All-Japan Open Karate Tournament, November 2005

Robert Schnoes (21, Illinios) was definately BKH's unexpected champion at this year's All-Japan Tournament (November 23rd). Japan's best 60 fighters fought in this competion, and then there was Schnoes, only 80 days into his training at BKH, the only American fighter, and the only one wearing a yellow belt. Shnoes's scheduled oponent in the first round withdrew due to a training injury and Schnoes found himself fighing among the best-32 in Japan (second round and forward).

Like a cruel joke, they line line up the best 32 fighters during the opening ceromony prior to the tournament in order of competition, and Schnoes (above yellow belt) got to spend this half hour sizing up his oponent, the huge seasoned Japanese black belt fighter standing just in front of him.

Schnoes came to this tournament for the experience. Of course he wanted to win but, realistically speaking, 80 days into his training as a full-contact fighter, what are the odds? So we expected him to lose in his first fight (and walk away stronger because of it!!) but what we didn't expect was for him to have his first fight among the best 32 AFTER the tameshiwari (breaking competition). The best 32 fighters in the All-Japan (and in all Kyokushin competitions) break the maximum number of boards they can with 4 techniques (straight punch, knife hand, elbow, and heel kick) and the total number of boards broken is used to break a tie if neither fighter can prove his superiority after 3 rounds of fighting (3 min, 2 min, 2 min). Thus all fighters break boards prior to the best 32, and since we didn't expect Schnoes to be in the best 32, we didn't provide him even a single chance to practice tameshiwari and this was his first ever breaking experience.

Given that it was is first time, Schnoes wisely chose the minimum, 3 boards, for each of his four techniques (these are real 1-inch boards rather than those 3/4 inch boards we have in the US), and he broke them all successfully. It's pretty easy to get psyched-up in front of all those people and Schnoes admitted that his biggest fear was looking like a looser. Consequently, with the little bit of instruction that he had that moring from his BKH instructor after learning of his advancement to the best 32 (and with, of course, all the body-toughening training he'd experienced during his training at BKH), he broke all his boards: 3, 3, 3 and 3. Interestingly, he nearly broke as many as his opponent who failed to break 5 boards on at least two of his attempts which, according to the rules, limits him to the minimum 3 after one failed attempt.

Schnoes's one fight was a bloodbath, of course. In the Japanese fighter's zeal to destroy the yellow belt in front of him, he accidently punched Schnoes squarely in the mouth less than 20 seconds into the first round. Schnoes went down and the Japanese fighter was cautioned to keep his punches to the body (kicks to the head are legal, but since no gloves are worn punches are limited to body blows). This worked to Schnoes advantage because, with his mouth filling with blood, he went a little nuts and performed beautifully given that it was his first bare-knuckle fight, that he was fighting against such a strong fighter, and that he'd only been training for 80 days.

Schnoes was finally worn down by ten consecutive kicks to his right thigh (we counted them on video) and was finally finished with this high kick to the jaw (below) which shook him but didn't put him down. The four corner judges rescued Schnoes from a second round by deciding that he'd had enough.

Schnoes's true distinction as a champion here his that his fight made him hungary for his next opportunity to fight. He was a stark beginner in a tournament made up of the best in Japan and we didn't expect him to win. Having fought, however, in the real thing, he knows now what to expect and how to shape his training over the next 4 months until his next international tournament experience.

By stark contract, Jarrett McIntyre, seen (still for now) on the main page and fighting in last month's toughman competition, got beaten on his second night in that much-less-dangerous by camparion toughman competition (see previous link in photo journal) and we all found out that he wasn't cut out to be a fighter: He got punched once squarely in the nose, he cast his teacher at BKH a "rescue me, Sensei!" look instead of fighting back, and then he took a second punch to the face which knocked him down. His instructor here at BKH told him (because of course he wasn't injured), "that's okay, McIntyre, you have to lose before you learn how to win. The important thing is that you got out there and fought. There's another toughman in two weeks. You ought to go back out there and 'get back on the horse that threw you' so you'll know you're tough enough to ride." Three days later, McIntyre ran away in the night, his spirit broken by that much less by comparison punch (much less than the bare-knuckle punch Schnoes took to the teeth this week overseas) and he ran away afraid of having to 'get back on the horse' and fight again two weeks later.

Schnoes came back from Japan eagerly planning his training for his next competion, saying, "to hell if I'm going to run away like that sissy! I'm going to regain my honor!" About McIntyre, Schnoes is basically right to feel that way for now since he's young, and he'll learn a little compassion over time for those who who lack the heart to be full-contact fighters. The important thing for him is that he's impatient for his next fight, and the important lesson for you -- the potential applicant -- is to understand that the fighting we do here is the real thing, and the only way to win is to reach down inside yourself and find the strength to 'get back on the horse that throws you' because come here and you should have no doubt that you will be thrown.

International Kyokushinkan Branch Chiefs present at the All-Japan (from left to right) are from Spain, America, America (BKH head instructor, Nathan Ligo, 3rd from left and below), Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Korea, Philippines, Philippines, South Africa, Russia, Russia.

Congratulations to Gen Mizutani (right) who visited BKH as a guest intructor from Japan once last year (see photos from most recent Rochester tournament). Mizutani took 4th place in this year's All-Japan!

Schnoes sits alone watching the rest of the tournament, his leg throbbing, his lip cut, and his heart aching for another opportunity to fight. Only the future will reveal how far he can take it. Guys like McIntyre teach us that you can never be sure about somebody until they've made it all the way. There have been as many as seven residents in the BKH dormitory before and it will take some time to build back up to that point again and beyond. Schnoes came back from Japan sure that he'll be the first to make it through three years. The future will tell.

Check out these images from the finals at the All-Japan (and more at the Kyokushinkan Homepage, above link). The Japanese fighter, above left, became champion. If you knock these competitions because there are no punches to the head, check this out (below).

An instrucor-only training seminar following the tournament.

And there was a one-night instructor's training at Mount Mitsumine were the Kyokushin founder, Mas Oyama, did part of his legendary mountain training years ago. Here we warmed up at 6:00 in the morning for our run.

Some basic training as the sun come up and below we pay our respects at the Japanese Shinto Shrine where the Japanese ask for blessings and good fortune for Kyokushin karate for the upcoming year. (Remember that we don't practice any religious instruction at BKH and rather encourage an open-minded ebrace of all people of all religions.)

The final event of the trip is a mostly-symbolic shower under an icy waterfall where Mas Oyama is said to have meditated daily. It was pretty rough here in a relatively warm November but hats off to Mas Oyama who broke his way through ice and snow to do this in January!