The toughest "kata" and my favorite stance [ Natsuki Shimizu ]

0:06 Natsuki, your intense movements made the camera shake.

0:11 The tripod almost fell over.

0:23 That's cool. But we can't see your face.

0:27 I tried to hide it.

0:29 On purpose?

0:30 You didn't cover your face because you're a karate-ka,

0:34 you just hid it to be mean?

0:36 I did this toward the camera.

0:42 Natsuki, you're wearing a karate-gi (uniform) this time.

0:48 You look very dignified.

0:51 Wearing a karate-gi makes me feel more focused.

0:55 How many days a year do you not wear a karate-gi ?

1:03 Zero!

1:04 Really?

1:04 No, I'm just kidding.

1:08 I don't really know.

1:10 I practice in a jersey sometimes.

1:12 So I can see my body lines.

1:17 But I wear the karate-gi almost every day.

1:22 How many of those do you have?

1:24 I have a lot of them.

1:30 So many.

1:33 This is what a kata competitor's karate-gi looks like, right?

1:41 Did you change your hairstyle?

1:44 No, I just tucked my hair behind my ears.

1:46 I tie it up tightly for matches.

1:49 Why?

1:50 So the judges can see my expression clearly.

1:56 Can you show me how you walk into the arena and perform the initial "rei" (bow)?

2:35 And shout out the name of kata?

2:39 That's amazing!

2:43 Are the walking style and bowing method prescribed by the rules?

2:49 No, they're not.

2:51 I think I naturally walk and start in a way that gets me excited.

3:01 Do you pay attention to placing your weight on your heels or toes when walking?

3:08 I don't really focus on my weight, but the soles of my feet...

3:17 I'm embarrassed because my toes are short.

3:23 I don't think so.

3:25 Did karate make them short?

3:27 No, it's just my individuality.

3:32 I consciously try to grip the floor firmly with my toes one by one to distribute my weight properly.

3:48 How do you breathe when performing the "rei"?

3:52 I inhale,

3:54 exhale,

3:56 and then inhale again.

3:58 What do you think about during that time?

4:05 I really don't think about anything.

4:12 But you change your kata for each match, right?

4:18 Have you ever made a mistake because you didn't think about which kata to do when you bowed?

4:35 When I was a child, I sometimes did the wrong kata after saying the name of the kata.

4:41 But I don't do that anymore.

4:45 So the kata movements come naturally once you start?

4:47 During the warm-up before a match, I get into the mode of the kata I'm going to do.

4:59 Today, I have a question for you!

5:01 Question?

5:02 I think you can do a lot of kata, but can you tell me which part of that kata is really tough?

5:22 In the kata called "Kushanku",

5:27 you kick,

5:29 lower your hips,

5:31 pull your leg back,

5:32 stand up again,

5:33 kick,

5:34 lower your hips, pull your leg back...

5:37 Then kick again from this position.

5:39 This part.

5:41 The up-and-down movement and the part where you do this from the crouching position at the very end of the kata.

5:56 That looks tough.

5:59 You have to stand up, sit down, and your stride seems to change as well.

6:06 Pull your foot back smoothly.

6:10 Do you think “this is tough” when you do that movement?

6:16 To be honest, until I get to this last part,

6:22 I'm moving so quickly that I don't think about which part is tough.

6:30 But when I get here, I think, “Oh, my body won't go up.”

6:36 You have to lift your body up from that position, right?

6:40 I only remember how tough it is after the fatigue has built up.

6:47 So, when you get into that position, do you think, “My body won't lift up” for just a second?

6:59 Yes, I do.

7:00 My legs feel so heavy!

7:04 Can you show me that painful kata at the same speed as in a match?

7:09 Got it.

7:41 This is it.

7:43 That’s really impressive.

7:46 Just this alone is tough.

7:48 This is really amazing.

7:53 At the very end, there’s that squatting motion, which is really tough.

8:00 "The squatting motion at the end of kata"

8:20 Do you practice hitting the “makiwara" like in Okinawa Goju-ryu?

8:26 Yes,I hit the “makiwara" during practice.

8:29 Oh, you do.

8:30 Yes.

8:32 To prevent my fists from getting too rough, my sensei was considerate enough to buy me a guard to protect my fists.

8:41 So this practice really helps me focus on the weight of the impact.

8:48 Is there a trick to gripping the fist correctly?

8:56 For beginner kids, I teach them to fold their fingers one by one from the tips.

9:07 But in reality, you can't consciously do that every time you clench your fist, right?

9:14 So I imagine pushing the tips of my fingers strongly into the center of my palm.

9:30 Your fist looks very strong.

9:32 I don't want to be struck by that fist.

9:36 I've been training this fist, you know.

9:38 Don't laugh like it's a horror movie—it's scary.

9:45 One more question.

9:46 Out of all the kata, is there a part that you think is really cool?

10:04 It's the last part of the "Suparinpei" kata from the Goju-ryu, which is my specialty.

10:36 I feel a sense of relief in this moment.

10:39 Because it's the last part of a long kata.

10:44 Do you feel like a long battle has finally ended?

10:47 Yes, I feel very relieved.

10:50 Don't you think this movement is cool?

10:54 I definitely do!

11:06 You didn't hide your face with your hand this time.

11:09 Thank you.