Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Renzo Gracie Academy Brooklyn Promo with Roger Gracie

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Earthquake in Japan

There was 8.9 on the rector scale earthquake in Japan yesterday. To our Kyokushinkai family that live there, our prayers are with the people of Japan.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Interview with Shihan Loek Hollnader


Martial Arts Weekly Radio USA interview met Shihan Hollander

09-02-2011
Shihan Hollander heeft een interview gegeven aan Sensei Duval Hamilton van "Martial Arts Weekly Radio" hieronder treft je het transcript:
Dear Shihan Hollander,
Q : Here are some of the questions I will ask on next week show.
I will also ask some of the questions that is on your website
Thanks for this chance to interview you on my show.
Osu
Sensei Duval Hamilton
Martial Arts Weekly Radio USA
Q: You began your Kyokushin training in early 1960’s what was the very thing that draw you to kyokushinkai karate.
The person Masutatsu Oyama and the real way of full contact fighting including the special, intensive, training techniques.
Q: You were a uchi deshi at hombu can you recall what a typical day was like at hombu dojo during that time
3 times a day training.  First training 10 in the morning. Duration of the training 2 hours always with fighting the last 30/40 minutes.
The closing ceremony of the training was always done by Sosai with a speech of minimum 10 minutes, sitting in Szeeza…
Q: You were chosen for the 100 man kumite what was your physical and your emotional feeling when you completed and how did you prepare for it.
One day Sosai said to me: next week you will fight the 100 man and I said Osu !
There has been no special preparation for this 100 man kumite. I trained about 9  months 6 hours a day and now I think that has been enough. 
Afterwards we made some pictures with Sosai and Sosai said to me: tomorrow you don’t have to train… with a smile…
Of course I had a lot of injury’s and blue spots all over my body but that gave me a feeling I never had before…
Q: What are some of your best memories of Sosai Oyama and what have you missed about him
He called me his son and took me too many places.
I had dinners with him and his friends, who where in generally very important business man; to the movies one’s in a month; Special Korean dinners with music; Sosai love to sing; When I was back in Holland he sometimes called me and said: My son come over “tomorrow” or come over to Honolulu for an important meeting……. and after 1 week or 10 days he said: Forget the meeting, stay 1 more week and go back to Holland. I am leaving tomorrow. Be careful and see you soon. I only wanted to see you…He came about 5 times to Holland.
Q: While in Japan did you train in any other styles other than Kyokushin Karate?
NO ! I trained some other Budo sports: Iay-do by Kuroda Shihan   -   Bo-jitsu by Shimizu Shihan and  Judo in the Kodokan dojo
Q: How is the training today any different than training in any other time (ie 60’s 70’s etc)
Today we have to be more careful with our students. In the old times we didn’t care about an injury but time has changed and now when we will give trainings like we did in the old times we will lose a lot of members. 
Only our real fighting Teams have to do “the old fashioned way of Kyokushin training”. 
In the “old “’ times we trained all the students in all countries the Honbu way of training: fights against yourself and go on.
During the time around 69 / 70 Sosai wanted to develop Russia.
Via a letter send by some Russian Guys from Moscow to Sosai, he wrote them to invite me for training but….. At that time in Russia Karate was absolutely forbidden.
Anyway this Guys invited me to come over and picked me up from the airport, brought me to an hotel and told me that they will pick me up the other morning.
Next day they picked me up and we went to one of the Guys house... I didn’t understand that, but then they explained me that Karate in the Soviet Union was forbidden so we had to train in his house.
We did that 3 days and then they brought me back to the airport for my flight to Amsterdam.
We made this arrangement three or four times and the last time they did examination for Sho-dan … the past because they were really very good!
Then about 3 or 4 months later I received again an invitation to come over to Moscow. So I went again. In the arriving hall some strangers came to me and told me that I was very welcome and we went to an      3.    hotel. This time the hotel was, I think the number 1 in Moscow, Caviar Champagne etc. all rich Russian people where there…
They told me that I will be picked up in the morning to give the training, and don’t forget your Karategi…smiling..
In the morning they picked me up and we went somewhere in Moscow to an Sport hall… surrounded by Guys with machine guns. I was very, very surprised but I went inside the sport hall and there where about 180 Guys in Judo / Karate or whatever suits standing like soldiers straight up in strait lines.  
I made the straining for about 2 hours and they were completely broken.
I did that three days and went back to Holland.
This trip has been done by me for about 3 or 4 times in a short period. 
I never had any contact with this Guys anymore…
The big surprise came…about two months ago … I had a meeting with Minister Trutniev in Moscow and he knew my whole story from the secret trainings in Moscow in the 60s.
He also told me that I had been Instructing the KGB people and from this three Guys, who I was teaching at that time, are two of them now Ministers and 1 is Senator in the Russian Federation. Later on I met them again in person and then I understood that 40 years is a long time…
 
Q: What were some of the events that led up to your resignation from IKO Matsui
After Sosai’s dead Kancho Matsui took over, at that time he has been World Champion and he was quite normal for the first 8 to 10 years. Then slowly he started to behave himself different, and nobody could talk with him anymore. Never I had the possibility to phone him for questions or problems. He never gave me his phone-number. I know that he can speak and understand the English language not that well , but enough to talk slowly. 
When I wanted to talk with Sosai Oyama I just phoned him and we were sometimes talking for long time. Also Sosai Oyama phoned me many times from Tokyo to Holland.
Q: You went to Japan to have a meeting with Christine Oyama , why did you feel that this was important for you to do this and what was some of the things talk about in this meeting. If you can mention any.
After the break with Kancho Matsui we, the KWF Board members, wanted to try to make contact with Kuristina, Sosai;s daughter , to become friends and to build-up this new KWF with her help by taking the position of Honorary President of the KWF. This is still going on and we are waiting for her decision concerning this point. 
We also talked over the possibility to help her to renovate the “ old” Honbu . Many Kyokushin Karateka’s from all over the World like to train one time in their life in this mystic place with great history.
Q: Why didn’t you just simple join with the Family organization (IKO Sosai) or any of the other existing groups
Because there are 6 or 7 IKO groups lead by former Mas Oyama students and almost all of them are trying to make the students to pay, pay and pay more…
Kuristina is different; she is not a Karateka but she wants still to develop the way her father made the Kyokushinkaikan : friendly, respect full, strait to the point and sometimes the hard way of business.
The KWF is an Federation and for all Kyokushin Organizations, Dojo’s all over the world is it possible to become a member in the KWF, because we are an Federation and in a Federation people will stay in dependent. Every member or Instructor is the boss in his or her own Dojo, Country, Organization etc. Beside that everybody can stay in his or her original Organization  or Dojo. Our main goal is to restore and re-unite the old way of Kyokushin, like Sosai had before people will stay free! That’s why I asked Kuristina to become a member of our Board.
Q: Will you have meetings with the other major organizations?
Yes.. I had already a meeting with Kancho Royama last October in Bulgaria. I know him very well , we trained the same time in Honbu in 1967. I’ve also been recently two times in Moscow for a meeting with the Russian Organization lead by Minister Trutniev.
Q: We often here and read how the IKO Matsui has lost rights to use of the logos and name of Kyokushin is this all true and if so how has this influenced your decision to resign from this organization
This point is for us not important. This problem exist only in Japan, in the rest of the world everybody can use the name and logo of Sosai. For us it is a matter of respect to the family: when we want to use things we will talk it over first.
Q: What makes the Kyokushin World Federation different from any other group that is out today
Like I told you before:
We are a Federation and in a Federation everybody will stay free, is in depended and will be the boss in their own Organization or Dojo!!!
Every Kyokushin Karateka can be a member of the Kyokushin World Federation even when they are a member in one of the other IKO’s . I think that the other IKO’s soon will understand that we are friends and no enemies. Working together will develop all Kyokushin organizations. 
Q: What steps have been taken that what happen in the IKO Mastui group or any other group will not happen in KWF
  • We are a Democratic Federation with a Democratic Board(7 man)
  • All 7 of our Board members are working free, no payments! 
  • We will help all Karateka’s worldwide to develop themselves
  • All prices: memberships / gradings / certificates / belts etc will be low/cost  priced: 150 Euro’s for all gradings including Belt and certificate!
  • Members are important. So they can contact us directly and will get direct an answer on their questions
  • Last but not least: we are not after the money
Q: Looking forward to the future what can a joining  member expect from the KWF ?
  
  • The “Old” Masutatsu Oyama trainings programs, Kihon, Kata’s and Fighting.
  • Taking part in all KWF tournaments world wide as well as in their own Organizations and or dojo’s
  • Taking part in all Summer and Winter camps world wide
  • Low prices for Dan degree’s  € 150,- including certificate and belt Kyu-degrees can be done by each individual Instructor him/her self
  • The KWF is a legal public non-profit social Federation In contrast to all other Organizations which are private, non- social, non- public, with main object to generate profit.
  • In fact is our Federation public, non-profit and social...

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Strikeforce Heavyweights

 I had a chance to attend the Strikeforce meet and greet  event last night . It was sponsored by Showtime.
I had a chance to see the Heavyweights of Strikeforce up close and personal. Great event.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Spotlight Richard Trammell, Shidokan Karate,"The Triathlon of Martial Arts"

He Boxed and Kickboxed professionally. He has a U.S. title in kickboxing, a World Title in Muay Thai, 3 national titles, a North American, and 2 world titles in Shidokan Triathlon (Bare Knuckle Karate, Kickboxing, and Grappling). He has won three 12 man tournaments, two 8 man tournaments, and a 4 man tournament. Richard has been a champion fighter, trainer, coach, and fight promoter.  Listen this Sunday @ 7pm on Martial Arts Weekly Radio 



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