HIDETAKA NISHIYAMA
Suddenly, the stillness of the room was shattered by a deepthroated roar: “Ah-h-h!”
All eyes were focused on a man uniformed in a white training suit. He wore a black belt. His movements were relaxed, and yet one sensed the unbelievable speed and force at the termination of each thrust, chop, kick or jab. The apparent destructive power was overshadowed by the beauty of continuous flowing movement.
The man was master Hidetaka Nishiyama, a permanent director and head instructor at the Japan Karate Association in Tokyo.
“When I practice during free sparring (kumite), I am oblivious to everything around me,” Nishiyama said. “I feel exhilarated when my movements are uninhibited and flow quickly and smoothly. All movements are done spontaneously. Each movement is performed with an objective or purpose.”
in the city of Tokyo. At age 17, he was attracted to karate. He wanted to master the art to acquire physical prowess as well as to gain the admiration of
