A Frank Discussion with a Karate Dojo still Operating in the Ukraine
Dojo training still a priority
In one of my recent articles published by Black Belt Magazine, I interviewed the directors of a European based Shotokan Karate association, known as the WJKA, for an article on social media. During our discussions concerning the sizable number of WJKA national affiliates, we briefly talked about their Ukraine affiliate and how the WJKA organization’s administration was reaching out to assist where they could during these difficult times.
While I was able to complete my article on Social Media and Martial Arts Associations, I did ask about a possible interview with the head of the WJKA Ukraine main Dojo. After overcoming some communication issues, we had the honor of contacting Sensei Anatoliy Naumenko of Ukraine in early 2023.
Sensei Anatoliy Naumenko (7th Dan) has been training in Shotokan Karate since the early 1990 ‘s. After training under both Hidetaka Nishiyama and Hiroshi Shirai of the JKA and ITKF, Sensei Anatoliy started to train extensively with Shihan Kenneth Funakoshi, where he obtained most of his rank.
Sensei Anatoliy, as he is better known, joined the WJKA in 2013 and has been a great supporter of the association to where he was scheduled to host the prestigious WJKA World Championships, before the invasion of his country cancelled all events going forward.
I was surprised to find out that the Ukraine affiliate Dojo was still open even under such strenuous conditions. They are located in the city of Cherkasy, which is in central Ukraine and only about 125 miles south of Kyiv. During the first weeks of the invasion, most businesses, schools, and government offices closed but eventually, the determination of the Ukrainian people drove them to try and return to some semblance of normalcy.
Sensei Anatoliy: Currently, the situation in Ukraine continues to remain difficult, and it differs in different regions, as some regions are occupied, some are very close to hostilities and there the war is felt every minute, in other regions, which are further from the epicenter of constant artillery shelling and bombing, the situation better, but the air-raid sirens that sound daily to warn of missile strikes keep everyone on edge. We understand that danger can come at any moment, but everyone continues to live and do their work.
While Sensei Anatoliy’s main Dojo is in Cherkasy and is still operating, several affiliate dojos around central Ukraine have had to permanently close due to the war. Nevertheless, even training at the Sensei’s honbu dojo isn’t without risk. Training in the Ukraine these days is often interrupted by sirens, resulting in the class having to relocate to the nearest air raid shelter. These serious interruptions have done nothing but build the resolve of Sensei Anatoliy and his students.
Sensei Anatoliy: My central dojo is in Cherkasy, it is the center of Ukraine, a relatively calm region, but when our anti-aircraft defense works and powerful explosions are heard, we feel it!
While our main Dojo of Ukraine is located in Cherkasy, we also have Dojos are in 14 other regions
Even with the courage and determination of the Ukraine spirit, many of Sensei Anatoliy’s students had to stop training. For some it was just too dangerous to travel to and from the dojo, for others they felt compelled to fight for their country, risking everything to do so.
Sensei Anatoliy: However, during the period of war that has lasted more than 1 year, I, my family and students are already used to it, but some could not endure such conditions and were forced to go abroad.
While those who went to the front of the war should be highly commended for their bravery, some praise must be extended to any student who decided to train, especially considering the determination of their enemy to disrupt every aspect of Ukrainian lives. Missiles continue to rain down on innocent people with those training at Karate displaying true Budo spirit in their fight to stop others from totally disrupting their lives.
Sensei Anatoliy: Training in our dojo continues until the end of June. Depending on the level of the groups, there are 2 to 4 training sessions per week. When prolonged air alarms, training is usually cancelled. If this happened during training, we go down to the shelter.
Some Dojo were closed during the war, because their managers and trainers went to the armed forces of Ukraine, national guard, and territorial defense to protect our country.
Of course, normal traditional training is not always possible but thanks to the efforts of Sensei Anatoliy and his senior instructors, he has been able to keep the spirit and devotion to karate alive within all his dojos.
Sensei Anatoliy: I continue to train personally and have two groups I train with, junior and senior. For me, karate is my way of life, so I try to simply maintain my form and improve myself, usually this happens during the training of my senior group three times a week. In Ukraine as a whole, before the war there were about 1,500 Ukraine members [training in our schools], and now there are not even a thousand.
Of course, there could be panic, then people would leave Ukraine and life would stop altogether, but as you can see, this did not happen, all Ukrainians keep their front in their places, even though it is very difficult. And so, we continue our training, little by little we resume the holding of competitions, all this naturally inspires, forms a strong spirit, and supports the psychological state.
Moving Forward
When I first decided to reach out to the WJKA’s Ukraine affiliate, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew that the budo spirit was strong amongst traditional karate practitioners but the decision to keep dojos open during such precarious times demonstrates how the blending of budo spirit and Ukrainian resolve is purely inspirational!
Sensei Anatoliy: This winter was a very difficult period, enemy troops destroyed a lot of energy facilities in Ukraine, as a result of which there was no electricity and heating in the cities. The lights kept going out, people in their homes were using batteries and generators, and we also installed a battery and LED strip in the Dojo and continued to train with our clothes on, as the temperature was 5 degrees. It was a very difficult period that is thankfully over.
In life, it is very important to learn to overcome yourself, your weaknesses. Our everyday life and modern civilizations encourage this, there are many temptations that distract from understanding the real life, so it is very important to understand your purpose, set a goal and step by step go towards it, and karate is the best thing that can be around and help in difficult moments. We hope that when the war ends, we will be able to continue our Budo path as before, gaining new victories in life …. and on the sports path!
Pruim Shihan has regularly travelled to Japan in order to train with one of the world's foremost Karate masters, the late Kanazawa Hirokazu Soke (10th Dan Shotokan Karate) and his present instructor Shuseki Shihan Manabu Murakami (8th Dan).
Pruim Shihan also attended the International Budo University, located in Katsuura, Japan on several occasions for advanced Budo training where he was introduced to Atarashii Naginata.
Andries Pruim has written several articles over the past 30 years, with his most recent work focusing on the business side of the Martial Arts Industry.
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