32 years old. Trained Shotokan Karate for Jumrukovski sensei at age of 13 to 14 and once again at age 18 to 19. Took up karate once again at age of 31, this time as well Shotokan karate but in Finland since I have been living here since December 19 2001. Hämäläinen Sensei became my new sensei and first now do I realize how lucky I have been with the two sensei’s I have had and still have.
Due to my hip injury I am not allowed to train karate for two and a half month which have given me the time to strengthen my body otherwise and also read up on some badly needed karate history. Jumrukovski sensei sended me a book written by his sensei Andersson Roy Sensei, called: “Shotokan Karate – Mitt ideal”. I am an emotional person even though I might have a face that scares people into thinking that I am a violent person. I honestly shed tears when I read the book and realized the roots that Jumrukovski sensei had in his karate and why he putted so much importance on Kime and on living into the kata you did. Reading history of Andersson sensei and the history of Shotokan Karate is only helping me to feel more annoyed over my hip injury, wanting me to get better faster so I can go back training my Shotokan. Teki shodan and Basai Dai will be two katas I will force into my bones with repetition after repetition before August and before I am allowed to go back to proper karate training. I have been having my own doubts about how far I can push my karate since I already am 32 years old, but Andersson sensei was 31 when he took up his Karate and alike him I have been training earlier and am in good shape, so if he could I can!
To top it off, knowing that Hämäläinen sensei is affiliated now a days with Funakoshi Kenneth makes me just wanna weep of joy. Not only that, Hämäläinen sensei even wants to see the old style “I’m gonna punch through the wall with you in front of me PUNK” feeling in his training. that type of feeling, and Spirit as he calls it, is what I know only off when it comes to karate. There is no other way to train, either you train martial arts or you train martial sports, and I for sure aint training any sport!
Being 1 Kyu since half a year back means I will give myself about 2 to 3 more years before I even think of trying out for 1st Dan. In that period of time I will grind the Katas like no one else, whenever I can and wherever there is smallest amount of space enough to do kata. I will not disappoint the heritage Jumrukovski sensi and Hämäläinen sensei have and are still teaching me. I so want to go back to proper training again!!!
