TOKYO – Banff Kyokushin Karate (BKK) is bringing the fight to Japan.
Daymon Miller and Francois Pace of the local martial arts club are set to compete at the 12th World Open Kyokushin Karate Championship on Friday (Nov. 22) in Tokyo, Japan, in the 35+ men’s 80+ kilograms division.
The single elimination style bracket makes for an exciting, but challenging day physically and mentally for the BKK fighters.
“If you win, you carry on. If you lose, you’re out. It makes it pretty unnerving,” said Miller, head instructor at BKK. “We’re going to have at least one fight and hopefully one more and see how it goes after.”
The tournament, held once every four years, is fought under the Kyokushinkaikan style, which places emphasis on realistic movement and fighting. In order to compete in the open tournament, participants must receive final approval from their national head representative for the discipline.
The bouts are full contact with five judges watching combatants fight in a one two-minute main bout with two additional two-minute extension rounds. Victories can be obtained by outpointing or by retiring opponents. It’s one of the largest martial arts gatherings in the world with men, women, seniors, youth and teens all stepping on the mat to square off.
Japan has a rich legacy as one of the world’s greatest cultures of martial arts and combat sports. At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, karate makes its debut and as somewhat of a preview, the local Kyokushin fighters are extremely proud to represent Canada on the international scene at their first opportunity to compete in the Land of the Rising Sun.
“It’s definitely a feather in the cap to say you’ve competed in Japan, whatever the result is,” Miller said, who’s a three-degree black belt in the martial art. “I’ve always wanted to be in a competition in Japan, but I’ve never had the opportunity … so before I get too old and broken, I thought this would be a good chance to do that.”
Miller and Pace have different, yet similar reasons for wanting to enter the tournament. They are both testing themselves and are trying to embrace as many openings to compete.
“As Sensei [Miller] said, at our age if we don’t take these opportunities, then they become missed opportunities. It’s one of the motivating factors,” Pace said.
Pace added the significance of competing in this tournament means moving closer towards receiving a black belt in the discipline. Pace, currently a green belt, said preparation has been “pretty grueling” since they started in August and has been what he’d imagine training to receive his black belt would be.
“It’s next level,” Pace said. “I haven’t trained like this since high school, so I’m in the fittest shape since I played football back in high school.”
Leading up to fight day, Pace will have a week to acclimatize to Tokyo, which is 16 hours ahead of Mountain Time. Miller on the other hand only has about 24 hours from when he arrives at the airport to when he steps onto the mat.
“I’m working pretty much straight to the afternoon of my flight,” Miller said. “I land and it’s basically go-time immediately after that.”
Following the tournament, Miller and Pace, plus other BKK and family members in Japan are going to Mt. Mitsumine, where the founder of the Kyokushinkaikan style, Sosai Oyama, spent two years in solitude at a temple.
The BKK team will spend two days at the mountain temple and train with people from around the globe as part of the trip.
