Japanese martial arts such as judo and kendo have a strong presence in the Japanese American community. As a youngster, my dad took me to my first karate practice when I was 11-years-old. During my years of training, I engaged karate in a very traditional, yet non-commercial way. At the request of my sensei, I took a trip to Japan in 1989, immersing myself in an intense, week-long karate “boot camp” that was held in Shinshu. This training was called a gasshuku.
With tremendous assistance from Jeffrey Hirai, who was a good friend and “insider,” I had the privilege of j…