My friend Huanghai

From all the people I have encountered in my Martial Arts life I need to make special mention to my good friend Huanghai because he really shaped the way I train and the way I see Martial Arts.

I met him during Kyokushin practice, in Tangshou Dojo, Shenyang.

He had been training with Royama Sensei in Kyokushinkan in Japan for a number of years.

He also got to brown belt in Aikikai in the mean time.

In that picture we are at the Huochetou Academy before class. We are both wearing our Yuzenkai patches, he is helping me since the beginning with the management of the China Branch.

I was teaching Karate there and he was teaching Taekwondo.

This is his ad at the door of  Hunnan Wushu club.
Yes, he is a fourth Dan in Taekwondo, that he got in the Kukiwon while he was living in Korea.
He also got a blue belt in BJJ recently and re-tested for his Karate nidan in the Chinese Karate Association last week.

Oh, yeah. He also boxes and referees fights.

Yes, also in K-1 China.
Besides him, famous fighter Hanjie, owner of Rongdao Fight Club, where I started my teaching career in China.

Starting with Kendo too!

And some Muay Thai in the Gold Belt club.

Shotokan too, because it complements what he already knows.
Kirita Sensei (JKA) sharing his knowledge with him

Helping our dojo mate Youyou appearing on tv live.

Some Chinese Kobudo for good measure.

That was a nice training!! Full of good friends.
He is wearing my gi (notice the Spanish flag on his arm).

Karashira Sensei also teaches good Shotokan kumite drills.

Here is where he really excels: teaching children.
He is the most talented kids' instructor I have seen in my whole live. The games, drills, exercises... everything is so engaging for the kids that it is unbelievable. The kids follow him with all their might during all the one hour class.
I have never seen anything like him ever, before or after.

What this terrific martial artist did for me was opening my mind to see how the different Martial Arts are just the same!
Different rule sets, different recent history, different Masters... but actually all related. No reason to keep your training reduced to just a small part of the martial world.

He is also responsible for my obsession with physical training.
I remember so many winter mornings when I knocked my door at 6am to go jogging for an hour, practice some Aikido in the park, take a quick shower and head for the gym, where he would do four (4) hours of weights, one full hour of abs and the teach the MMA class, just before the two Taekwondo classes (kids and adults) in the evening.
And that was daily!!
Of course, I can not keep up to his beat, but I am damn trying...






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