平素は新極真会の発展にご尽力を賜り心から感謝を申し上げます。昨年は新極真会にとって極真誕生50年、大山総裁没後20年という大きな節目の年でした。今年はそれぞれ51年、そして21年と、次の節目に向けて希望に満ちた力強い一歩を踏み出して参りましょう。
1月11日には、大山倍達総裁が安らかに眠る護国寺で毎年恒例の鏡開き稽古会を催しました。この日は厳しい寒さではありましたが、見渡す限りに青空が澄み渡り、約200名の参加者とともに今年一年の飛躍を心に期して稽古に没頭しました。天国の大山総裁にもきっと私たちの気合が届き、優しい眼差しで私たちの頑張りを見守っていただいたことと思います。皆さん、今年も厳しい修行に邁進していきましょう。
新極真会では、フルコンタクト空手という競技分野の確立と国際競技団体の創設、この延長線上に見据えるオリンピック参加という壮大な夢の実現、その可能性を追求しています。昨年末には、2020年東京オリンピックにおける競技種目の見直しが決定され、空手道の正式競技化も現実味を帯びて参りました。空手界にはノンコンタクトとフルコンタクトという二つの競技体系が実在し、約半世紀に及ぶ競技史を別々に歩んでまいりました。こうした歴史を踏まえ、すべての空手競技者をＷＫＦルールで包含するという非現実性に理解を求めていき、様々な角度や取り組みによって空手道競技におけるフルコンタクト種目導入（2ルールでの空手道競技化）を引き続き目指してまいります。今後、こうした動きに進展があり次第に皆さまにご報告させていただきます。
日本では5月に第2回全日本フルコンタクト空手道選手権大会が開催されます。新極真会の日本地区選手には、本大会で新極真会の強い存在感と高い競技力を示すことができるように厳しい稽古に全力を投じてくれることを期待します。空手道の五輪競技化を機に、フルコンタクト空手界が再編されてまいりました。長く離合集散を繰り返してきたフルコンタクト空手界は、その源流ともいえる極真誕生50周年を機に、和合への道のりを辿り始めました。今後、フルコンタクトを愛する同志の皆さんと手を携え、この和合の流れをより大きく、そして強いものにして次なる半世紀を歩んでいきたいと思います。
さて、新極真会では第11回世界大会に向けた準備を着々と進めています。武道の祭典、最強の追求。武道空手の醍醐味は何と言っても一撃必殺。そして、小よく大を制し、柔よく剛を制す。すでに世界各国各地域で熾烈な予選が繰り広げられています。選手の皆さんはこの世界最強の空手家を決める最高峰の舞台を目指して、一日一日、一瞬一瞬の稽古で自分自身を厳しく追い込んでいって欲しいと思います。
世界各地では紛争やテロに伴う凄惨な映像がメディアを通じて配信されてまいります。私たちは日本古来の伝統文化である武道空手の世界的普及を一層推進し、世界の平和に貢献したいと強く願っています。礼に始まり、礼に終わる。厳しい究極の自己鍛錬によって体得できる強い心と身体。そしてそこから芽生える優しさと友情。私たちに課せられた使命を全うし、笑顔に満ち溢れた豊かな国際社会の実現を目指して参りましょう。
押忍
新極真会代表
緑健児
First of all, I would like to start my message by expressing my appreciation to all of you for your warm support for our organization. Last year was very important for WKO, for it marked the 50th anniversary of the founding of Kyokushin, and the 20th anniversary of the death of Sosai Oyama. This year will mark the 51st and 21st anniversary, and let us all make a strong first step of hope towards the future.
We had the annual Kagami Biraki training at Gokokuji Temple, where Sosai Oyama rests in peace, on January 11. Although it was very cold, we were blessed with great weather, and with high expectations for our development this year, we all did our best in the training session, attended by 200 members. I hope that our Kiai reached Sosai Oyama in heaven, and that he watched over us with his kind smile. Let us continue our hard training for this year as well.
As WKO, we are pursuing the possibility of realizing our grand dream, the inclusion in the Olympic Games, which we envision beyond the establishment of the Full Contact Karate competition, and the founding of the international organization. Late last year, the reconsideration of the events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was approved, and the inclusion of Karate in the Olympic Games, is starting to seem like a close reality. In Karate, two forms of competitions exist, the Non Contact and the Full Contact, in which both have taken different paths to form their own competition history for the past half-century. Based on such history, we will continue to strive for the inclusion of the Full Contact event within the Karate competition, through various angles and measures, in addition to gaining understanding that the idea to encompass or cover all Karate practitioners under the WKF rule, is very unrealistic. I will report to you about this topic again, whenever significant progress is made.
In Japan, we will have the 2nd All Japan Fullcontact Karate Championship in May. I have high expectations for the WKO Japan Region competitors to go through hard training and prepare well for the event, so that they can demonstrate the high competition level and strong presence of WKO at the tournament. The Full Contact Karate world has entered a restructuring phase, at this opportunity to realize the inclusion of Karate in the Olympic Games. The Full Contact Karate world, which has a history of meeting and parting, has started a path of harmony and unity, with the 50th anniversary of Kyokushin, the origin of our competition, serving as a good opportunity. With the joining of hands with our comrades who love Full Contact Karate, I wish for this trend of harmony and unity to become larger and stronger, and to start our movement forward, towards the next half-century.
As for WKO, we are steadily starting the preparation work for the 11th World Championship. The pursuit of strength, at the festival of Budo. The true essence of Budo Karate is in “Ichigeki Hissatsu”, or defeat the opponent with one attack, “small can defeat big”, and “softness overcomes hardness”. The high level selection tournaments have started to be held across the world. For the competitors, I hope you will make use of each moment of each day and challenge yourself in your hard training, so that you can reach this grand stage to decide the strongest Karateka in the world.
We are presented through the media, gruesome images of terrorism and regional disputes from around the world. We strongly wish to contribute to world peace, through the further promotion of Budo Karate, a traditional Japanese culture, throughout the world. To start with a bow, and end with a bow. A strong body and spirit, realized as a result of hard self discipline and training, and the kindness and friendship that develops in the process. Let us all fulfill our mission, and strive to realize an international society full of smiles and hope for the future.
OSU
Kenji Midori
WKO President