日の経つのは早いもので２０１６年に入ってひと月が経ちます。四季の美しい日本では冬本番。寒さが一段と厳しくなっていますが、世界中の皆さんはいかがお過ごしですか。１月１０日には毎年恒例の鏡開き稽古を大山総裁が眠る護国寺で行いました。
この鏡開きを護国寺で行うようになって１１回目となりますが、毎回晴天に恵まれ、まるで天から総裁が優しく微笑みかけてくれているようです。今回は２５０名を超える参加者とともに、本堂での初護摩祈祷に墓前稽古、そして奉納演武を行いました。本堂で焚かれる護摩の炎に新極真会のエネルギーを重ね、墓前で繰り出す全力の突きや蹴りで心身を無にしました。最後には大山総裁の墓標に静かに合掌して今年一年の飛躍を誓ってまいりました。今年も一日一日、一瞬一瞬を全力でがんばります。
新極真会は１月に９２カ国の加盟を実現しました。フルコンタクト空手が世界に支持され、新極真会という組織に魅力を感じていただいた成果であると心から嬉しく感じています。いよいよ目標に掲げる１００カ国まであと少しとなりました。いつも申しますが、新極真会は私たち全員で作り上げる組織です。仲間を大切にし、考えを尊重する。喜びや悲しみを分かち合える友情で結ばれた世界に一つだけの武道団体であると自負しています。この素晴らしい新極真会をもっともっと世界中に広げていきましょう。
いい組織には、いい仲間が集うものです。逆に言えば、いい仲間がいなければいい組織はできない。また、いい仲間を作るには、いい個人でいなければいけない。私たち新極真会の更なる成長の鍵は、自分自身が空手修行を欠かすことなく、誠実で信頼を受けられるように心を広く持った空手家であらねばならないと考えます。着眼大局、着手小局といいますが、今一度私たちはしっかりと足下を見つめ直し、つまずくことのないように深遠なる空手の道を共に歩んでいきましょう。
最後になりますが、フルコンタクト空手のオリンピック競技化に向けた歩みは止まっていません。２０２０東京オリンピックの追加競技として候補に挙がる空手には、残念ながらフルコンタクト種目は含まれていません。ノンコンタクトとフルコンタクトが絶対的に異なる種目であることは世界共通の認識であり、世界にこの二つの競技分野が存在することも紛れもない事実です。私たちは、ＩＯＣ承認の空手競技にフルコンタクトが認められていない現実と向き合い、世界で不動のフルコンタクト空手の国際連盟を一日も早く創設し、フルコンタクト空手の存在を国際スポーツ界に示していかなければなりません。そうした過程では、現在新極真会日本地区が加盟しているＪＦＫＯが世界の幹事役として、国際連盟創設に向けた活動に邁進しています。この国際連盟の創設には、新極真会加盟の９２カ国が本気でフルコンタクト空手の各国連盟を設立させるように尽力しなければなりません。ＪＦＫＯでは、今年２０１６年をＮＦ（各国連盟）元年として、ＩＦ（国際）創設の礎を固める一年とする方針を打ち出しました。こうした方針に呼応するように、ＷＫＯ加盟の各国でもＮＦ設立のご協力をお願いいたします。
国際組織の創設においても、慌てず焦らず、各国連盟の創設を基に夢の実現に向けて皆で前に進んで参りましょう。組織レベルでも着眼大局、着手小局を実践する一年にしたいと考えますので、引き続き皆さまのご理解とご協力をお願い致します。押忍
新極真会代表
緑健児
Dear Branch Chiefs and Contacts,
Time flies very fast, and 1 month has already passed in 2016. In Japan, where we have 4 beautiful seasons, we are feeling the winter climate, which seems to get colder by the day. I hope you are doing well in your country/region.
We held the annual Kagami Biraki training at Gokokuji Temple, where Sosai Oyama rests in peace, on January 10. As it has been the past 11 times for this event, we were blessed with great weather, and the warm sunlight felt like a kind smile from Sosai in heaven. Over 250 members attended the event this year, and after the Goma fire ritual, we held the special training/demonstrations. I felt the energy of Shinkyokushinkai in the Goma fire, and with a clear mind, we carried out our training in full strength. In closing, we made silent prayers to Sosai Oyama, and promised further development for this year. I promise to do my best for each moment of each day for this year as well.
In January, we welcomed our 92nd affiliated country. This is a great development, for it shows the worldwide support for Full Contact Karate, and it is a result of everyone’s interest in WKO as an organization. Little by little, we are coming closer to our goal of 100 affiliated countries. Although I have mentioned this repeatedly, WKO is an organization we develop with our own hands. We treat our friends nicely, and respect each other’s viewpoints. I am confident and proud that WKO is the one and only organization in the world, where members, connected with a deep friendship, can share each other’s happiness and sadness. Let us work together to further develop and spread WKO throughout the world.
Good people tend to gather in good organizations. In other words, it is difficult to develop a good organization without good people, and in order to build good friendships, one needs to be a good person. I believe the key for the further development of WKO, lies in our continuous Karate training, and the need for us to be Karateka with an open, pure, and reliable heart. As with the saying “think globally, act locally”, we need to focus again on where we stand, keep our sights on our deep and long Karate path, and continue to walk together in unity.
Lastly, the steps toward the inclusion of Full Contact Karate in the Olympic Games, is still an ongoing process. Full Contact Karate is unfortunately not included in the “Karate” that is a candidate to be an additional category at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. There is a common understanding in the world that Non Contact and Full Contact are completely different events, and it is also very clear that these two different competitions exist in the world. We need to accept the current situation where Full Contact is not included within the Karate competition recognized by the IOC, to waste no time in the firm establishment of the international federation (IF) for Full Contact Karate, and widely demonstrate the existence of Full Contact Karate to the international sports community. In such process, the JFKO (Japan Fullcontact Karate Organization), where the WKO Japan Region is affiliated to, plays the leading role in the world to promote the founding of the IF. For the founding of this IF, the 92 affiliated countries of WKO must do their best to establish national federations (NF) for Full Contact Karate in their country. JFKO has chosen this year, 2016, as the first year of the NF era, so that we can build a strong foundation worldwide for the eventual founding of the IF. In response to such movement and policy, I kindly ask for the cooperation of WKO member countries, and their further effort in the establishment of national federations worldwide.
Let us stay calm, and with the establishment of national federations as a strong foundation, move forward together to realize our dream to establish the IF. I wish to make this a year in which organizational matters are also executed in a “think globally, act locally” manner, and I kindly ask for your continuous understanding and support.
OSU
Kenji Midori
WKO President