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Gary Cooper Completes 3 Years Uchideshi Program in Kyokushin-kan Honbu

Gary Cooper from U.S.A. (L.A. Dojo, Branch Chief: Sensei Tom Callahan) arrived Japan together with the other U.S. team for the first time to attend the International Karate Instructors Camp held in Tochigi from March 1st to 3rd, 2013. From the next day after the camp, Gary stayed in Honbu Dojo as Honbu Uchideshi (live in student) to train Karate in Japanese custom. Gary started Uchideshi as a brown belt but on the day of graduation, he completed 30 men Kumite and achieved a Nidan black belt. It is very difficult for a Westerner to complete Uchideshi program, not because of hard training but because of different custom - culture, language and environment. Aside from every day training, Uchideshis are required to clean the entire dojo, wash Sempai’s dogis, prepare food, study Japanese and many other miscellaneous works to maintain Honbu dojo and it’s activities. However, the most unfortunate thing that happened to Gary and other Uchideshis was on October 2014, when Honbu lost its own Dojo. It meant that they didn’t have place to train. After Honbu lost its Dojo, all the administrative works were moved in an apartment and Uchideshis were sent to nearby Branch Dojo (Hatogaya Dojo, Branch Chief: Sensei Kiyotaka Sakurai) with good will from its Branch Chief. Every Uchideshis were required to train on their own. Gary as the only senior Uchideshi, must have had hard time to maintain the motivation of his Kohai Uchideshis keeping up the discipline and training for himself. It must have been a battle for himself. As well as being headquarters, Honbu dojo faces the same challenges as all world branches. We are very optimistic Honbu will recover from this difficulty, and students like Gary will be here for us to carry the teaching into the future. The 3 years as Uchideshi might be long and indeed there are many events and memories that happened during this period, but moreover, we hope these experience will influence positively on Gary’s life. Congratulations Gary for completing the program. Osu!