Official Mas Oyama Website
Comedian
No. 5
Masumi Yagi
To see the scenery that reached "Manbi".With the teachings of Kyokushin in mind, he will fulfill his life as a comedian .
Comedian. Belongs to Yoshimoto Kogyo. In 1994, he formed the comedy duo ``Savannah'' with Shigeo Takahashi, and won the ``ABC Comedy Newcomer Grand Prix'' Outstanding Newcomer Award in 1997. He has over 1,000 gags, is well known for his athletic ability, and is active on TV. He has a 1st degree in Kyokushin Karate and a 2nd degree in Judo.
Masumi Yagi
(Savannah)
I have been able to continue as a comedian until now because I have been supported by the many words of Master Sou that I learned while studying Kyokushin Karate. Above all, I have drawn strength from him over and over again, saying, ``Take a thousand days as your beginner's goal, and ten thousand days as your ultimate goal.'' Even though it's been 15 years since I started my career as a comedian, I still haven't been able to achieve any results and have had many difficult days. The comedians around me were getting better and better, and I was frustrated and thought, ``What am I doing here? How long will I stay like this?'' I was half rotten at the time. When I tried to think about quitting my career as a comedian because I was only working part-time, I suddenly remembered those words of the President. And I asked myself. Even the President, who has created many legends, said that he needed 10,000 days to master it, so is it really okay for him to fail here? and. That sparked my determination, and to this day, I am thankful that I am able to continue as an entertainer. Even after I quit karate, the president's words are still alive in my life as a comedian.
“A thousand days are the beginning, ten thousand days are the ultimate.”
Those words supported me.
If I told you that I'm a comedian and value the teachings of Kyokushin Karate, you might think, ``Comedy and karate? Aren't they completely different things?'' However, they actually have a lot in common. One of the reasons is that it is important not to run away. I first started karate at the age of 17, when I was devoting myself to judo. When I happened to see a poster recruiting Kyokushin Karate trainees on the wall of the club room during my lunch break, I couldn't get it out of my head. I was curious, so I went to watch them practice, and I saw that they were overflowing with incredible energy during the run-up before the world championships. I was overwhelmed by the atmosphere, and at the same time, I was impressed by how amazing he looked, so much so that even when he hit a mitt, he didn't even look like the same person.I decided to join the school right away, thinking, ``I want to become stronger, too.'' There were many things that made me want to run away, such as extremely difficult training. In my first fight, I got punched in the face and broke my finger. When I was in the green belt, the opponent I hit was an All-Japan contestant, and it was so scary that I wanted to run away. But I didn't run away. Just as the president said, ``Kyokushin never shows its back,'' he did not run away even if it hurt or was scary. By continuing to face the competition with an open mind, I was able to improve my skills and become strong enough to want to take on the challenge of competing in All Japan. And even after I decided to pursue a career in comedy, the ``never run away attitude'' I learned through karate came in very handy. Even when someone asks you to go bungee jumping, you can do it by removing your fear and being innocent. Even when I'm waiting for my turn on the sidelines of the stage, I stop thinking, ``What if I slip up?'' and make up my mind. My ability to not run away became my strength in various situations that required courage and perseverance. But on the other hand, because I was ingrained with the words of the instructor at my dojo, ``Don't show it on your face even if it hurts,'' I was unable to react in pain or fear, and I was scolded and asked, ``You're a comedian, so why don't you show it on your face?'' Something like that happened (lol).
In order to master both karate and comedy, what you need to do is not run away.
Ever since I became a comedian, I have continued to aim for Man's Day without giving up, and I have finally reached the point where I will reach Man's Day in just 3 years. It has been a long journey so far, but I feel that what I have continued to do has become an asset to me. That's why I now once again wonder what would have happened to me if I hadn't encountered Kyokushin Karate. You could say that Kyokushin Karate is a compass for me in life. As the seventh dojo motto says, ``Put your lifelong training into the path of karate and fulfill the path of Kyokushin,'' as a comedian who has studied Kyokushin karate, I believe that the teachings of the president will continue to be important. I want to continue to do so. I have no idea what the landscape will look like three years from now, but one thing is for sure: we need to keep challenging ourselves and not get discouraged. When I am in doubt, I will reflect on the President's words and update what I can do.
3 more years until Manbi. We will continue to take on challenges towards this milestone.
