Feature Friday: Sadaharu Honda
Welcome back to Feature Friday, where we introduce you to someone within or related to our organizations by asking them a few questions and presenting their answers to you.
Today we feature Sensei Sadaharu Honda. Sensei Honda was Captain of the Waseda University Karate Club (Sensei Tabata’s alma mater) and trained with some of the great names of Shotokan Karate. He is the founder and Saiko Shihan (Chief Instructor) of Mumon Shotokan. His full biography can be found on Mumon’s page, here.
Why and how did you get started in Karate?
At the age of 17, I enrolled at a Waseda (Wa-se-da) High School in Tokyo. While commuting to the school approximately one hour away, I encountered the town bullies several times on the train and at the stations. Because of this, I was encouraged by my father who took Judo from the famed TOKU-san BO-Kodo Kan’s 9th Dan, to take a self-defense of some kind. Waseda High School being a part of Waseda University, I was able to register with the Waseda University Karate Club. The University’s Karate Club was established by Master Funakoshi in 1932 under their Athletic Program. Waseda was the 4th university in Japan, where Master Funakoshi taught on a regular basis. That was my start with Shotokan style Karate. Waseda is the same University that created many great karateka including Tabata Kazumi.
What is your current rank and or position?
I am the Founder of MUMON Karate based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I obtained San-Dan (3rd degree) – the highest awarded to active students by Waseda University in 1962, in accordance with Funakoshi’s rules at that time that the highest university level rank is 3rd Dan. After graduation, one could pursue up to 5th dan (go-dan) from the Waseda Karate Club. I obtained 5th dan in 1976 from Watanabe, Kamata. Only a few universities still follow Master Funakoshi’s 5 Dan structure. Waseda, Keio, and a few other original Shotokan universities continue to follow the structure. 5th dan Waseda graduates including Ohshima, Tsutomu of Shotokan Karate of America, Honda, Sadaharu of MUMON Karate, and Harada, Mitsusuke of KDS in England, UK.
What motivates you to get to the dojo every week?
As Funakoshi proselytized “Karate goes beyond the dojo (school).” I consider Karate practice is like breathing, in that, Karate practice is with me all the time even when I walk my little forest garden. A dojo practice is the time to get together with the fellow Karateka and check my progress in the group environment and to be inspired by other Karateka.
Who have been your biggest influences in karate?
Master Funakoshi passed away on my first official day with the Waseda University level Karate Club in 1957, which left a lasting impression on me. I was influenced a lot by my university coach, Mr. Matsuo Shibuya, and my seniors Shigeru Egami (now Egami Ryu and the founder of Shotokai and the first captain at Waseda University (1932), Tadao Okuyama (captain 1942). The significance of the training by my coaches Okuyama, Egami and Shibuya came to me 60 years after my university days and is now of deep significance in my karate.
What direction would you like to see karate take in the future?
Karate’s path like other MARTIAL arts is towards Budo. Japanese budo describes a movement art, a lifelong pursuit that is not age dependent, and encompasses all aspects of life, body, and mind. Sports Kumite (the Shiai) as seen in competition does not reflect the Japanese traditional Art, because it has been narrowed by rules to very limited aspects of karate. Similarly, modern day kata competition has a limited purpose and application, therefore reduced to entertainment versus the practical value to the Karateka. This is not to say entertainment doesn’t have its place, but it is only one avenue in a life-long journey. I would like to see more practitioners pursuing Budo, so that more understand at a higher-level like Masters Funakoshi, Okuyama, and Egami.
Budo which is over 800 years old is valued as a part of Japanese culture. The Japanese recognize the importance of Budo and have established the Budokan to preserve and perpetuate Budo in the Japanese Martial Arts. For the practitioner, as the meaning and understanding of Budo Karate becomes deeper, the access to more advanced and more effective karate becomes accessible. There is no reason that the Japanese should be the only ones to recognize the value of Budo.
In the spirit of Budo, I would like Karate instructors to strike a balance between commercial gain and maintaining a transfer of high-level understanding, advanced techniques, and pursuit of Budo. For those who have made Karate a living, they have productized it to the point where access and progress is gated by financial gain, which doesn’t align with the desired outcome of passing on the Art of Karate and generating high-level karate practitioners. If it takes you 50 years and $50k to master the techniques of karate then the instructors have failed the student and lost valuable time to pass on their knowledge.
What advice can you give the next generation for being successful in life and/or Karate?
To the next generation Karateka. Karate is for everyone, not just the elite, however choose your Karate instructor carefully as that determines your potential and future in the Art. I did not decipher for many years the importance of distinguishing the right person to associate especially at the higher rank. It is difficult to find a life time teacher. Remember the quote “A good and responsible Karate teacher is selective and refuse you three times to accept you to join-to check your seriousness.”
Thank you for your time, Sensei Honda!
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