At the age of twenty-one, Nicholas Pettas completed the brutal 1,000-day Uchi-deshi program of Sosai Mas Oyama, which made him the second ever foreign graduate, and second non-Japanese, to ever finish the program (the first being Judd Reid, my first guest on this podcast), and he was the last uchi-deshi of Sosai Oyama, who died soon after his graduation.

After graduating the programme, he competed in several tournaments and achieved many significant titles and honours such as the European Karate Heavyweight Champion in 1995, placing 5th and 3rd place in the World Championships, respectively in 1995 and 1997, and would go on to win the K-1 Japan Grand Prix Championship in 2001, in front of 70,000 people.

He is the author of Blue Eyed Samurai: 1000 days in the young lions dormitory, which chronicles his time as an Uchi-deshi, he currently is a Japanese media personality, staring in several TV shows and movies, an entrepreneur, and became a Reebok Crossfit Ambassador and Trainer, playing a major role in its introduction to Japan. He is also in the process of creating a free audio version of his book!

This is amazing conversation about his time as an Uchi-deshi and later careers. Emotional at times, and so insightful. I really hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.  OSU!

The Tokyo Show: https://www.youtube.com/user/nicholaspettas/

 

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Senpai Kimm Carriere started her Karate career at the age of seven and began competing when she was nine. She competed in her first international tournament in the 2014 Diamond Cup in Belgium. She has become a fixture at Canadian full-contact/knockdown competitions and went on to compete at many international tournaments, representing Shinkyokushinkai Canada. She is the Canadian lightweight champ for the past eight years and has had several podium finishes at international tournaments. Some of the highlights of her tournaments in recent years include:

Diamond Cup (3x)

British Open (3x)

Dageki World Karate Championships (3x)

Shinkyokushin World Cup (2017)

11th and 12th World Karate Championship (2015, 2019)

1st International Full Contact Karate Championships

Carpathia Cup

International Fujiwara Cup

The 1st Americas Full-contact Karate Championship (selection tournament for WFKO World Championship Japan)

On top of all of this, she is a psychologist and a student who is finishing up her PhD.

This is an amazing conversation with an amazing martial artist and person. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Osu!

 

Senpai Kimm Carriere's Dojo, West Island Karate / Karaté de L'Île www.westislandkarate.com, under Shihan John Kalaidopoulos

Senpai Kimm Carriere started her Karate career at the age of seven and began competing when she was nine. She competed in her first international tournament in the 2014 Diamond Cup in Belgium. She has become a fixture at Canadian full-contact/knockdown competitions and went on to compete at many international tournaments, representing Shinkyokushinkai Canada. She is the Canadian lightweight champ for the past eight years and has had several podium finishes at international tournaments. Some of the highlights of her tournaments in recent years include:

Diamond Cup (3x)

British Open (3x)

Dageki World Karate Championships (3x)

Shinkyokushin World Cup (2017)

11th and 12th World Karate Championship (2015, 2019)

1st International Full Contact Karate Championships

Carpathia Cup

International Fujiwara Cup

The 1st Americas Full-contact Karate Championship (selection tournament for WFKO World Championship Japan)

On top of all of this, she is a psychologist and a student who is finishing up her PhD.

This is an amazing conversation with an amazing martial artist and person. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Osu!

 

Senpai Kimm Carriere's Dojo, West Island Karate / Karaté de L'Île www.westislandkarate.com, under Shihan John Kalaidopoulos

Shihan Koen Spitaels is an international legend, one of the leading Kyokushin / Shinkyokushin Karateka in the World and well known tournament fighter. One of the pioneers in Europe who is striving to make different organizations work together. The founder & and chief instructor Niji Yama Dojo.

It was an honour to speak to Shihan Koen, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Osu!

Niji Yama Dojo: https://www.nijiyama.be/Shihan Koen FB: https://www.facebook.com/koen.spitaelsShihan Koen IG: https://www.instagram.com/koenspitaels/

Shihan Koen Spitaels is an international legend, one of the leading Kyokushin / Shinkyokushin Karateka in the World and well known tournament fighter. One of the pioneers in Europe who is striving to make different organizations work together. The founder & and chief instructor Niji Yama Dojo.

It was an honour to speak to Shihan Koen, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Osu!

https://youtu.be/5Gy9VeIrdpg

Niji Yama Dojo: https://www.nijiyama.be/Shihan Koen FB: https://www.facebook.com/koen.spitaelsShihan Koen IG: https://www.instagram.com/koenspitaels/

Sensei Kiley Baker has been training in Martial Arts since 1995 and teaching since 1998. She obtained her San Dan (Third Dan) in 2013 and also her black singlet in Titans Kickboxing.

Sensei Kiley has been teaching and competing in Martial Arts, including Kyokushin for many years. She is a five-time Victorian Kyokushin Full Contact Champion and a two time World Ring Karate Australia (WRKA) Champion. During her fighting career Sensei Kiley has competed and won in many tournaments in Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

Sensei Kiley has also travelled to Thailand on several occasions to attend training camps in Muay Thai Kickboxing.

Sensei Kiley is also the author of Mother Lover Woman Warrior, a book to help women discover and regain their power, and show them how to take back control of their destiny.

As she says, to “embrace perfect imperfection, and discover a better way to be you”.

It was an honour to talk to Sensei Kiley Baker, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! OSU!

Book: https://motherloverwomanwarrior.comEltham Martial Arts Academy: https://elthammartialarts.comEMAA on FB: https://www.facebook.com/elthammartialartsSensei Kiley FB: https://www.facebook.com/kiley.baker.71

Shihan Hugo Perez is the first official member of So-Kyokushin for North America and the Director of the Perez Karate Center in Quebec, Canada

Throughout his career, Shihan Perez participated in many seminars held by renowned masters and instructors and has also participated in numerous national, international tournaments and world championships, including the World Championship held in Osaka, Japan in 2001.

Shihan Perez has become one of the most recognized and respected referees, and is central referee at All Japan and the World Championship.

Between 1999 and 2004 , he was the supervisor of a team of bodyguards during special events held in the City of Montreal. In addition, he has personally been a bodyguard for celebrities such as: Robert de Niro, Sofia Loren, Jackie Chan, Gérard Depardieu, Vincent Perez, Luc Besson and Martin Scorsese.

Shihan Perez opened his first dojo in 2011 in Mercier, Quebec and the dojo has been expanding ever since.

It was an honour to speak to Shihan Perez and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Osu!

You can find Shihan Perez through the following social channels:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/karateperez/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/karateperez/

YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHDhwWTBaAQ4Kgm1-wBsnaw

Website: http://karateperez.com/ckp/

Sensei Emma Markwell is a British AND World Champion in Kyokushin Karate, and podium holder of many International Kyokushin Karate Tournaments. She is a member of the International Federation Karate (IFK) and British Karate Kyokushinkai (BKK).

It was an absolute pleasure to speak to Sensei Emma. We covered her background in Kyokushin, training, her personal coaching and much more. I really enjoyed this conversation, and I hope you do as well. Osu!

You can reach Sensei Markwell via:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/emma.markwell

Markwell Fitness: https://www.lookwellfeelwell.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markwellfitness/

Sensei Steve Fogarasi 4th Dan is the President of IFK Canada and Country Representative. He is also the Owner and Chief Instructor of Contact Kicks Martial Arts, his full-time dojo.

He is also the instructor to myself, of which I am very proud. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Osu!

Sensei Wesley of Holland has competed and placed on the podium of many many tournaments across Europe, Russia and Japan, and after years of training and fighting he opened his own school, 'Dojo Hokori Meiyo'.

Most recently he began a collaboration with Sensei Darren Stringer, KRT Tips & Tricks, where they uniquely pair-up digitally, offering training tips based on the years of tournament and teaching experience.

Sensei Wesley Jansen on FB: https://www.facebook.com/wesley.jansen.980

'Dojo Hokori Meiyo' on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dojohokorimeiyo

Sensei Wesley Jansen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wesjeee90/

Tips & Tricks: https://www.facebook.com/KRT-Tips-Tricks-105182707800402

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-martial-way-podcast/id1299884621