An omen cannot be read at all!
Continuous change of Consistent Technique!
The great counterattack of Chinese martial arts!!!
Keisuke Itakagi was blown away by his first experience with inch power!
Against tradition!
KEISUKE ITAGAKI ×SU DONGCHEN
Keisuke Itagaki’s “true story of an expert.”
The fourth conversation with
Essence of Evolution Master SU DONGCHEN
Martial arts are part of a deep tradition, and Chinese martial arts are
as well. But I would also like you to consider food, medicine, and sex;
China is a country which has build and extraordinary culture around common
human instinct. The field of a battle is no exception. I had heard that
Kabukicho was famous for a certain combative martial arts school, and
a certain master; his name is Su Dongchen.
On the day of the interview, Master Su appeared alone, wearing a transcendental
and friendly face.
I thought to myself, “Is this man the fighting type?” Then I saw his
arms extending from the short-sleeved shirt he wore. I heard his quiet,
shy voice. This is not the voice of a fighter. Has he really survived
street fights? This man?
It truly existed: Combative Chinese martial arts.
Photograph1 (right): Reporter - KEISUKE ITAGAKI, born 1957. Creator
of Fighting comics. In his high school days he studied Japanese Shorinji
Kempo. After graduation, he joined the army and began boxing. He fought
in 13 competitions as an amateur boxer, and though he aspired to become
a professional boxer, he gave up because of sickness. He then went on
to become a professional comics writer/artist, creating such titles as
Grappler Yaiba, Hunger Wolf, and Baki. He is also the author of Keisuke
Itagaki’s Fighting Expert Biographies.
Thrilling! Sublime! Brute force of a fighting scene!
Photograph2 (left): SU DONGCHEN. Born in 1953 in Taipei, Taiwan. He began
studying Chinese martial arts, including Xing Yi Quan, at the age of
15, and fought in his first Leitai open tournament at the age of 16,
winning 2nd place. The following year he won 1st place, and received
the nickname “Gifted Child of Leitai.” At age 23, Master Su emigrated
to Japan, where he researched Japanese Bushido (martial ways.) He met
with several prominent figures in Japanese Bushido, including Mas Oyama,
founder of Kyokushinkai Karate, and So Dojin, founder of Shorinji Kempo.
He formed "Essence of Evolution" in 1998 in order to act
as a professor of martial arts principle. Master Su has taught in Japan,
France, Israel, the United States, and other nations.
Photograph 1 (right): Master Su played an active role in the Leitai
tournaments in the second half of his teens.
Photograph 2 (left): Keisuke Itagaki and Su Dongchen.
The spiral that reverberated around the world!
I wanted to meet an expert who has stood on the field of battle, to see
and hear an expert who is not protected! Although I thought that was
the case, Master Su’s talk was too horrible. Much of it cannot be written.
The front lines of combat are severe indeed.
Time to change the subject.
The Japanese people have an expression: “Go to the Extremes.” They choose
one way of study and pursue it to extremes. In the world of Bushido,
there is also talk of “secrets” (secret techniques, etc.)
If seen from different angle, when there is an ache, I want to stop exercising
early. When what lies before you is unclear, the goal we strive for is
secret. Therefore, I may look to go directly to the end. But Taiwanese
master Su Dongchen does not subscribe to this philosophy; for him, it
is not a question of how far one can go, but rather how one proceeds.
The best way is not always forward. Secrets do not exist for the expert
who continues evolution. KEISUKE ITAGAKI
Magazine
