such a strong personality
and brilliant leader that others,
including myself, were a little
intimidated by his superiority...
not unlike the Beatles’
situation, where the brilliance
of Paul McCartney and John
Lennon overshadowed George
Harrison’s songwriting and
Ringo Starr’s drumming.
Noguchi Sensei, it has been
lamented by some Japanese
masters that nowadays, more
foreigners are interested in
studying their traditional
martial arts than Japanese
citizens, who are increasingly
taking up Western sports such
as baseball. Do you think this is
true, in your experience? And
do you think that the karate
culture — the essence and
traditions that make karate
what it is — is strong enough
that it can survive anywhere,
regardless of what language
the practitioners speak or what
culture exists outside the dojo?
Noguchi: Yes, I believe
karate will survive. It is true that
there is less interest in Japan
and young people have become
disconnected with traditional
budo training, but times have
changed everywhere. Japanese
people are a proud people and
will never truly lose touch
with such an important part
of their culture. I believe that
the introduction of karate in
the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will
rekindle interest in budo karate
as a matter of national pride.
Outside of Japan, there is a
strong sense of not just survival
but growth and evolution. For
example, here in Australia, I
have observed the passion with
which karate is practised. James
Sumarac is now an 8th Degree
and has worked hard for over
40 years to establish a strong
organisation based on Ohtsuka
Sensei’s teachings. I see the fruits
of his labour coming through
in both his senior students and
many young people too. I am
warmed and very confident in
the security of karate’s future.
James, how do you think
Olympic sports karate will
help promote budo karate,
given they are arguably such
different incarnations of the
art with often divergent focus
and purpose?
Sumarac: [Noguchi Sensei]
says the first step is getting
people to the dojo; the next step
is to offer a sport or budo option.
If they take up the sport option
first, they usually evolve into the
budo training at an advanced
level. In any case, it is bringing
more people into karate schools.
It is always interesting
to hear experienced karate
masters’ ideas about some
of the old karate sayings and
principles. For example, do
you believe that ‘there is no
first attack’ (or perhaps ‘no
attacking first’ is more accurate)
in karate?
Noguchi: Yes, our yoi, or
‘ready position’, demonstrates
this perfectly. You cover the
knuckles of your strongest hand,
being your weapon. There is
“Outside of Japan, there is a strong
sense of not just survival but growth
and evolution.”
Noguchi Sensei performing
applications of Tensho kata
Noguchi connects with a
young Aussie student