I had heard stories about the hard training that took place in Kobe at Shihan Nakamura dojo however I still didn�ft know what to expect once I had landed in Osaka airport. Once I had made my way to Kobe, with a few questions, it was not hard to find Shihan Nakamura�fs dojo; it was very renowned in that area. Once I found the dojo, I was greeted warmly by fellow students who worked and trained at the dojo.

The very next day, my training began and it was then that I finally understood the stories; the training was very difficult and the work was exhausting. At first I couldn�ft keep up with their pace and Shihan Nakamura�fs constant yelling of how slow I was working didn�ft help the situation. However I stuck with it and often was consulted by Shihan himself who reassured me that I would get the hang of it soon enough. At first, Shihan made me clean more then I trained, I wasn�ft sure why. Every morning I would wake at 7 and begin my duties around the dojo, after these duties were done I would await further order from Shihan regarding my next job. I had a variety of jobs which I would be told to do including painting, moving equipment, cleaning bathrooms, cleaning rooms, dojo laundry, and so on. Almost three weeks past of this rigorous work when Shihan asked me to work on kata and Ido Geiko. All of a sudden more emphasis was put on me learning kata and moving basics rather then cleaning and working. For the next three weeks I would then work on kata�fs and kihon and Ido Geiko every day for at least five hours. After these three weeks ended, I did not know why but I felt stronger, my technique sharper, my movements much faster. Then for the remainder of time that I was there, Shihan made me work only my body and it was here that I finally understood what he was trying to teach me. With everyday rigorous hard work, my spirit had gotten stronger, my spirit was hungrier eager to train for all I was doing was working and cleaning however this in itself was training. After my spirit had become stronger, Shihan made me work kata�fs; he made me train my mind. Only with a hungry spirit can you fully train the mind. Due to the constant training of kata and Ido Geiko my mind had become stronger, I had learned to be patient. It is with this new found patience that I was then able to fully train my body, condition it to become stronger, constantly training with injuries, working through the pain. This is what Shihan had wanted to teach me the entire time; he wanted to teach me how to become a better fighter. Spirit, mind and body, these elements are what makes the ultimate truth, these elements are Kyokushin Karate. Now, I have come back with my new found knowledge eager to share it with all Canadian Kyokushin ka and I want to thank Shihan Stuart for giving me his blessing to go to Japan to train and to Shihan Nakamura who taught me my new found skills. I am eager to continue my training here in Canada and hopefully be able to compete in the bigger tournaments so that one day I may be able to represent Canada in the next Kyokushin World Open Tournament.

Osu!

-Sasha Tadayoni