PERSOIIA PRG]IIE:
Toyotar Miyazak
fhePerfec] lechnician by HermanPetras
Mr. Miyozokiis o quiet,modestmon who'drotherfighl thon tolk obout il.
He's cool, corelul ond close lo being the perlect korolelo. . .whelher perlorming kofo or in kumite. Speclolorsoppreciole him. . .opponenls odmire ond rerpecl him. He's os fqsl os o strikingsnoke. . .ond iust.os dbodly. If you've ever seen him fight, you'll know the following description barely scratchesthe surfaceof truth. If you haven't seen him in combdt, a new definitionof karate awaits you. . He's Mr. Ice-nerves himself. Calm, cool and collected is a cliche when applied to his subtle, fearless technique. He stands firmly, feet planted in the hnrse stnnr:e, patiently waiting rvith hands quick as a lizard's tongue to catch a careless fly. He barely rnoves, though kicks and puhchesfrom determined opponentsrvhiz by inches arvayfrom his head. He doesn't screamkiais every five secondsand
throw wild, off-balancepurrchesevery ten; he waits and waits. . .and waits. And when you make your mistake, he scores,sometimesso fast, you don't even realize you've been hit! It's been said by many top karatekas that he has possiblythe fastestpunchin competitiontoday. Born in Tokyo,Japan,ToyotaroMiyazakibegan studying karate at the age of sixteen with Master TomasoburoOkano,incidentally,receivedhis first degree black belt. from Master Funakoshiwithin one year, a feat aceomplished by only two other men in Master Funakoshi'slifetime. Muyaaaki tl
Mr. Miyarokioimshisfomousside kickoi BernordPierce,his porlnerin doio in JocksonHts.,New York.
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received his first degree black belt after three years of concentrated study. To more readily aP preciate this fact, one must remember that in Japan, black belt certificates are not run off daily on a multilith machinel They are earned, and the only wa.y a karateka can earn one is to excel in his craft. Mr. Miyazaki does that, and more, his small, but intimate dojo in Jackson Ai Heights, New York, which he shares in partnership with his friend and co-instructor, sandan, Bernard Pierce, Mr. Miyazaki tried as best he
could to manage the English language and put up with a,host of questions. He was humble, modest, anxious to be of assistance,but as quiet as the way he fights. To get him to talk about himself in any detail is quite an achievement in itself. He smiles shyly, almost blushes in fact, and nods his head in affirmation rvhenever he agrees and says, "I think so." When he doesn't agree, he shakes his head and says quietly, almost apologetically, "I don't think so." He's a man of ferv rvords! He has been in America two years now and
Men who hove fought him hove only lhe greotestre3Fectlor his obitity,Joe Hoyer considershim the best fighter he's met.
is a third degree black belt. In Japan, he explained, the teaching emphasis is on form, on balance, on the kata. They teach form over and over all the time so that you get better and better," he said. Mr. Pierce who sat in and occasionallyinterpreted for us offered, "What they don't tear.h is instnnt lcamte!" "American's are very strong," Miyazaki said. "They fight very good." "But it wasalso brought out that Americans give points for techniques that wouid not be expected of a white belt in Japan. let alone a black belt here in tournament play. There are no points scored for a shuto, whether to the head, the back or the face. Certainly no point is allorved for a kick to the groin. This is the American influence. In Japan, points are given for reverse punches and front kicks and excellence in technique. These are the areas in which Mr. Miyazaki excels, needlessto say. The Japanese rely solely on balance and execution, plus their incredible speed. All these equal strength. If there's no balance, there is no focus. The opponent, therefore, theoretically, could survive the blow. However. rvhen the kick or punch is executed with balance, rvith precision and focus, then, and this is not so theore. tic, the opponent would,not survive. And that is the essenceof karate; the one all-powerful deathblow, not a series of jibs and jabs and shutos to the buttocks! Form, they insist, is all-important. When you have form, there is less risk of being awkward, off balance, of getting hit with a lessthan-per{ect blow. "In Japan", Miyazaki rvent on, "they teach the way of karate." In America, unfortunately, they seem to teach the "way of the tournament" (author's quotes)! It is this form, this balance that has enabled Toyotaro Miyazaki to lvin ten of his trvelve tournaments (not trvo dozen as another magazine misquoted). There is never an unnecessary move on
A view of how it looks when his fontosticolly fosi reverse punch breoks through defenses, os il hos done r,..ny limes, qnd scores, r7
Mlyoroli ls o ruperb counlerpuncher who generolly woils for his opponent to commit him:elf before delivering hls deodly blowr,
his part. He appearsto just standthere, eyes fixed on his opponent, watching, waiting, and then .. .zap! There's a foot in your face! Because his Master, Mr. Okano, was not a member of a controlling organization in Japan, Miyazaki was not allorvedto participate in tournament competition.His first tournamentplay was in California shortly after he had arrived from Japan.It was his first loss.Theremight have been any number of excusesgiven for the loss, e.g.: American style karate differs markedly from the Oriental; Miyazaki had never fought in tournament competitionbefore; he was unfamiliarwith scoring system, etc. However, these would 'Mr. have been just what they soundlike; excuses. Miyazaki offered the one and-onlyreasonfor the loss: Ron Marchini, the man he fought that night. "When he startshisattack," Miyazakiremembered, "He is-very fast. He is very strong. Some other peopleI have fought may be a little faster, but Ron Marchiniis the strongest.Yes, I think so. It was the first time I fought here, that tournament in California, and I lost. I think I got the first punch in. The next time he got the puneh. Next time I did the roundhousekick, he got the punch. One referee gave me the point, but the other refereesgave him (Marchini)theotherpoints.
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Miyazaki's most recent tournament (and second loss) was at the Richard Chun 1969Universal Open Karate and Tournament of Champions. He was pitted against the inimicable Joe Hayes that night, and Hayes rvas ultimately crowned Grand Champion, defeating everyone he faced. Mr. Hayes also provided an interesting opinion and insight into Miyazaki. Asked who he considered his toughest opponent, sometime after the townament, during an interview, Mr. Hayes said: "My best competitor, the one I really enjbyed fighting with, who gave me a really hard time, rvas Miyazaki. He fights just like me, you know, the same style. It's like fighting yourself. He makes the air crackle. He makes everybody crackle!" Smiling to himself as though he were picturing again that fantastic bout, Hayes went on; "He's so short you know . He's beautiful. He's cool. Like, he just gets under your skin. He's fantastic. The first time I fought hirn in Master Cho's tournament (Miyazaki rvon that one, by the way, on a close decision). I just felt so great about fighting him, because it was something I'd never experienced before, fighting a great competitor like him. All I cah say is, it was unbelievable, fantastic. I wor-rldn'tmind fighting him a thousand times over. (Continuedon page60)
If a special troPhY were ever given Trias, was biased and asled for a raw iourage and self discipline, my for Steen, continue' changebeforehewould winner would be for Rardy on" Jf th" judges took over the referee .,.rtefor the Peoria, Illinois RandY, judge's of Holman his position and Ttias assumed was fighting for Ist dace belt, a brown seat. heavvweisht and a chance to fight for [,ewis' matches with Artie Simmons in the finals. He drew a were an anti-climx to tbe previoLrs lst tlat riight the first clashhescored On hu"tei. he"a of two bout, There were 3 matches ribs and receivedthe the a seiken to accumulatotal with a each mirutes One cut, no Point' mouth. the to the same iion of points declaring Lewis he struck a light clash on the second a in second tbe Year Grand ChamPion and received a deep cut slluto contact row, approximately3/'1" longabovethenose' After the presentation of trophies' After the doctor's examinatron, lt was Lewis Dirk Mosig wdked uP to Joe recommendedtheY take a break' end said that somedaysomeonebigger While the refereesdiscussedthe docthing same. and shonger would do the opinion' Randy stood-at attention over tor's all started slmost it and to him, who ii" opponent wandered around *ttit. again. Lewis chaltenged Dirk, stopping to converse-withhis offer ring the the made Lewis -WithG Then dZchned. tlirty minutes,the match sensei. hearing within to snyone on stage or boysattack€d,clashBoth up again. backed began on stage reryoni E distarrce. some-body blows getting in walked and ing a couple of steps, and Lewis he was.hitin retreated, Randy as But lobbY. the to hard detiberate judge with in the f""" ibu domnp"ts,'Wottg Slocki-a "giintime it was a cut on the contact. Thii metch, "Moore was luckY nose, and the doctor thought it had been Lewis &dn't hll him' His lioken, after thb leferees,Harrisonand head was hitting the floor aninto Trias, discussed the situation, it was uP and bouncing declded to disqualifv his opponentfor other Punch. I didn't think going walk to unnecessarycontact The doctor said was Moore Randy should go to the hospital for awaY ftom it." I' seen stitcies and medical treatrnent, but Have Ic Lauis You Randv wanted to compete that evenhanY of Vic's matches?He I face' goes the ing, io only went to the motel to rest' for alwaYs w-n"" nanilv went on stage to fight dm't like that' I alwaYsgo in once OnlY for fust pl,ace,his oppone-ntofthe evenfor the bodY. ins. nuiv Funtez, withdrew from the the Intemational s did Ihit shoulthat and figiit b""au." h" had a disloc-ated face a man in the ' dlr from the eliminationsand didn't feel was an accident and mishe could continue. Randy was awarded take for me. MaYb€on th€ ffrst place in tnown b€lt kumite and lst street, if I were defending go for the ob"J itt bto*n belt kata, which he mYself, I would Lad won beforethe kumite eliminations' heed. but not in tqrmahim a ment. So I taught lesson." Vic Moore - (who was act' . ing as if he were going to climb uP on stage to fight Lewis again and had to li€ qui€ted bY Janet Walgr€n ;nd Jim Harison) "The match wasn't fair' I want mY Fint. I got a Point to Lewis' head and theY didn't award it to me' The h€ad is mY main target area. The bodY is lewis' main tarqet area. When they eliminated the h€ad, it gave Lewis a big advanPROFILE: taqe." PERSONAT lim Hanison - "The fight MIYAZAKI TOYOTARO isn't overyet' IfVicdoesn't hit IECHNIshut up, I'm going to THE PERFECT him. too. I'd rather not do CIAN it in the tonrnament, but (Continued from Page 14) if that's what it comesto I will. Vic thinks he's He's a geat competitor." touqh, and I think I'm In thit Toumament of Champions touch too. MaYbe somei ai"pt"va the icy-nervedtech is Uiv"rtt who out find we'll day form that has made nlm and niqw better."
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