What kind of person is Mr. Ishikawa, the representative of Carpe Diem?
How often do you go to the dojo in Carpe Diem now?
Great North:Four to six times a week . Of course, I also do my job (laughs). (Laughs.) Sometimes I go there as a break from work, but in the end, I think I have a strong desire to "get stronger. At first, I wanted to train my mentality, but it sounds like a lie to say that after only a few years like me (laughs). When I told this to Mr. Ishikawa, the representative of Carpe Diem, he laughed at me. His simple answer was that strong people are strong and weak people are weak, which was not the answer I was expecting. But I thought it was interesting that he was different from me. I tend to get passionate about things, and I also like to be moved, and I thought maybe there was an element of that in jiu-jitsu, but Mr. Ishikawa is very calm and unaffected. I thought it was amazing that you have been doing martial arts for more than 10 years and have made it your profession.
. Is Mr. Ishikawa a big part of your life?
Great North:I think that person is Carpe Diem. Mr. Ishikawa = Carpe Diem. He is doing what no other dojo has done before. But he has not destroyed anything. People may be surprised at first, but as time goes by, I think what you are doing will become the standard. I am really glad that I got to know him at his age . In Carpe Diem, all the teachers are very strong. They practice very hard.
Before joining Carpe Diem, did you know about other dojos?
Great North:I had only heard of a few names. I was always afraid of Newaza. I was always afraid of the joint techniques, because they seemed to be very painful (laughs). I still continue kickboxing, but I think that with kicks, for example, if you set up a one, two, three, they come back with a one, two, three, and you want to finish with only an attack, so you break up the combination. But in jiu-jitsu, you go through three or four processes before you get to that point. So it's very good that I do both jiu-jitsu and kickboxing. In terms of body balance, jiu-jitsu puts the center of gravity on the bottom, so the lower half of the body becomes stronger, while kickboxing often takes it to the top, so the upper half of the body becomes stronger. I also think it would be a different style from others, so I continue to do both.
Do you have a lot of jiu-jitsu clothes?
Great North:. Right now, I only buy shoes, used clothes, and street clothes. Recently (at the time of the interview), I bought a knit from "John Smedley" and street clothes (laughs). (Laughs.) I have about 15 pieces of clothing now. . As an excuse, well, I use them, so I can buy them at ...... (laughs). Of course I have to wash them more often, but Carpe diem has a system where they wash them at the dojo after use. The dojo itself is much cleaner than other places.
In a sense, you may be a dojo with an unusual position in the martial arts and jiu-jitsu world.
Great North:（I think you must have had a lot of conflicts. There are so many people practicing jujutsu and martial arts, but it is quite unique that they are not publicized at all.
Return to your lifestyle, Jiu-Jitsu is a big part of your life, isn't it, Mr. Ohkita?
Great North:Yes, when I didn't go to practice for three days, it was a bit of a mess. I almost started shaking (laughs). (Laughs.) I get scared if I don't go to practice. The students are all very kind, but they all want to be strong in some way because it is a martial art, and they all have that kind of feeling.
Jiu-jitsu, as is the nature of the sport, often involves close contact with other people, doesn't it? Has anything changed in that aspect?
Great North:. I don't think I'm as tsuntsun as I used to be. Also, I can't judge him by his looks, so I'm realizing again that I actually have such a strong uncle. You really can't tell by looks. You can't even judge by age. What I took for granted, I am betrayed in a good way.
How do you plan to continue with Jiu-Jitsu in the future?
Great North:This year, I will increase the variety of my techniques. Well, I think I can stay with Jiu-Jitsu for a long time , I think. Work tends to become routine, but it breaks that routine. . For example, if I only did clothes, I might get bored. Salt and Pepper is one example, but jujutsu also gives me a lot of input. Making clothes is a lot of output, and I don't buy that many clothes nowadays. When I go to clothing stores, I look at the fixtures, the overall balance, and the movements of the staff (laughs). (Laughs.) I almost didn't go to a clothing store in New York the other day. The clothes I make are basic, so I don't look at second-hand clothes and find them! I don't find anything like that when I look at old clothes. I also look at a lot of books, so I am less and less impressed when I go to foreign bookstores (laughs). (laughs) . I am thinking about how to create passion.
