"Rome Was Not Built in One Day" - John Heywood

In 1964, I arrived in the United States from Japan. I flew over the Pacific Ocean, not in a jumbo jet or other modern airliner, but in the type of propeller plane that was common at that time. Although the world has changed dramatically since then (for instance, Japanese martial arts instructors rarely travel in propeller planes these days) my reason for immigrating to the United States, namely to introduce Western students to the traditional Japanese martial arts, is as valid today as it was in 1964.

I began by teaching karate in the dojo that had been prepared for my arrival. However, the conception and eventual materialization of the Western States Karate Championship tournament very quickly became an integral and essential building block of the cultural exchange that was my dream and that of my Japanese mentors. The WSKC tournament was founded from its earliest days upon three fundamental principles. First and foremost, the purpose of the tournament is the cultural exchange that motivated my immigration to the U.S. The second foundational pillar of the WSKC is local community involvement and charitable activity. Throughout the years of its existence, contributions from tournament proceeds to worthy organizations such as the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation have accumulated to tens of thousands of dollars. The third and final foundational concept of the WSKC was that it would become a vehicle to transmit of the values of Master Funakoshi's dojo kun, most principally, the pursuit of perfection of character.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the tournament's birth. Forty-five years is a long time. John Heywood, the author of the title quote above also said that "many hands make light work" and that "a hard beginning maketh a good ending." The success of our tournament has been the result of many, many willing and generous hands, those of the tournament competitors, financial sponsors, fans, and volunteer staff. Our beginning was hard, this is true. And this year, we face many difficult challenges as a result of economic considerations in both the U.S. and Mexico (by whom we are supported year after year), geopolitical concerns, and even health related issues. While it may be true that a hard beginning leads to a good ending, my hope and dream is that this 45th anniversary will be not an ending, but another successful link in a chain of many years of successful cultural exchange that will carryon long after I have passed the torch on to a new generation of leaders.

Thank you for your support.

Shojiro Koyama

Chairman, Western States Karate Championship Association