On April 6, 2025, a martial arts dedication was performed by Japanese karate practitioner Kiyou Shimizu at Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

Shimizu is a world-renowned karate athlete and her achievements include winning the silver medal in the women's kata event at the Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan in 2021. Shimizu announced her retirement from competition in the spring of 2024. Even after she withdrew from the limelight of competition, she has continued to train her mind and body and refine her karate form. Meanwhile, a new desire has gradually grown inside her. She wants to share the beauty of karate with the world and has naturally become eager to take on a new challenge—a dedicatory performance of kata as a form of expression. Since she chose the karate path as a practitioner, rather than as an athlete, she has come to pursue the art of karate at a more fundamental level.

Unlike standard kata demonstrations, this dedicatory performance is Shimizu’s original composition. She began the performance with basic movements that she had learned when she was a novice. Then she added slight changes gradually, and finished with Chatan Yara Kushanku, a kata known as one of the most complicated and foremost sequences of movements. This is her fresh attempt to express the path of karate training through her demonstration.

With an eye to the past, present, and the future, Shimizu put her heart and soul into this performance. She expressed her love and admiration towards the people who she encountered on her path of practicing as well as the Japanese traditional culture of martial arts. Paying respect to all that she experienced and offering a prayer, she commenced her performance. Her punches cut through the air with a sharp sound, with her karate uniform rustling. She powerfully yet gracefully delivered this special performance, showing an intensity and letting out spirited shouts.

FEEL KIYOMIZUDERA

2025年4月6日、空手家・清水希容氏による奉納演武が執り行われました。

2021年東京五輪の空手女子形で銀メダルを獲得するなど、世界の舞台で活躍してきた清水氏が現役引退を発表したのは、2024年春のこと。競技の一線を退いた後も、空手家として日々鍛錬を重ねながら、その魅力を広く伝えていきたいという想いが芽生えたとき、「奉納演武」という一つの表現に挑戦したい気持ちが自然と湧いてきたと言います。そして、競技ではなく自己修練として武の道を歩むなかで、より本質的な視座から空手と向き合うようになったと彼女は語ります。

今回は一般的な演武とは異なり、空手を始めた頃の動作から徐々に変化させていき、最後に「チャタンヤラクーサンクー」を演武するという独自の構成を考案。空手の修練過程そのものを表現する新たな試みとしても位置づけています。

過去、現在、そして未来を見据えたこの演武には、一人の空手家が歩んできた道で出会った人々や出来事、そして日本に古くから受け継がれてきた文化への深い想いが込められています。すべてに敬意と祈りを捧げて──清水氏の突きが空気を切る音、道着がこすれる音、そして気合と掛け声も相まって、この奉納演武は力強く届けられました。

FEEL KIYOMIZUDERA

I started practicing karate when I was nine years old. Karate made me what I am today.

I want to share the spirit and beauty of karate with the world. I have cherished this desire since I was a karate competitor. Since I began to walk the path as a solo karate practitioner after retirement, my perspective has changed remarkably. Then, I was blessed with the opportunity to offer a dedicatory karate performance on the stage of this historic place, Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

The theme of this performance is to express the heart of Japanese people and the beauty of light and shade. I chose to incorporate a karate form, known as Chatan Yara Kushanku, a kata I demonstrated in the final of women’s kata event at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021. This kata is one of the foremost forms in Shito-ryu, one of the major karate styles. It is also something special to me.

The true beauty resides in something simple and plain where all the inessentials are pared away. There is light simply because there is shadow. The beauty is hidden in the tranquility. I have honed my senses to notice these subtleties through karate practices. I have continued to learn these sensibilities and built up my heart.

I hope this deep, serene beauty from Japan will reach every corner of the world, transcending borders. I offered a prayer and dedicated this performance with gratitude. I will be grateful if you could calm your mind and feel this beauty.

Kiyou Shimizu

9歳で始めた空手とともに、いまの私があります。

空手の素晴らしさを世界に伝えたいという想いは、現役時代からずっと抱いてきたものです。そして競技から離れ、ひとりの空手家として道を歩み始めた今、私の目に映る景色は大きく変わりました。そんな想いをお伝えする中で、歴史ある清水寺の舞台で、奉納演武の機会をいただくこととなりました。

今回のテーマは、日本人の「心」と「陰影の美しさ」、演武するのは東京五輪の決勝でも披露した「チャタンヤラクーサンクー」。糸東流における最高峰の形のひとつであり、私にとっても特別な意味を持つ形でもあります。

飾らず、削ぎ落とされたものの中にこそ宿る、真の美しさ。光があるのは、影があるからこそ。そして静けさに潜む美──これらの繊細な感覚は、空手を通して私自身が気づき、学び続けてきた「心」そのものです。

この日本の奥深く清らかな美しさが国境を越えて世界へと届くように。演武には願いと祈り、そして感謝の気持ちを込めました。心を澄ませて感じていただけたら、幸いです。

清水希容