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This article was interviewed by GEKKAN - KARATE DO
2000 August Vol. 345 JAPAN
Edited & translated by SSU-USA
To be a karate-ka (instructor, practitioner) whose philosophy reflects on one's karate
"Being a karate instructor, one has to have one's own philosophy. This is how I want to be and this is my goal." said Mr. Haruyoshi Yamada ( The Director of Shukokai Gishin-kan, Shito-ryu Shukokai Karate-do Union World Chief Instructor 9th Dan) Even in his mid 60s, he said he is still training among his students. We had the good fortune to have the opportunity to talk with Mr. Yamada.
As I learned the basics, here I am . 
"If I had been taught Judo from the basics when I was a high school student, I would have been training in Judo today. As time has gone by, I have come to feel very strongly how important the basics can be," said Mr. Yamada, the director of Shukokai Gishinkan in Amagasaki. Mr. Yamada entered a Judo club when he was a high school student. However, by a quirk of fate, he had a chance to learn karate from a friend of his who had been training in karate. "I was a member of the Judo club in my high school, however, in those days, there were no instructors and managers in the club, only Senpai (senior students) who taught us. None of us were able to get the proper training in basics at all. One day I went to a bookstore to find some Judo books, but by chance I found a karate book instead, I became interested in karate. However, there were no karate dojos in my neighborhood at that time. While some of my friends and I were thinking about opening a 'private karate club,' we met a person who had been training in Gojyu-ryu karate at college, we had a chance to learn karate from him. Although he only taught us a kata called 'San-chin,' basic punches and uke (basic defenses), consequently, karate was the only one I had learned from the basics.
Without these experiences, I would not have been where I am now. I must be thankful for this."
In those days, Mr. Yamada's Judo club had the principle, "Strength is one of techniques and so is kiai (a spirit shout), do not step back." - and yet the students had never been taught the proper basics in their trainings. Regardless of this, Mr. Yamada earned his 4th Dan (Black belt) of Judo, and this led him to become a bonesetter, which he is at the present. Mr. Yamada said, " I regard 'a thousand punches and kicks drill' as one of the basics trainings to learn how to be relaxed during the course. Especially in Shotokan style of karate, they excute punches and kicks with lower stance. That makes me think this will bring their basics into effect in the long term. The karate masters with whom I've ever conversed, whatever their styles are, would say the same thing without exception, "the basic is important and so is form." This mentioned basic does not mean 'Uchi komi' about that there are many people who misunderstand this point." My Sensei - Mr. Chojiro Tani 
When Mr. Yamada was 18, he and his family moved to Kobe. Shortly after, he knocked at the door of the headquarters of Tani-ha Shito-ryu Shukokai, he met Tani sensei there for the first time. Mr. Yamada started to train under Tani sensei on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and train Judo on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays while attending the technical college to become a bonesetter of Judo.
Looking back on those days, Mr. Yamada said "I learned so many things from Tani sensei besides karate. Tani sensei used to say, 'there are three chances waiting to unfold in one's life. If one would catch even one out of three, then one would be a winner, that is what our daily training is there for.' Tani sensei often said this to me and this was what I learned from Tani sensei most."
In 1965, Mr. Yamada founded The Karate-Do Association of Amagasaki City. However, as the association grew, this name became a little awkward for the students who belong to a club, which had one of cities and town's name in local district, and yet they resided out of Amagasaki City. In 1971, Mr. Yamada changed the name to "Gishinkan". The name of Gishinkan comes from the words, "Gi (justice) makes mind and Shin (mind) makes personality." "It definitely doesn't come after my name, I am not that great (laugh)," said Mr. Yamada *[His first name 'yoshi' is another pronunciation of Gi] "Tani sensei is my only sensei," said Mr. Yamada. "Tani sensei was the one who was always seeking his original style of karate. In his later life, he even tried to stay away under the name of Shito-ryu, he practiced simply Tani-ha (Tani style of karate) karate-do. Tani sensei also sought a karate-do in an artist aspect, experimented innovative katas with Noh mask (a mask worn in traditional Japanese dance) which is accompany by music. On the other hand, since he deeply devoted himself to his originality, he showed little interest in Japan Karate-Do Federation (JKF) which started promote competitions and which was going to be a major influence on the growth of karate. Mr. Yamada, however, had a different idea from Tani sense in this matter. Mr. Yamada believed that JKF would be criteria for the future of karate-do, so he instructed all his students to take their dan degrees by JKF recognition, just in the final year when all dan grades by other associations were able to shift to JKF. "I was positive even I would be dismissed by the association for doing this, I believed if I did otherwise there would be no future in karate-do," said Mr. Yamada, who took a leadership role to persuade the members of the association to take their dan grades by JKF recognitions. In 1998, after the death of Tani sensei, Mr. Yamada was elected as the new chairman of the association as recommended by the committee. His steady efforts and his ability to see the future finally bore fruit. When Mr. Yamada succeeded the former Shukokai legally and reconstructed the association, he changed its name into Shito-ryu Shukokai Karate-Do Union. Mr. Yamada said, "I think one's own style would be only develop during one's lifetime. Techniques passed on to one's students may not be the same as their master had instructed, as style is totally dependent on or reflected upon the student's characters, physical abilities and philosopies. One can only do one's own version of karate." To show respect for each Hanshi colleague and all of the students who had the same aim in former Shukokai, he named the association "Union," and he even put his own style of karate-do "Yamada-ha Shito-ryu Shukokai" under the Union. Mr. Yamada's principles have attracted so many people in sports clubs under the social organizations and also overseas branches that had been carefully observing what the new organization would be like. As a result of their careful study, they have offered a contract to Mr. Yamada one after another. This was the result of Mr. Yamada's fairness, which appealed to the European society.
The more trends, the less privileges
Since JKF started in 1964, karate has spread out all over the world very quickly. However, all was not well for opening the door to the world. This brought both positive and nagative sides, like a double-edged knife, to the traditional karate-do. Behind this thriving conglomeration, there was a fact that karate became very competitive. Mr. Yamada said, "Karate has become popular because people have been involved in competitions. Simultaneously, this has popularized karate but has made people forget the fundamental basics. I have sometimes heard that the French and English have said that there is nothing to learn from Japan regarding to kumite fighting, which I totally disagree with. Whether you think about karate as a sport or a real sense of budo, you should think that both are important; however, this is a fact - there are not many people who regard karate as a budo nowadays, when the idea of karate as a sport is major and most people think that is all there is to karate."
The idea that karate as budo is on the verge of becoming obsolete, "Nevertheless," Mr. Yamada continues, "if karate rules are ever changed into more competition-oriented as is the movement leb by European guidance desires and if that would allow karate to become one of the Olympic games as a result, I would like to send my students to the competitions if they want to compete. I think it is rather good idea, especially for younger students, to experience karate as a sport. When this time come in the future and how our generation would adopt it and fit into a new karate would be a big question for us.
When a player retired, such as in boxing for instance, one could be a trainer but would never be trained like one used to. However, a practitioner for karate as a budo would not only be an instructor but also one would be able to continue to train for one's mind and body. On the contrary, if one neglects to do so, the true meanings of budo would be lost. Decentralized authority and karate-ka who has a philosophy
Decentralization of its authoritarian is one of main characteristics of Shukokai Gishinkan, for those which Mr. Yamada respects and values as individuals. This principle is also prevailing among the overseas branches, especially in European countries; those activities are headquartered locally. For instance, the members of the committee have made their own constitution that follows international rules, and they have been building a new structure on their own. Mr. Yamada said "The students overseas treat me with respect. However, so long as it is their own association, they are trying to organize various events within their responsibilities. I am a willy-nilly person (laugh), so my students have to be efficient. I am fortunate to have those reliable students, though, at the same time I feel that the Japan Union has to learn from the other branches in this respect."
Through various experiences, Mr. Yamada said in final retrospect, "I feel a karate instructor has to be a philosopher. Accomplishing the development of one's own philosophy makes a crude man into a mature one. Tani sensei had his own philosophy. I have not called myself as "Soke" yet, as I believe one's philosophy has got to reflect on one's karate to be worth called "Soke." I only wish to be like that if I could.
There is a saying , which means that one should not act simply with a knowledge, rather understand things completely until it becomes one's own idea. In reality, there are not many people who can be like that. Having said that, it also refers to myself, I hope I don't sound like and I-Know-Everything man (laugh)."
Human beings are not perfect, of course, only with steady training would it be possible to achieve one's goal of becoming a karate-ka with one's own well-developed philosophy, and that is the essence of karate-do as a budo. We hope that Mr. Yamada's vision will enlighten today's students and be reflected in the future study in karate-do.
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