Читать книгу Empty Hand. The Essence of Budo Karate онлайн

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Towards the end of the Greater East Asia War9 I was stationed on the Philippine island of Cebu. When the American troops had landed there with considerable force, we had to flee together with the Japanese settlers to the central highlands. We had to march at night because in daylight American reconnaissance aircrafts were cruising over our heads. So we were marching in total darkness, one hand touching the belt or the shoulder of the man in front. Suddenly I slipped and fell down the slope. When I regained consciousness I found myself about 15 feet below the path, and I was gripping my knapsack. Astonishingly I had remained uninjured. I thought: “Maybe it’s not such a good idea to stay behind.” Then I climbed up the precipice as quick as I could and managed to join the others. I remember that again I thought how helpful it was to practice karate. Once more my body evidently had spontaneously reacted to the sudden danger so that I remained unharmed in spite of the deep fall.

There were many similar occasions, maybe less dramatic, in my life to make me realize that without karate I could have lost my life or at least would have been seriously injured. Some may say that my reactions were due to special training. But this is not correct because everyone can reach the same result if only the person’s karate practice is serious and continuing.