First visit to Argentina

◎Translation mistake→Fixed it ~ Sorry
Julio→Fliho
◎brick→BRICS

[First visit to Argentina]

While Japan was about to enter full-fledged winter, I visited Argentina for the first time, which was about to reach midsummer.It was to participate in the first American’s Cup, which was planned by Francisco Frio, one of the leaders of KWU-SENSHI . Actually, when I was asked to participate in this tournament, I had some hesitation.The reason is that it takes nearly two days to change planes to visit Argentina. Also, the climate is the opposite. Also, I am 61 years old and have menopausal symptoms. Furthermore, parts of his body are broken due to intense training when he was young. In other words, he lacked the confidence in his physical strength to meet expectations.

However, I had a hunch that this first tournament was a tournament that predicted the future of the karate organization KWU-SENSHI (Warriors). Therefore, as a member of KWU-SENSHI, I had no choice but to participate. I also made various preparations for this business trip, including strengthening my physical strength, learning the language, and writing a proposal. I was not feeling well in Argentina, probably because I was a little too greedy and pushed myself too hard. It’s unclear whether it’s because of a cold, dry skin, or poor autonomic nervous system adjustment, but I cough every day. I also read a book the whole time on the plane, so I didn’t sleep much. I didn’t have a fever and didn’t have a serious cough, but I sent an email to my wife complaining that I wasn’t feeling well. Immediately, she sent me a photo of her daughter in her best clothes. Although I was exaggerating a bit, I mustered up all my strength and said, “I can’t die here.”

[I got great hope]

Well, even though I wasn’t feeling well, I think the first American’s Cup was a success. And I gained a lot from visiting Argentina. I was able to become close friends with many people, including Shihan Fliho, Shihan Feitosa, and Shihan Emanuel from Argentina. Another reason was that Sihan Fliho showed his understanding of the project I was planning.
To be honest, up until now my ideas have not been received very favorably by the Japanese people. Maybe it was because my presentation was poor. However, after reading a few papers, Sihan Fliho understood the general idea and accepted me very favorably. Of course, a paper alone is not enough. This time, we made up for that deficiency. Furthermore, we believe that we urgently need a model to help more people understand our ideas and realize our ideas.

I think it is of great significance that Shihan Fliho intuitively understood and accepted me, even though I didn’t have a model yet, that is, I hadn’t seen it yet. I am very encouraged by having someone on my team who is positive about the possibilities of karate. And I gained great hope from the presence of Shihan Fliho.

[The country called Argentina]

I’ll digress a bit here, but for me, Argentina was one of the countries I wanted to visit at least once. The reason is that I have long admired Argentine tango. I was embarrassed, but I wanted to be able to dance Argentine tango. Also, I belong to a fan club of Japanese guitarists of Argentine folklore.

When I was treated to dinner at the home of a person involved, I told them that I was a fan of “Argentine Tango” and “Messi.” He also proudly talked about the philosophy of Argentine tango.
I said that the philosophy of tango is, “You can dance the way you like without fear of failure,” “There is no failure in tango,” “You can just dance without fear,” and “Life is just like dancing.” “That’s it.” Furthermore, in my poor English, I thought that the philosophy behind Argentine tango was the same as that of Argentines, but I asked, “Is this correct?” Then, the doctor who was present nodded, saying, “That’s correct.” He didn’t say anything more, but I imagined that Argentines are a people who inherently value self-expression and love freedom.

[Take the first step]

Getting back to the tournament, this tournament was still small. However, I think the content is promising for the future. And I think it’s important to take the first step. However, it is a matter of having a clear direction… Our KWU-SENSHI team is still lacking in that area.
Meanwhile, Sihan Filho has a clear direction. I also believe that this tournament strengthened the bond between Shihan Fliho, Shihan Emanuel of Argentina, and the leaders of South American countries.
　
I also think that the seminar held after the conference was important. There aren’t many opportunities for everyone to get together. For such a precious opportunity, Sihan Fliho devised various ideas. Personally, I felt that the karate instruction given by Shihan Feitosa, an ally of Shihan Fliho, was good. If I held a seminar in Japan, I think many people would be interested. Also, I think of him as a gem created by Kyokushin Karate. That’s why his kicking skills are so artistic. This time, I exchanged various opinions with Sihan Faytosa. He agreed with the idea that I told him, “We should constantly create.” I think he is an intelligent and wonderful person. I also had a lot of fun interacting with Shihan Morimoto, Shihan Nakahara, and Sensei Teixeira from Brazil.

I think all of the above is the result of Sihan Fliho’s leadership. I realized once again the greatness of his humanity. I also admired his production ability. It’s pathetic, but I’m already old and have no confidence in my physical strength.
　
On the other hand, Sensei Julio has a variety of experience. He also has physical strength. I now have great hopes that new leaders have appeared in karate, a sport I had almost given up on. At the same time, he prays for his physical strength and longevity.

[About the country Argentina]

Here, I would like to write a few words about the cities I visited in Argentina and my thoughts about the country. The tournament was hosted by the city of Cordoba. This city is home to the University of Gordoba, which boasts the second highest level in Argentina. It was also a student city with many universities. The town was crowded with many young people on the weekend. It is a region with great potential for spreading the martial arts of karate.

During the day and on weekends, the streets were filled with young people until late at night. When I saw those young people, I thought of my own sons and daughters. I couldn’t help but pray that the young people’s future lives would be rich and blessed with good fortune.

This time, it seems Argentina was right after the presidential election. The next president of Argentina will be Miley, a libertarian. The TV was buzzing with stories about Mr. Milley. However, the reality of the presidential election seems to be that Miley won the election by capitalizing on “heat” such as “anger” over the failure of the Argentine government’s economic policies. The website said that Argentina’s inflation rate was 140-150%. However, the coronavirus pandemic probably had an impact as well. I don’t know much more about the election campaign.

However, I do have some thoughts on the fact that, since taking office, Mr. Millais has said that he will promote exchanges with the United States and withdraw from exchanges with China, Brazil, and other Bloc countries. I know it’s superfluous. However, he believes that it is good to form an alliance with the United States, the most developed country in the world, but that it is bad to decide not to interact with the BRICS countries, which are centered on Russia. ing.

I know it’s very unnecessary. However, he believes that it is good to form an alliance with the United States, the most developed country in the world, but that it is bad to decide not to interact with the Blix bloc, which is centered on Russia.
The reason is that I don’t think it’s good to be too biased about anything. I also think that he will get stuck with freedom supremacy alone. Also, I think that communism, which Millais criticized, has already reached an impasse and is not an axis of conflict.
In short, the current axis of conflict, the threat to those aiming for a liberal state, is not communism. I think the real threat is something lurking within capitalism and liberal states. Of course, there must have been a lot of political maneuvering in Mileis’s statement.
To go even further, I believe that the current rivals to liberal states are social democratic states. And the liberal state camp probably considers the development of social democratic states undesirable.

I think Mr. Milleis, an economist, is thinking of revitalizing the vitality of citizens and the private sector by first aiming for a liberal state. Also, he may be hoping to improve the decline in citizen motivation that often occurs in socialist countries due to the entrenchment and corruption of the power class, which closely resembles totalitarian states and feudalism. That’s what I think.
Needless to say, I believe that the entrenchment of the powerful, which is fostered by suffocating and excessive totalitarianism and feudalism, is not a good thing. However, there are some things I think about when I consider Japan’s feudalist era. This means that although socialism, feudalism, and totalitarianism are all different types of things, they are by no means the same.
Furthermore, even though it is called so-and-so doctrine, it is closely related to religious views, so it does not vary from region to region. Without fear of misunderstanding, I feel that it is best to create something that goes beyond religious beliefs.

Also, speaking in a very general way, I imagine that a society that balances the good aspects of socialism and feudalism with the good things of liberalism and democracy would be better. I would also like to suggest that we aim for a new, more creative society. I am thinking of “coexistence of martial arts and sports” as a kind of social experiment for that proposal. If you say that, will it be in the minds of many people? A mark appears, and I’m sure he’ll laugh if it’s Masuda’s imagination.

[The state of the organization and nation is important to bring out the potential of individuals]

Furthermore, without fear of misunderstanding, I see the country of Russia, led by President Putin, as an example of socialism, feudalism, liberalism, and democracy coexisting. I would also like to suggest that Japan reconsider its relationship with Russia. When it comes to nations, misunderstandings are inevitable. Having said that, it may be safe to say that I would like to suggest continued interaction between individuals, but…
However, I believe that the way organizations and nations operate is important in bringing out the potential of individuals. I also believe that relationships between nations are important in bringing out the potential of the international community.
To put it simply, what I want is for America and Russia to become friends. If I say that now, people might think I’m crazy. It won’t be easy either. However, it is not impossible. The problem lies in the poverty of political ideology behind those who decide that it cannot be done.
I believe that President Putin has a good understanding of Japanese martial arts. Also, it can be said that his political philosophy is martial arts-like. Therefore, I think Japan should continue to make further efforts to improve relations. Of course, it goes without saying that the alliance with the United States is extremely important. I also love American culture. 　
I think that for the victims of the current war between Russia and Ukraine, the other country is an unforgivable country. I’m sure they can’t even recognize that nation. However, I believe that the two countries must not continue to hate each other forever. Moreover, precisely because this is expected to happen, I believe that not only politicians but also citizens must create new philosophies and actions that will neutralize it.
First of all, politicians need to move towards a ceasefire as soon as possible. I also believe that the thoughts of citizens all over the world should come together as one. In addition, in order for Japan to be truly respected and recognized as an important country by the world, our politicians must demonstrate a truly Japanese spirit without being influenced by the agenda of the United States or the EU. I want it. I also hope that they will contribute to world peace.
I don’t think the above ideas will be considered the nonsense of someone ignorant of politics and economics and will not even be given a second glance. Still, I want to speak out for Japan’s future. I would also like to ask politicians to engage in all-round diplomacy.

[Sincerely ~ Determined ~ Bravely ]

On a side note, I would like to create a university with a faculty that will train people who can convey Japanese martial arts and Japanese culture not only to Japan but also to countries around the world. Or, I would like to establish such a department at an existing university. I’m thinking something delusional like that right now. I also think that the country that would be most supportive of this would be Russia.

As a supplement, I believe that the martial arts and bushido spirits that were used during the era of rising militarism are not real. The true spirit of martial arts, or Bushido, is a word that should not be used by ordinary people, but it is centered around the mindset of “kill or be killed.” That is why a true warrior would not view war as a positive thing. Of course, I also think that the true feelings of a warrior may lie in his work during war. However, a true samurai is someone who holds his aspirations close to his heart and wants to be the foundation for the peace of mind of the citizens. And what I think of as true evil is someone who takes human life lightly. Who is the real evil? A politician, a merchant, or…
The spirit of martial arts, as I see it, is to always be prepared for emergencies and to live “honestly” and “seriously.” And when the nation is in trouble, it is the spirit of confronting difficulties “resolutely” and “bravely.” This is also the philosophy of the organization KWU-SENSHI. 　
I cannot say that there have been some policies that I consider to be failures, but I am proud of our country’s history. I also want Japan to survive better.
To that end, I would like politicians to once again reconsider the nature of national education. At the same time, I want to create martial arts and new sports that contribute to national education.

(The flight time was nearly 30 hours, and it took more than 40 hours including transfers. I didn’t want to wait for the flight, so I wrote down everything I could think of.)