Fond of martial arts, having a 3 Dan black belt in Traditional Kyokushinkai and sensei for all those who want to train in this karate style, Ovidiu Baştea is one of those who know to deliver the complexity and the secrets of a karate style that can be performed by children, women and seniors alike, despite its roughness. He goes beyond initiation, with an eye on performance. The medals and titles of champions and number two champions of his trainees are a proof of this aspect.

Martial arts have always been an attraction for the young, since early ages. An important influence is held by the genre movies that describe the secrets of such sports and which are a delight for the spectator. Beyond this, however, we find the actual art of these sports. Sensei Ovidiu Baştea, holder of the 3Dan black belt in Traditional Kyokushinkai, initiates and trains students ranging from the youngest karate fighters to seniors. Kyokushinkai translates by the “path of the ultimate truth”, or the “path of supreme truth” and it is a full-contact karate style. It was founded by Masutatsu Oyama, who focused on a visible increase of efficiency in fighting. It is a style that involves rough training and demands remarkable fitness. Currently, it is one of the most powerful of the existing styles, being declared the toughest karate style. The success of performing it was guaranteed and nowadays the mere participation in a kyokushinkai performance event is an honor for any fighter. The fights forbid lethal techniques, which can kill the opponent, or the techniques that aim to injure them, but the allowed techniques are executed with full strength and impact. Usually, in kyokushinkai the opponents wear minimal body protection or none at all, and the rivals’ assessment is made based on the effect of the techniques rather than on the quality of the execution.

National champions and number two champions

Sensei Ovidiu Baştea was fascinated with martial arts; he too, like many other young men and women, was going to the genre movies at the cinema. “… my first contact with martial arts occurred on May 5^th, 1990, under guidance from sensei Bradu Gheorghe, an excellent trainer and good teacher, to whom I want to give my thanks once again”. Since then, he has learned the secrets of this sport, he improved on them and attained excellence. He teaches them further to young devotees to martial arts and helps them find their inner balance both while fighting and for themselves, so that their results are perfect. And his efforts are not in vain. The medals and the cups gather in the displays of the Terrasportika Sports Club, as well as the titles of national champions and number two champions or bronze medal winners at the European championship. Such results are not easy to attain in these sports. Its name provides us with the best argument, because this is more than sports, it is also art. The combination must be balanced and well understood in order to achieve performance. “A fighter that practices martial arts must have a lot of patience, tenacity and will. Driving skills (strength, speed, ability and endurance) are required in view of good results and will be developed by perseverance and thorough training”. Beyond all these, the connection between the fighter and his/her mentor is also important. Ovidiu Baştea relies on mutual respect, but he also goes further and offers his friendship to his trainees: “…I want to hope they think of me as a friend, in which they can place their trust and to whom they can talk about certain issues without any fear”.

“A sound mind in a healthy body”

When he is training and initiating young men and women in Kyokushinkai, Ovidiu Baştea holds close a series of guiding principles. First of all “Mens sana in corpore sano” – “A sound mind in a healthy body”. “Karate Kyokushinkai allows the development of a harmonious body, of discipline, and mentally, the development of thought. Anyone has a spirit to refine, a body to train and a path to walk. Karate teaches us that the motto, “You did it, go on! You failed, go on!” is true. It is important not to given in, it is important to rise and go on, persevering and exceeding your limits. Practically, here, there are no winners or losers.” Then Ovidiu Baştea speaks about some “…parents’ indifference, parents who choose to leave their children outside, untended, instead of guiding them toward some sports, where they are attended and they receive further education from instructors and trainers”.

Kata and Kumite International Cup – the next challenge

Sensei Ovidiu Ovidiu Baştea and his students train for the International Traditional Karate Kyokushinkai Kata and Kumite Iso Sosai Romania Cup, to take place in Sibiu on November 6^th, 20011, at Sala Transilvania.

Raluca Buduşan

Source: sibiu100.ro