Realizzata da Budo International magazine.
Traduzione di De carlo Gabriele
IN ITALIAN LANGUAGE

Taiji Kase was born in Japan on January 9th, 1929. He is one of the few masters who at 74 still remains fully active. Married and father of two daughters, he has dedicated his life to the practice and instruction of karate-do. He suffered a heart attack on the 31st of May1999, from which he had to be "re-animated" with electro-shock treatment and stayed for twenty days in the American Hospital in Paris. This has not prevented him from continuing with his aim of elevating karate to its highest peak, allowing all Karate practitioners access to the deeper aspects of this admirable and fascinating art.

When Taiji Kase was 6 years old, he had already started practicing Judo, obtaining his 2nd Dan in 1944. This same year, he began practicing Karate-Do. This happened after seeing in a bookstore the book "Karate-Do Kyohan" written by Sensei Gichin Funakoshi (1868 - 1957). He was very impressed by it because, although he already knew Judo, Kendo and Aikido, he was not familiar with Karate-Do. He then decided to meet Gichin Funakoshi, who took him on as his pupil in the Shotokan Dojo, after being assured by young Kase's interest. Taiji Kase was then 15 years old and remembering those days, he told us the following story:

" In 1944 the people who owned a katana (samurai sword), a firearm or who practiced karate had to inform the police about it, because they considered it a weapon, which was not the case with the other martial arts."

At this time he was practicing both Judo and Karate. When he was about to obtain his 3rd dan in Judo, he had to stop practicing it, since karate took most of his time. And also 'he said smiling' sometimes in the Judo randori (combat) he used Karate techniques and did not let his opponents practice. He also practiced some Aikido, getting to know Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of this art, and Noriaki Inoue, Aikido master of Shigeru Egami, both masters he said "had an incredible level". Master Kase was not only coached by Gichin Funakoshi but also by other masters and instructors, as we will see in the interview to follow on the following pages.

At the end of March 1945, when he was only 16 years old, he enlisted in the Navy, joining the Kamikaze special force. However, the war ended in August of that same year. He usually says that since he could have died in the war and is alive, he never has a reason to be sad. And this is so, because you can always see him smiling or with a special inner mood.

He graduated from the University of Senshu with a degree in Economic Science in March 1951. He says this cheerfully as, since he was training, he did not have time to prepare for the exams, and what he did was sign as captain of the Karate team, getting good results.

When the war ended, the Shotokan dojo had been destroyed due to the bombing. Yoshitaka Funakoshi (1906-45) had died from lung Gangrene o similar and all of his surviving pupils were scattered all round Japan. Master Kase was not able to find a Dojo in which to practice, so he went back to Judo, until Gichin Funakoshi got the Shotokan group together again.

In 1946 he obtained the Shodan (1st Dan) in Karate-Do and in 1949, when he was captain of the team in the Senshu University, he obtained the sandan (3rd dan). In this same exam, the captain of the Chou University (Takagi) and the one of Takushoku University (Shimamura) also obtained their 3rd Dan. Master Shimamura was senior to Master Nishiyama who obtained sandan a year later.

Master Kase joined the J.K.A in order to be a professional teacher, which was what he always wanted to be. However, he has always performed a special Karate. Eventhough he was Chief Instructor in the European J.K.A., he has always kept in touch with masters from the N.K.S. (Nihon Karate-Do Shotokai) although these two groups became separated when Gichin Funakoshi died. It was normal for Kase to kkep up this relationship with these two groups as his main teachers were Genshin Hironishi (1913-81), Chief Instructor of the Shotokan Dojo and President of the Japanese Shotokai. He also has an excellent relationship with Takagi, current president of the N.K.S, both being from the same generation and training colleagues.

Kase says that his Karate is Shotokan Ryu Kase Ha, meaning Shotokan with the qualities he has added - his personal touch.

In Japan, one of his tasks was to train the J.K.A. instructors in Kumite (combat), among who were: Enoeda, Ochi, Shirai and many others. Something little known is that he was responsible for taking care of the "challenges" to the J.K.A.

In the post-war period (1945-1952), when Japan was under the control of the American police, he won many fights and ended up with real combat experience. He mentions now that is not the true Budo Spirit, but under those circumstances

In 1964 he left Japan to teach in the following countries:

In 1964 he spent three months in South Africa. In 1965 he taught in South Africa with masters Kanazawa, Enoeda and Shirai. That same year he taught seminars in U.S.A. and Germany. From October 1965 to March 1966 he was in the Netherlands and Belgium. From March to August 1967 he went to Milan to help Master Shirai establish himself, until 1967 when he arrived in France and settled permanently in Paris.

During his first months in Paris he had to prove himself and therefore had to combat with the French Karate champions and experts. Little by little he demonstrated that his karate was far superior, and had nothing to do with their knowledge until then. According to Henry Plee, pioneer of French karate, once you saw Taiji Kase in action, you admired and respected him because, "he goes directly to the essential, technique for him is only the means. What is really important is the result".

Another important date is when, in 1986, he decided to close up his Dojo in Paris, and go around the world teaching his art, which he still does to date.

With respect to the different Kaate evolutionary stages, he personally divides them into: The Okinawa, the Japanese and the Yoshitaka stage. And although he would never say this, his pupils, followers and their generations would add one more, the Taiji Kase stage.

In 1989, with Hiroshi Shirai, he founded the WKSA (World Karate-Do Shotokan Academy). Its main assignment is the education of the Black Belts and professionals of Karate-Do Shotokan, his principal interest is that they continue to progress and to keep improving future generations.

Even though Kase controls the complete Karate arsenal, his leg techniques were what really amazed everybody especially the back kick and kaiten geri (back kick from the front leg [360 degs!]) which he created. Furthermore, he developed the open hand techniques with fast, precise, powerful movements and kamae (preparation positioning) another of his specialties. But much more than this is his development of the finer aspects of Budo and Karate in particular. For all these reasons it might seem that Master Kase is only a warrior, a Samurai. But those of us who have had the fortune of knowing him personally, know that besides being a Samurai, he is an affectionate person with a great personality and modest, an example of harmony between body and spirit.