Closing speech of the IKKF World Championship – Tokyo 2024

My speech touched the hearts of Japanese people during the 3rd IKKF Koshiki World Championship, making some Japanese people cry.

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To close the tournament, we would like to remind everyone that Budo is about peace and harmony.

When war is necessary, Budo teaches us how to return to peace as quickly as possible. Just as you can use a sword to take a life, you can also use it to protect and save a life.

When I see people working so hard to build a truly wonderful event and working together with respect, it reminds us that we are part of something bigger. Together we accomplish amazing things and learn from each other.

As we saw this weekend, Koshiki has the power to bring people together. By working with a sincere heart in the same direction, we can help everyone grow: this is our ultimate goal in sharing the spirit of Budo.

Congratulations everyone.

Arigato gozaimasu.
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To conclude the tournament, I would like to reiterate that martial arts values ​​peace and harmony.

Even when war is inevitable, martial arts teaches us how to quickly return to peace. The sword can be used not only to take human lives, but also to protect and save.

Seeing everyone work so hard, respect each other and work together to make the event a success makes us feel like we’re part of something bigger. By working together, we create great results, continue to learn from each other, and continue to grow.

This weekend I was reminded once again of the power that traditional rituals (Koshiki) have to bring people together. By working sincerely and moving in the same direction, we can all continue to grow and improve. This is the ultimate goal of sharing the spirit of martial arts and ensuring that we all continue to improve every day.

Congratulations everyone.

A thousand thanks.

4th