I have been always interested in the internal aspect of karate. I believed karate had to be more than just the athletic body and the work of muscles. In search for knowledge, I tried different styles and training approaches before finally committing to the Traditional/Shotokan style of karate thought by Sensei Hidetaka Nishiyama.
The style showed a strong influence of Japanese budo and was highly coherent both technically and strategically. Sensei Nishiyama was a direct student of Master Gichin Funakoshi (father of modern karate-do) and needs little introduction for someone who is familiar with development of karate after the war. Unfortunately, not many realize how deep his impact was in the context of improving the art. The system he developed throughout his life was truly exceptional on both strategic and technical levels. Until this day I consider training under Sensei Nishiyama to be the greatest privilege on my karate journey.
Like many traditional karate enthusiasts, I used to favor the old and reject anything that was new and innovative. I believed the “truth” had been hidden in the ancient teachings and no one should change or modify it. Years later, I realized that the technique was a unique, individual expression of physical, mental and spiritual force and it simply has to keep changing over time in order to reflect the technical and spiritual growth of the karateka. The best example of positive change was Sensei Nishiyama’s work itself – changing and adapting over time, inspiring and original.
Today my focus is on continuous development of both karate technique & strategy and body movement in general. Finding old principles’ new meanings has never stopped and my work inside and outside karate reflects that. The projects such as “Budo4sports” and “Yin & Yang Footwork” are quintessential in terms of applying ever-evolving principles to body movement and reaction timing in sports.
Sensei Kamil Kroczewski has been studying karate for over twenty five years. He was a student of Sensei Hidetaka Nishiyama and instructor at the National Karate Institute in Los Angeles, which at the time was the most prestigious traditional karate dojo in the world. Kamil Kroczewski is the author of “Karate: Reinventing the Technique” – the first book explaining homogenous nature of all karate techniques.