Renowned Japanese karate trainers Kiyohiko Tosa, left, and Hideto Tsuchiya, right, give a karate demonstration at the residence of Japanese Consul General Jun Yoshida on Sunday. — SG photo by Roberta Fedele Roberta Fedele Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — Sent for a 23-day tour of four Saudi cities under the cultural exchange program of the Japan Foundation, expert karate trainers Hideto Tsuchiya and Kiyohiko Tosa gave a public karate and breaking boards demonstration last Sunday at the residence of Japanese Consul General Jun Yoshida. “The Japan Foundation supports different programs to promote Japanese culture, arts, sports and technology every year. In this specific case, the foundation's aim is to cultivate an appreciation for the spirit and techniques of karate, a traditional martial art that Japan can proudly present to the world,” Yoshida said. “Tonight all of you will grab the unique chance to observe the essence of karate, or the soul of chivalry, from these superb karate trainers,” he added. The two trainers arrived in Riyadh on Dec. 6 and are currently in Jeddah to continue their tour of Saudi Karate Federation branches and share their expertise with senior Saudi players and trainees. Between Dec. 19 and 24, Tsuchiya and Tosa will travel separately to offer their technical guidance in Abha and Tabuk. Tsuchiya, who spent three months in the Kingdom in 2010 under the umbrella of the Japanese Foundation, opened the demonstration with a solo performance followed by a fight and slow-motion demo with Tosa to help the public understand and memorize various karate techniques. “The philosophy behind karate is mainly defensive. This martial art's objective is just to enable an individual to defend himself in case of attack. At a deeper level, karate, like any other kind of martial art, can help develop self-confidence if taken seriously,” Tsuchiya said. “It takes a minimum of 10 years to master the technique.” Tosa concluded the demonstration with a breaking boards performance involving around seven members of the public. They held the wooden boards in different positions while Tosa broke them in mere seconds with astonishing simplicity. Both karate experts have participated in many tournaments and championships inside and outside Japan. They have also been educating and training young karate players all over the world. Tsuchiya is a 3rd Dan Karate coach authorized by the Japan Karatedo Federation. As club manager of Tsuchiya Hideto Karate-do Classroom TK-CLUB, he has been practicing karate for 27 years. He won the 5th and 6th edition of the Asian Karatedo Championships in 2001 and 2004. Tosa, meanwhile, is a 5th Dan Karate coach authorized by the Japan Karatedo Federation and a full-time instructor of Genseiryu Karate-do International Federation Butoku-kai. He has been practicing karate for 30 years, and has extensive experience in coaching both in Japan and overseas. He also has an outstanding career as a player, having won the 3rd place in the plus 80-kg category at the 4th Asian Karatedo Championships in 2004.
