In the month he's spent in Prince George as a guest instructor of the Hart Judo Academy, Kazunari Akashi has developed a few likes and dislikes about his new surroundings.
Having grown up in densely-populated Japan, where he was a 60-kilogram all-Japan high school champion, he likes the wide-open spaces and untouched nature Canada has to offer. But the weather is a bit too cold for him and like most of us thinks this winter has lasted too long. He comes from Fukuoka in southern Japan, where snow is a rare occurrence.
Akashi speaks very little English and his desire to learn the language so he can teach judo internationally is what brought him to Prince George. Hart Academy head instructor Bruce Kamstra heard through a contact from Victoria who now lives in Japan that Akashi wanted to come to Canada. Kamstra contacted him through email and convinced him to come to Prince George as a guest instructor for one year in return for room and board. He arrived in the city a month ago.
"I like Prince George, the people have a sense of humour and they are friendly," said Akashi, through an interpreter. "I like the kids here. They have more fun here. Judo is one of the traditional sports in Japan and the kids are more serious and they want to beat to everybody. Kids here are in it more for fun.
"I would like to raise the level of judo in Prince George. I would like to introduce the way I trained in Japan to the kids here."
Having grown up in a country in which judo is a national sport as popular as hockey is in Canada, he finds it difficult to accept that most Canadian kids treat it more like a hobby. In Japan, kids who compete in judo don't drop their sport to go on spring or summer vacations. Time off from school means more time to train for judo.
"They have a system in Japan how to teach judo, it's in the public school system and if you want to pursue it then it's seven days a week in the good schools," said Kamstra. "When he was high school he did two hours of morning training with sit-ups, push-ups and chin-ups, then school all day, then three hours of judo training, 365 days of the year."
He was one of only 20 judo students accepted into Kokushan University. While with the national team he was ranked second in the 60kg class and came close to making the Japanese Olympic team. He trained with Keiji Suzuki, a two-time heavyweight world champion and 2004 Olympic champion. Now 30, Akashi retired as an athlete five years ago.
Having spent so much time on the judo mats, Akashi has the cauliflower ears to prove it.
While completing a phys-ed degree at university his national team tours took him to judo events in Russia, Korea, Myanmar and Australia.
"His university is producing world and Olympic champions and he's very good," Kamstra said. "He was on the national [B] team for a number of years in Japan and the depth is so great in Japan, I would equate his level to like the NHL in hockey.
"He's big on the fundamentals and I've seen a big improvement in our kids already, just in one month, because he's so picky and he makes them do more. Everyone is inspired."
On a recent roadtrip to the West Edmonton Mall, where his Hart Academy students competed in an international tournament Akashi discovered his favourite Canadian restaurant -- Hooters -- and it wasn't because of the food.
Kamstra wants other Prince George judoka outside of his own club to benefit from Akashi's teaching ability and plans to invite some of those higher-level athletes to the Hart club for regular two-hour training sessions. There will also be a one-week, four-hour-per-day camp offered in August.
"I'm trying to talk him into staying longer than a year, we'll have to get him a girlfriend here," laughed Kamstra.
See Tuesday's Citizen for coverage of Saturday's Prince George Open tournament.
