元原子力空母ジョージワシントンの乗組員で、合気サンボの稽古を週４，５回繰り返し三年後に黒帯を手得されアメリカへ帰られました。
在日中は、平日は月曜日から金曜日までベースの道場で稽古して、そして週末は暑くても寒くても鎌倉の海、三浦半島の海での野外稽古にも積極的に参加して、日本の食事、温泉などの日本文化を体験されました。
今思えば懐かしいお思いですが、１２月の大晦日の夜、テレビで紅白歌合戦を見ながら、日本酒と鍋料理をたべ、ベルニー公園へ新年を告げる船の汽笛と花火を見に行きました。翌日正月元旦剣崎の岩場で荒波にむっかて突き蹴りの稽古をしたのを懐かしく思います。
故郷のミシシピーでいつか合気サンボの支部道場ができればいいなと思っています。
今現在はカリフォルニアのテコンドーの道場に通われています。転勤で将来日本へ再度来れることを祈ります。再会の日が楽しみです。
Hello Everyone.
My name is David Foster and I am a short, twenty five year-old athletic black guy and a USA Navy sailor. I am originally from a small town named Cleveland, Mississippi and grew up there. I am not here to talk about myself. Something much bigger than myself has been introduced to me and is now with me for life. It is called Aikisumbo.
I have always wanted to learn martial arts since I was a kid, but my parents were always in a financial struggle and could not afford it. I loved to watch a lot of kung fu movies and the Bruce Lee films. Fast forward up to 2011 and that’s when I stumbled across Aikisumbo.
Many people may not have heard of this martial art because it is a new born. It is a composition of Russian Sumbo, Karate, Aikido, and many other fluid movements. It will flow well with anyone looking for an all-around self-defense. The founder is a man by the name a Kenji Nakazawa. Kenji was born and raised in Japan and has spent a great deal of time in the USA.
I pray that anyone who visits Japan will have the privilege of meeting him. He has so much to teach and just one minute of his instruction is enough to make you grow into a better man or woman. Aikisumbo allows the practitioner to become healthier and increases the confidence in one’s self by strengthening their spirit. I have trained in this art for three years while I was in Japan, 5-6 days a week. I completed many intensive one on one private lessons as well and I have to say, it was the hardest thing that I have ever done in my life. Aikisumbo will show anyone who practices it, their lack of disciplines in all other areas of life as well.
Through this process one becomes humbled and more enlightened. It is like climbing Mt. Everest except people make it out alive in this one. I strongly encourage anyone who takes this art to stick with for the rest of their life because with this art, one can practice and learn easily from any other art. I can talk all day about the great power of this art but in order to truly experience it, you must do it. I wish everyone a blessed day! Thank you.
David Foster
