OBC KM1-2 November 2025
By Mads Villadsen, 20 years old, 1st kyu, Yakami Shinsei-ryu Taijutsu & Karate-do (the multi-track martial arts system), 1st kyu, Bujutsu Kodosokukai Jikitai Karate-do (Originally old Original Okinawa Karate-do), 1st dan, Bujutsu Kodosokukai sports karate-do (Gensei-ryu legacy from 1965 and comparable degree to Shotokan, Goju-ryu, Taekwondo, Judo, Jujutsu, Kendo, etc.), board member Jokokan Ballerup Karate School.
There is a very special atmosphere in Måløvhallen when OBC training begins. It is filled with focus, intensity, anticipation and bad humor. OBC is not just about technique — it is about inspiration, immersion and creating a common thread in one's development. For me, the day was also part of my graduation, and therefore I had to demonstrate a lot in front of the others. Just the thought of being the center of attention made me nervous. I wanted to do it perfectly, especially because I knew everyone would be looking at me.
Just like in 2024, the focus was on KataFit. MBH was cancelled as a warm-up, and KataFIT 1S started (at your own pace!). Magnus and I were supposed to stand in the middle and demonstrate right from the start.
I knew the techniques and the execution. They were in my body as routine. But the feeling of being judged made everything much bigger. My body was calm, but inside there was pressure. I couldn't stand making mistakes because I knew it would be noticed.
Every time I had to demonstrate, my thoughts would swirl around:
“If I make a mistake, the others will do it wrong too, because they are looking at me. That must not happen.”
In the middle of KataFit, Kimu-Sensei stopped and looked directly at me and told everyone that I was a role model because my attitude and development were an example for others. I knew I had been singled out earlier, and that it was probably true — but when he then turned to my training partner Magnus and said “you’re not quite there yet,” my whole body felt hot. I tried to laugh it off, but inside I felt exposed. I had just done my best. I just wanted to do my best — not overshadow Magnus.
KataFit is a very effective form of training, even though we only had to do one repetition. But when we had to demonstrate, it turned into many more repetitions in total.
At the end of the Lower CrossHIT I was under a lot of pressure. I was sweating like crazy and shaking all over.
But that was just the warm-up. We then changed into GI and continued with the training.
We got to the throws, and it got even more intense. We had to go through five throws, and when Kimu-Sensei said with a small smile that he couldn't remember the five basic throws and asked me to demonstrate them, panic set in briefly. I could only remember four of them. But the moment I reached the fourth technique, the fifth appeared. The body knew it before the head did. The techniques came out one by one: O-goshi-nage, Uki-goshi-nage, O-soto-gari, Kansetsu waza, and Shiho-nage.
Kimu-Sensei asked me to repeat O-goshi-nage, and now the focus was on details: the breathing had to control the movement, and the blow had to hit the Suigetsu — the kyusho point. If the blow was not precise, the throw lost its effectiveness. I had difficulty hitting the point correctly and ended up hitting harder in the hope that it would work.
Several people volunteered to try the throwing exercises with me, and I fought against four different opponents. They were brave and threw themselves into it, even though it was difficult — and I could feel their trust in me as I accepted their movements.
In one of the exercises, Magnus was supposed to counter-throw me. He was supposed to sit down, pull my gi behind my neck and reverse the throw. If you perform the technique and then put your knee in the way and throw over it, the technique can break your spine, Kimu-Sensei explained. At that moment, it went from training to reality. My body reacted with shock and adrenaline all at once. But I trusted Magnus, even though I was afraid of what might happen.
During OBC 1, the first part of the training, there was full action. The pace was fast, and when we worked with techniques from the syllabus, it was fantastic. I loved it — it was going all the time, and luckily the body followed, while the head… was going at 120 km/h.
Finally, we worked with Tai Chi. I thought I knew the correct breathing for the movements — but Kimu-Sensei stopped us and showed us that it was our breathing that created the notches and made the movement divided.
“When I gave up control of my breathing, the movements began to flow on their own.”
After lunch, OBC 2 began, and the pace changed completely. Now it was all about immersion — weapons training with Kenjutsu and Kotachi.
My opponent was Jens Hanshi-dai. The task was for the tip of the sword to collide on the center line and say clack. It sounds simple, but it requires total presence. It echoed in my head from the POMW training:
If you only focus on the result and not the process, things will go wrong. And so it did. I came to focus solely on hitting my opponent's sword to achieve clack-the sound. And every time I did that, I hit nothing, and I lost focus.
Kimu-Sensei reminded us to remember to breathe and coordinate the breath with the movement. And when I remembered, it worked every time. Don't think about the result — focus on the process, and the result will come by itself. When I held my breath, the movement was choppy. When I breathed in, it flowed.
Towards the end of the day, exhaustion hit me. Not physically — but mentally. I was completely exhausted on the top floor.
Then came the last part.
Prior to OBC, all participants had been instructed to submit at least three questions for the IKU1-3 session. The instruction read: “NOTHING is irrelevant. It can be inside or outside Shindenkan — history, human, personal, etc.” I loved the idea. What an opportunity to ask about all the things you normally never dare to ask.
Kimu-Sensei read all 44 questions aloud.
My three questions were:
- Do you experience self-doubt today—and why?
- Do you have plans for the survival of the system in the future? A descendant?
- Are there aspects of Japanese culture/tradition that you would like to emphasize more in your training?
I chose them because they mean something to me. Because I have struggled a lot with self-doubt — and still do to this day. Both about myself as a person, but also about my abilities in the dojo.
Because I love training this sport and this system, but I know that sooner or later someone will have to take over Kimu-Sensei's system, otherwise it will be lost.
Because I am fascinated by Japanese culture and traditions, and since Kimu-Sensei is half Japanese and talks about how important it is to train both your body and your mindset — the right mindset — I thought there might be something further to explore.
We were divided into groups, discussed the answers and presented them. Kimu-Sensei supplemented with his wisdom and experiences. It wasn't just training anymore — it was reflection. Development. Personal understanding.
When the day ended, one thing stuck with me:
- I'm good enough.
- Actually fucking good.
- I don't want to be someone else — just the best version of myself.
- Just be yourself.
- Strive for the best version.
- Believe in yourself.
- Be good to yourself.
