Een gewaardeerd KBN supporter, dhr Nobuaki Konno sensei (8th dan Gensei Ryu/WKF) heeft onderstaande column geschreven over de weg van Karate naar de Olympische Spelen. Dhr Konno treedt soms op als adviseur van de KBN en is geregeld te vinden bij evenementen en KBN vergaderingen!
Of Karate nu wel of niet Olympisch, of zelfs ‘sport’ zou moeten zijn, is al decennia een wat controversieel onderwerp. Feit is dat wereldwijd het overgrote deel van karateka’s veel interesse in Sport-Karate hebben en daar ook heel veel trainingstijd in stoppen. En dat een Olympisch pad heel duidelijk helpt om karate nadrukkelijker op de kaart te zetten. Dat is goed voor iedereen die Karate do beoefent. Dank Konno sensei voor deze bijdrage!
Towards “Karate to Olympic again!”
by N. Konno
“The only impossible journey is one you never begin” (Tony Robbins)
Karate was introduced by the first Karate demonstration which was held in Tokyo in May 1922 and this demonstration was done by Sensei Gichin Funakoshi. Therefore, we can say that he was the founder of modern Karate-Do. Mr. Fuakoshi was invited to do this by Mr. Jigoro Kano (Founder of modern Judo) together with the Japanese Ministry of Education and Culture. The first Karate demonstration by Mr. Funakoshi was very successful and then he started to teach Karate in Tokyo. As the result, many universities were starting to establish their own Karate Clubs in Tokyo. This was the first step of the Karate-Do history in Japan.
Mr. Anton Geesink (1934-2010: IOC member, Tokyo Olympic 1964 Judo Gold medallist) started to do Judo because he saw a Judo demonstration during the half time of a Football match. And I think many people who are now involved in Karate started Karate like that. Indeed, “Seeing is believing!”.
Foundation International Karate Dojo together with KBN (under the leadership of former KBN Voorzitter Mr. Adré B. Sukel) could make a wonderful Karate demonstration in 1993 together with many KBN Dojos in front of several IOC members including NL Prince Willem Alexander who became an IOC member during the Nagano Winter Olympics Games in 1998. This demonstration was done by 400 KBN members during the opening ceremony of EYOD (European Youth Olympic Days) at Valkenswaard in 1993 (attached) and this Karate demonstration was also broadcasted at the NOS TV journal.
Since 1990s the Japanese society in the Netherlands started to introduce Japanese culture in the Netherlands together with the Japan Embassy and JCC (Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Netherlands). Since that time the Japan Festival in Amstelveen is growing every year. The yearly KLM Karate Club demonstration there can be one of the examples (see below). It would be very nice if many KBN Dojos could continue to make their own Karate demonstrations especially for non-Karate people. Showing the attractive Karate demonstrations and introducing spectacular Karate Championships may assist one day towards “Karate to Olympic again!”.
