This is Sensei
Sensei Masahiro Takao - Astoria Oyama Karate from Jesse Cowell on Vimeo.
In my high school days, hard hit by the influence of Ikki Kajiwara's original manga, "Karate Baka Ichidai", I trained in the various styles of Karate, including the Kyokushin Kaikan.
The above conversation was in an interview before going to college and they were words of gratitude from my homeroom teacher, Mr. Ogawa.
In 1986, in an opportunity to meet Saiko Shihan (At the time) Shigeru Oyama International Master InstructorI volunteered to be his apprentice.
『Sir! Please make me your uchi-deshi(apprentice) in America !』
"Hmm･･･, so, can you cook ?"
In 1988, my life as an apprentice at Master Shigeru Oyama's main dojo in New York began.
This is the start of my professional karate training.
You probably aren't used to hearing the word "uchi-deshi"but from morning to night it's not only karate training.
It begins with cooking, cleaning, laundry and you do every kind of odd job there is.
"I want to become stronger!"
In order to do that, the answer that came out was, "Become an uchi-deshi"
I grit my teeth and endured the hellish special training that the master gave me.
I continued to appear in karate tournaments and received the middleweight all-American title.
I noticed that, like some other person, I had my own power, stamina and will.
And at the same time that I was training for myself, every day and night I took part in karate coaching as the literal hands and feet of Master Shigeru Oyama.
Businessmen coming home from work, students, actors, firemen, officers, messengers, waitresses, company presidents, record shop managers,lawyer, restaurant owners, artists, construction workers, musicians, beauticians, surgeons, optometrists, etc･･･''
At the time, surpassing the variety of nationalities and races, people of every type of profession came to train at the main dojo.
"A Karate Dojo is not only a place to teach the essence of Karate techniques."
It is a place where, one by one, the teachers and students, beyond race, age, or language barrier, and through training, sweat, laugh, and sometimes in tears･･･
･･･It's a place where we face each other as humans and grow together.
This is what is taught as the renewed expression of the dojo.
I had come to around 10 years in training as an uchi-deshi but unknowingly, teaching karate to people wasn't done as a business, it became my way of living with joy.
Now, I've established my own Karate business and to this day my feelings haven't changed.
In 1998 I coached at the main dojo and setup a dojo in the Bronx.
In 2005 the current Dojo in Astoria, Queens came out.
Through Astoria Oyama Karate you can discipline yourself.
It's a place that pursues "character forming karate."
This is not just a pursuit for the essence of strength; it's one with the goal of living a meaningful and deep life.
How about it?
Won't you give Karate a try?
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