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[senshido]

Okay good people, I have asked Kyofighter to be the next interviewee (is that a real word) and he has kindly agreed.
So dont be shy and start asking questions..................
I will start the ball rolling;

Kyofighter, thanks for agreeing to this.
Can you tell us how long you have been training in Kyokushin and do you, or have you in the past practised any other styles or arts?

What memory stands out from all your training?

What are your goals for the future?

[vapor]

I will add a couple questions....

We have seen your new dojo set-up, (which looks great btw!).

Can you walk us through the process of how you went from the idea of setting up the dojo, to actually having it done? What was the hardest thing? What was the no-brainer?

How has your time in the US influenced what you teach/don't teach, now that you are in Europe?

vapor

[sandman]

... and what had brought you to the U.S. to begin with?

... and how did you get so damn flexible? (referring to pictures you posted quite a while back)

[kyofighter]

Kyofighter, thanks for agreeing to this.
Can you tell us how long you have been training in Kyokushin and do you, or have you in the past practised any other styles or arts?

Osu everyone,
First of all thank you guys for the interview request, I feel honored and weird a little .

- I have been training in Kyokushin since 1986 , that makes it 23 years. Before that I trained two more years in judo, shotokan and some little taekwondo. Here I need to add that those years in Romania, under the communist regime , karate or any martial arts, except judo , was illegal to practice. We used to go in the forest and get together like 10-15 kids and practice under the guidence of some foreign college students who had some shotokan knowlege. So , no belts, no dojo, no books, videos - nothing just a bunch of kids in the forest dreaming to become great martial artist.

What memory stands out from all your training?

- Hm...I have lot's of pretty good memories, kinda hard to select only a few. Once at a summer camp, i think it was when I tested for 6 kyu maybe in 1992- those years in Romania you had to fight 10 rounds for 6 kyu - I remember that around round 5 maybe a huge older guy broke my ribs with a shita tsuki. The problem it wasn't the pain, I was always good at supporting it, it was more the realization that this is real and I'm only testing for yellow belt, so how it's going to be from now on ? I was having real second thoughts about continuing kyokushin or not . But I didn't stop and I finished the test well.

What are your goals for the future?

- My goal for the future is to keep training and teaching karate and kickboxing , hopefully all my life. To have a full time dojo and help lots of kids and adults to get better, stronger and healtier.

[kanku]

Osu kyofighter!

How has your career gone so far with regard to honours and even your students honours...please remember i asked, you will not be seen as "big headed"

Most of us realise it is sheer hard work that gets you to your stage in karate what tips would you give to any body coming up through the ranks?

what countries have you trained in and who would you say have been your favourite instructors?

have you ever had your pictures published in magazines?

....sorry, so many questions i want to ask, i`ll but out for now!!

[kyofighter]

Can you walk us through the process of how you went from the idea of setting up the dojo, to actually having it done? What was the hardest thing? What was the no-brainer?

- I had 5 dojos in 19 years of teaching. After I finished school and I moved back home, I was only a blue belt, I opened my first dojo in 1990 at age 18 - it was from necesity because we didn't have any martial arts going on in the city, so if I wanted to continue I knew I had to do something.
Setting up a dojo it's not the problem , more finding the right place it's a challenge. Once you have the place the rest will fall in place -setting up the shinden area it's allways a first for me. After that every day you can add something to the place, like photos , posters , etc.
But more important are the students and the training, the place will gain spirit from us and this is what makes it special, what makes it a dojo.
- A no-brainer for me it is perhaps teaching - it comes pretty natural.

How has your time in the US influenced what you teach/don't teach, now that you are in Europe?

- The 7 years spent in US made me realize that times are changing and one needs to addapt and make some compromises to be able to have a dojo with many students. These days you can't teach kyokushin like 20-25 years ago, a different aproach is needed. I'm not sure if I know the best way but it looks like the dojo is growing and that's a good sign.

... and what had brought you to the U.S. to begin with?

- Moving to US it was just a spontanious thing. In 2001 I went to the IKO1 All American Open in NY with the romanian team and I decided to stay some more. I knew someone in Denver , so I went there and it became a 7 year stay.

... and how did you get so damn flexible? (referring to pictures you posted quite a while back)

- haha, you will laugh but after seeing Bloodsport we went back to the forest and setup a similar ( less extrem ) rope thing and we streched like Van Damme. I'm not joking.
Plus I realized from the beginning that my legs are more powerfull and I have some control/technique so I took advantage and stretched a lot, I was about 15 when I started getting really flexible.
Once the sempai who was teaching us in the forest took a dry wood and made me break it, it was pretty easy - then he went and cut a green branch and asked me to break that one too. It was verry hard to break it, so I knew right away what was the lesson about.
Now all I want to stay flexible for a long-long time .

How has your career gone so far with regard to honours and even your students honours...please remember i asked, you will not be seen as "big headed"

Most of us realise it is sheer hard work that gets you to your stage in karate what tips would you give to any body coming up through the ranks?

what countries have you trained in and who would you say have been your favourite instructors?

have you ever had your pictures published in magazines?

- I haven't really thought about my career as a martial artist. I was more interested in learning and helping others. Maybe this is why I never had any position with the organizations I was affiliated with.
When I started kyokushin just to go and take the 10 kyu test was a big achievement - we had to travel half country and go to some national seminar with foreign sensei or shihan for every kyu test because there were no dojos with black belts to examine us , so I tested all my kyus with different sensei/shihan at national summer camps or seminars. I doubt that today's kids would do that, travel 500-800 km for let's say 8 kyu test.
I competed in knock-down tournaments for 10 years, from 1990 to 2001 - I was most of the times on podium ( 1st, 2nd and 3rd ) and I fought as light weight, middle weight and even light-heavy weight once. I was in the Romanian National Team for 3 years and I went once to the European Tournament in Hungary and to the All American Open in US.
- I attended seminars with : Shihan Kenji Yamaki, Sensei Nicholas Pettas, Kancho Matsui, Kancho Joko Ninomiya, Hanshi Steve Arneil.
My all time favorite instructor is Hanshi Steve Arneil - it's hard to give all the reasons why - you need to meet the man and see his eyes to understand it. To he represents what a karate man can be at age 75.
- I tested for shodan in 1996 with Kancho Matsui, for nidan in 2001 again with Kancho Matsui - in 2007 I tested for sandan with Hanshi Steve Arneil.
I trained Enshin Karate at Hombu Dojo in Denver with Kancho Ninomyia for about 8 months ( 3 months at 6 am with the uchi deshi team ).
- I was on tv, it was about the national team - we used to have a martial arts tv show every saturday - many times they showed kyokushin tournaments and reports from seminars and such. Sometimes my friends and family would tell me that they saw me on tv or some local newspaper.

- About giving advice for those who are at the beginning :
Set your goals in steps and follow them even if you feel sometime verry far from them.
Believe in your instructor and karate.
Put your gi on and go in the forest or mountain alone -try 1000 oi tsuki, or 1000 mawashi geri - just you and the technique - look into your hearth and find the joy in what you are doing - be honest to yourself and others.
You will realise that is harder then kicking someone in the face.

[kanku]

Osu!! thank you.

What differences do you see in the training between now and 25 years ago, do you think it was harder then?

and do you consider the "old" way better, or do you think kyokushin has evolved into something better?

[kyofighter]

What differences do you see in the training between now and 25 years ago, do you think it was harder then?

and do you consider the "old" way better, or do you think kyokushin has evolved into something better?

- The main difference in my view it is how kyokushin was thought and not necessary the training itself. We followed the instructions without questioning or doubt it. If we made mistakes we were punished with pushups or even hit by the instructor. The training was harder maybe because we didn't have a modern aproach to the training methods and the lack of protective equipment made it harder also. I think the first 10 years of my practice I didn't even had shinguards or gloves at all.
- I trully believe that kyokushin evolved in something better and today's training methods are better and more effective due to the influence from other sports. I love traditional training also, but we need to realize that some aspects of training borrowed from different others sports can really develop the student further and faster. When we trained with the national team we used to go and stay at the Olympic Center with others ( runners, wrestlers, gymnast ) and we kinda watched them and borrowed something from all of them. Like : how runners warmup, how many laps they run , how much intensity, how fast you need to be , stuff like this. From wrestlers: we used to watch all those upper body strenght exercises. So I definetly think it helps if you open your horizons and try more things .

[kanku]

Osu+ thanks again...i just find this sort of thing so interesting.

[BigAl]

I'm enjoying this thread, wish I could think of some questions of my own though.

[MilkManX]

Kyofighter,

What kind of personal training do you do ?

Any particular drills (kihon,kata,combos,stretching) that you feel have helped your training?

Thanks!

[kyofighter]

Originally Posted by MilkManX

Kyofighter,

What kind of personal training do you do ?

Any particular drills (kihon,kata,combos,stretching) that you feel have helped your training?

Thanks!

- It would take to long to make a list of all the drills and exercises I like, but I think the most important thing for me is the consistent training . When you set a goal, like let's say achieving a belt or going to compete, you need to train hard for it, every day if possible. To often we see students who are capable but they don't train enough, some of them only train regulary just one month before the testing or tournament. I think that's not enough if you want to practice martial arts for long time.
I'm not trying to be the wise man here but no special drills will make you good if you dont invest enough time and effort in your training. Twice a week it won't cut it - not if you want to really learn kyokushin .
- In my case, because I was a dojo leader from the beginning, I had to open my eyes and see what others were doing ( no internet those days ) and try to do it even better.
It helps to always compare yourself to others : how strong, how fast, how technical you are compared to them - and if you can't beat them, join them - find out how they did it and learn the way to get better then them. That's what I did and it still works for me even today.
For example to be able to win first place at the national championship you need to be verry strong and have great spirit : when I started to compete I made sure that I know who are the top fighters and how they train. Then I started to visit their dojos and train and spar with them. Of course I couldn't keep the rhytm, but I went home and made a training regime based on what they were doing and even added some extra exercises, just to make sure I'm doing more. The results showed, after 1-2 years of consistent training I became champion myself too.
- I don't like to give away workouts on the internet - I don't know you, how should I know what works for you. In full contact karate we mesure our skills based on how efficient you are, everything you do it has to be focused on that. Your steps need to place you at the right distance to your opponent, your strikes must be efficient and create damage or knock out , your blocks must save and protect you -your body and mind needs to be strong and support you in difficult situation - you need to watch all this aspects , not just one of them - then maybe you can win, maybe.
Like Sosai used to say : Setting up goals and following them every day it's what every karateka must do ! Once you know your goals , don't rest until you achieve them !
Osu !

[senshido]

i am very much enjoying this interview

Osu

[jcc]

Osu! kyofighter,

A lot of really good advice and experience there! Travelling 500-800km for a kyu grading, amazing. I´m glad to see that your dedication and effort has born it´s fruits with the new dojo. Good luck!

Osu!

[SashaS]

I know this interview is "old" but I have a follow-up question, if Kyofighter could answer.

Originally Posted by kyofighter

Setting up a dojo it's not the problem , more finding the right place it's a challenge. Once you have the place the rest will fall in place...

What is "the right place" for you? what did/do you mean by that?

[Shokei Marcsui]

I too have a follow up question if you are available Kyofighter. (I will also PM this to you)

- I had 5 dojos in 19 years of teaching. After I finished school and I moved back home, I was only a blue belt, I opened my first dojo in 1990 at age 18 - it was from necesity because we didn't have any martial arts going on in the city, so if I wanted to continue I knew I had to do something.

What sort of troubles (if any) did you encounter being so young and a blue belt when opening your first Kyokushin dojo?

[ashiharakaicho]

Osu,

Thank you to Senshido for taking the jump - great stuff and to all the others for asking questions ...

Keep them rolling.

[kakatootoshi]

Originally Posted by SashaS

I know this interview is "old" but I have a follow-up question, if Kyofighter could answer.



What is "the right place" for you? what did/do you mean by that?

Originally Posted by Shokei Marcsui

I too have a follow up question if you are available Kyofighter. (I will also PM this to you)

He last visited this site more than two months ago. Perhaps you can try to contact him via his Dojo.

[Shokei Marcsui]

Thank you Kakasan.

I have contacted Kyofighter. The K4L community is so helpful.

Osu!

[SashaS]

Originally Posted by Shokei Marcsui

Thank you Kakasan.

I have contacted Kyofighter. The K4L community is so helpful.

Osu!

Is Kyofighter going to come back here? or should I contact him directly somehow?