Part 1. “Spirit Before Technology” - Gichin Funakoshi
In 1989, sport defeated the state!
The article of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR, which threatened five years in prison for teaching the island of Okinawa, which originated among the freedom-loving farmers of the island of Okinawa, who pierced the armor of samurai and their owners with their bare hands and feet, has disappeared - KARATE.
All the magic of karate can now be understood only by those who were at least ten years old at that time. Others can understand only if they dare to look at the sparkle in the eyes of true karatekas of that turbulent time!
A KARATE section also opened in our gym at the housing office, where all the young people, choking on testosterone, ambition, and aversion to alcohol and nicotine, rushed, including my friend Ilnur and his group of street kids. Those who were eager to start training listened to the sensei’s lecture that the power of karate lies in perseverance and overcoming: "Os-sir"! TIRED OF SOMETHING – DO IT AGAIN and “Oc-sir”, - and about how students were recruited into ancient karate schools...
In ancient times, those who wanted to get to school stood in front of the gates for several days without food or drink, under the scorching sun or freezing rain. The doors opened only to those who continued to wait. But the tests were just beginning. Those who passed by were given a flatbread each, and the most impatient ones immediately ate it. Soon, bowls were handed out to everyone and hot soup was poured into them almost immediately. But the bowls had no bottom! And the one who was not only in no hurry to eat the flatbread, but also quickly figured out how to make the bottom of a bowl out of it to drink soup, was accepted...
The parable struck everyone, but not Ilnur. He explained that slipping bowls with holes in them is not the norm and that the ancient sensei on our street would have snatched it at the end for such a thing. Sensei brought up a counterargument that “holey” and “without bottom” are not the same thing and invited Ilnur to do twenty sikens (push-ups with fists) if he wanted to stay. But Kazan would not be the birthplace of the “Kazan phenomenon”, and the friend would not be a man of the era! Ilnur gave out fifty sikens with the sounds “Os-s” through clenched teeth under the sly look of the sensei and the enthusiastic glances of the boys. This philosophical debate became the beginning of a great friendship. Friendship with karate!
Part 2. “Iron Shirt”, a kind heart and Jean-Claude
Karate was a religion, and its mystery was fueled by action heroes from video stores, who gave the opportunity for 1 ruble to immerse themselves in this magical world. A karateka couldn’t imagine himself without three qualities: full fists; body immune to pain (“iron shirt”); Tamashiwari (the art of breaking hard objects with hands and feet). These qualities made an indestructible fighter - a karateka.
Although, every karateka also had an idol, whose invisible hand led him to the heights of the spirit. Most often it was Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Mark Dacascos, Jackie Chan, Eric Roberts, Phillip Rhee. But he became my friend's idol Jean-Claude Van Damme. Their metaphysical meeting took place on the day of the screening of the film "Kickboxer" What does kickboxing have to do with it? Nothing to do with it! Jean-Claude European Karate Champion 1979! Learn history!
My friend himself didn’t understand the choice of an idol, but, as they say, you can’t order your heart, and to the question “Why Van Damme?" he could answer - "Why not Van Damme?».
Jean-Claude helped Ilnur withstand sadistic karate training:
- If you're used to doing push-ups on the sand, you'll get a concrete floor!
- If you don’t notice the concrete, you’re welcome to a scattering of coarse salt, which brings a double dose of suffering – during and after push-ups!
- Did I say suffering? This is unforgivable! One hundred sikens! The karateka does not suffer, but moves forward!
- Doesn't salt burn your hands? Get red brick shards! Oss!!!
Where, just like in karate, calluses as thick as the soles of boots on the knuckles of the hands made it possible to crush boards and bricks. Stuffing your fists and strengthening your fingers would make any wrestler or boxer disabled, but not a karateka. It was worth seeing the frightened looks of the enemies from just the sight of stuffed knuckles! And the number of enemies did not matter!
And the “iron shirt” was a system of body strengthening exercises - the ability to withstand any blows to the press, chest and legs, which made the karateka not only invulnerable, but also turned every part of his body into a weapon. Only a karateka could strike with any part of his body.
Ilnur was the best of the best. But what karateka will stop there? Ilnur had a dream that Van Damme gave him. Desperate and naive at the same time - to demolish a palm tree with his foot, like his idol. Tear it down to the roots!
He prepared for the feat for a long time and chose a young linden tree in the park, which he assigned to the role of a palm tree. Remembering how difficult it was for the idol, Ilnur decided to better study his technique. By some miracle he got hold of a cassette with "Kickboxer” and asked to see our mutual friend, who had a video camera.
After watching the episode with the palm tree about thirty times, Ilnur pretty much tired the owner of the video and he suggested watching it in slow motion. The guest was surprised by the presence of such a function and began to watch the treasured episode in a time-lapse image...
It would be better if he didn’t do this!.. In any case, this thought came to his mind first. A review showed that the palm tree... had been cut down! SAWED! Ilnur did not know how to evaluate such actions of Jean-Claude and did not sleep all night. A couple of times he called his idol a traitor and decided to say goodbye to karate... But in the morning he heard the call of the audience, asked for forgiveness and... a thousand sikens, a thousand squats! Oss!!!
Not long ago Ilnur died. And ask me now why his choice fell on Van Damme, I will confidently answer that because he has the same big and kind heart in an “iron shirt”!
Author: Daniil Korotkov
What really did you do with salt and broken bricks? Kretsky has a good book, “The Principle of Karate,” which, although controversial in places, explains a lot.
I’m not a pensioner yet, but I also discovered such “sophisticated” techniques.)
Cool 😁👍💪
Touching and nostalgic article! We'll wait some more.)