World star of Karate is coming to Tuva

Tomorrow, a world star of karate, technical inspector of the World Karate do Federation, master of the 8^th Dan, president of karate organization "Marioshikai" in Sapporo, Toshiatsu Sasaki, is coming to Tuva. The karate legend will hold workshops for young sportsmen at the 5-Years of Soviet Tuva Stadium. "This visit has an immense educational significance for our children, - states the Tuvan Ministry of sports. - The entire sports career of our guest shows that beside learning various technical moves, it is the power of spirit, the will, that is important. It is a whole philosophy. And Sasaki-san has it to perfection. Possibly that is why at the age of 60 he is still fantastically supple, with incredible explosive power and accuracy of strike."

The master himself is terse when speaking with the journalists. But he always answers questions about the art to which he devoted his life in detail. These are two of the most frequently asked questions.

What is the essence of karate, in your opinion?

- Karate is not kata or kumite. Karate is what, first and foremost, brings a person up - it forms his mind, spirit and body. In Japan, there is an expression "to have a karate education". It means to absorb an entire complex of spiritual and ethical principles. Only when one accepts them will one become a karateka.

- At what age is it possible to get involved in karate?

- I am against kids 5-6 years old learning karate. It is better to devote those years to general development. After all - karate is a martial art, the aim of which is to kill with one strike, so to say. It is not possible to teach children just the physical aspects of martial arts. It is necessary for peole to be already sufficiently spiritually mature before they start. I think that they should start maybe at 13 - 14, with appropriate preparation. After all, karate is first of all a certain philosophical and ethical system, which pre-supposes that those involved in it will absorb it in depth, not just the external aspects - an ability to inflict a dangerous strike. Karate demands immense inner concentration, which is expressed not just in the ability to concentrate on a martial move, but before anything else on the ethical aspects of this or that action. It is very important.