私の経歴（いつも誰かに支えられて）

今もそうですが、当時も沢山の人に支えられて生きていました。先生、先輩、そして研修生同期。同期の河崎典夫さんは、年齢では私より二つ上。私が研修生になったのが28歳。その歳で研修生になるなんて、そんな物好きはいないぞと言われましたが、上には上がいる物です（笑）一緒に辛い稽古を乗り越え、世界大会ではチームメイトとして共に戦い、全国大会ではライバルとして鎬を削りました。当時は自分が生きるのに必死で人のことなど構っていられず、それほど親密に話した記憶はありませんが、ある時期から違う組織で活動するようになり、更に数年後に再開し、ずっと繋がっていた絆のようなものを感じました。その後はお互いの生徒を稽古で交流させたり、コロナ禍ではオンラインで大会を開催しました。今では親友としてお付き合い頂いています。同士！

今もニューヨークで活躍しているリチャード・エイモス先輩も、当時は同じ総本部の先輩として活躍されていました。強くて、背が高く、手足も長くて、それでいてモデルをやるほどいい男。世の中こんなに不平等なのか！悔しいですよね。顔も体も負けてるんだから、空手では負けちゃいられないと内心ジェラシーの炎メラメラでした（笑）とは言え、先輩にはかわいがって頂き、色々と教えて頂きました。感謝！

Just like now, I was supported by many people back then. My teachers, my seniors, and my fellow Kensyusai. My fellow Kensyusei, Norio Kawasaki, was two years older than me. I became a Kensyusei when I was 28 years old. I was told that I was too old to become a Kensusei at that age, but there is always someone crazier (laughs). We overcame the tough training together, fought together as teammates at the world championships, and competed as rivals at the national championships. At the time, I was so desperate to survive that I didn't have time to care about other people, so I don't remember us talking very closely, but at one point we started working in a different organization, and we met again a few years later, and I felt like we had a bond that had always connected us. After that, we had our students interact with each other in training, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, we held an online tournament. Now we are good friends.

Senior Richard Amos, who is still active in New York, was also active as a senior at the same headquarters at that time. He was strong, tall, had long limbs, and was a good-looking guy who was also a model. Is the world really so unfair? It was frustrating. I was burning with jealousy inside, thinking that I couldn't lose at karate because I was no match for them in looks and body (lol). But my seniors were very kind to me and taught me many things. Oss!