November 19, 2008
Karate Karate Karate
L to R: David, Richard, Oliva Sensei, Lawrence, and Wessel.
On November 9, the really famous karate coach Antonio Oliva Seba Sensei held two kumite (fighting) seminars somewhere in Saitama, the prefecture north Tokyo. There was a morning session for kids and an afternoon session for adults. Richard organized it and Dave and I had a chance to go to both of them.
Some athletes from the Hungarian team and a really good fighter from Latvia (who got second place in the junior world championships and is the same age as Dave and me) helped Oliva Sensei to explain his teachings.
They are here in Japan because the week after the seminar the world championships were held.
We trained all day long with short breaks in between and I really learned a lot. Not any new awesome kick techniques or anything, but more about karate, myself and the things you should keep an eye out for while sparring.
-Wes