Taiji Kase Interview - Final Part
T.K.: No, what happens is that in the practice of Budo you must cover a long distance. I believe I have reached it many times while on other occasions I think I am near but have not yet arrived. For this reason, anyone can progress in Budo, just as long as they follow the correct direction to go from one level to another. This is what really makes a difference between performers. What is really important is not the number of years you practice but the correct practice during those years. This is the only way to progress towards a superior Karate. When somebody asks me why we practice so many attack techniques, so frequently and stronger each time, my answer is that when you experiment with the sensations, attacking and searching for more force, our defenses get stronger. When we manage to perform a stronger attack, we must ask ourselves if we would have been able to repel such a fast and powerful attack.
B.I.: Finally, could you give us Karate artists some advice?
T.K.: My advice for the pupils of Karate-Do is very simple. You must remember what Gichin Funakoshi said - "Karate Ni Senti Ashi" (There is no first attack in karate), and understand the idea, mentally as well as technically. You must do everything possible so that the attacker mentally understands that it is better for him not to attack, to feel it and accept this. This is the true meaning of the saying "Karate Ni Sente Ashi" - that the adversary does not begin attacking and so there is no fight.
Unfortunately, Master Taiji Kase passed away in November 2004 and will be sorely missed.