Jeren Nishimoto with "Most Outstanding Competitor award" trophy at the 50th anniversary All Hawaii State Karate ChampionshipsJeren Nishimoto, an 11-year-old at Niu Valley Middle School won the 50th Anniversary All Hawaii Karate State Champion’s “Most Outstanding Competitor award” on Saturday November 28, 2009. It was quite an impressive feat; the six-foot trophy is taller than Jeren. Dean Nishimoto Jeren’s father spoke about his son’s dedication to Karate. “Karate has been a blessing, and a lot of hard work.”

Although Karate originated in Japan, its historical timeframe is somewhat disputed. Karate can be described as a way of defending oneself using one’s hands as weapons. Hollywood popularized the practice of martial arts in the 1970’s action films, but there is more to Karate than what we see in the movies. Karate is sometimes referred to as ‘Karate-do’ in order to emphasize the complex combination of physical, philosophical, ethical and spiritual practices. 

With its historical ties to Japan, Hawaii has been a forerunner in popularizing Karate (the movie The Karate Kid was actually filmed in Hawaii). In 1966 Sensei (“teacher” in Japanese) Chuzo Kotaka founded the International Karate Federation (IKF) in Hawaii. Originally from Japan, Mr. Kotaka moved to Hawaii after visiting and falling in love with the islands. Sensei Kotaka, a champion himself, won the All-Japan Championship in 1962. In 2002, his son, George Kotaka, who is also a Sensei, won the first Gold Medal for the USA at the World Championship.

The Kotakas have trained many champions at their dojos. “Dojo” literally means, “place of the way” and it refers to anywhere Japanese martial arts is being taught and practiced. The IKF has 12 dojos on Oahu. According to their website, the IKF dojos promote the principles of “Respect, Self-Discipline, Humility and Work Ethic.” Both Jeren and his sister Tahra practice six days a week. They attend the Kamiloiki Dojo in Hawaii Kai as well as the IKF Dojo in University Square.

Participants from around the world, including Japan, attended the 50th Anniversary All Hawaii Karate State Champions competition. In order to win the award, Jeren had to win the most medals throughout the event. He won 7 Gold, 3 Silver and 2 Bronze medals. He won an impressive 24 of the 29 individual matches he competed in, granting him the “Most Outstanding Competitor” award. Jeren competed in three different types of events: Kata (the art), Kubodo (weapons) and Kumite (sparring).

Karate is a family sport for the Nishimotos. Jeren first started learning Karate at the age of five, after his mother spoke with Sensei Chuzo Kotaka. He encouraged her to bring her children to come and watch them practice. She said, “Sensei Chuzo was so polite, I thought it would be good for my kids to be around him.” The first day Jeren and his older sister Tahra went to watch, they fell in love with the sport and it’s been non-stop ever since. According to Mr. Nishimoto, Karate has also produced good schoolwork as well, giving them a sense of focus and commitment.

What is next for this “outstanding” competitor? This March, Jeren is headed to Osaka, Japan to visit his grandparents for their 50th anniversary and to compete in the USA Goodwill Tournament. Tahra, Jeren’s older sister, who is a freshman at Kaiser High School, also competes in matches. Last year, at the same tournament in Japan, she won an award for Kata, making her an international champion.

Utilizing the spiritual side of Karate-do, the Nishimoto family also practices Soka Gakkai (SGI), a Buddhist organization that promotes individual and universal peace and happiness. In Hawaii, SGI recently celebrated its 35th Anniversary. The Nishimotos attend the SGI community center in Haha’ione District. Jeren’s father emphasized that SGI, like all religious practices, “keeps you on the right track.” In a nutshell, Buddhism is a philosophy and practice that believes in taking responsibility for your own life, which in turn can awaken you to your limitless potential. For more information on SGI please visit the website at: www.sgi.org.

Jeren draws inspiration from his Senseis. Who knows? Perhaps one day he will follow in their footsteps. No matter what the future may hold for Jeren, at the young age of 11, he is already a champion. For more information about how to get your child involved in an IKF Karate Dojo, please visit the following website: www.ikfhawaii.com.