Bali (Indonesia) (AFP)

After traveling for four decades in twenty countries to preach the good word of judo, Tsuneo Sengoku is not ready to throw in the towel, even in times of pandemic.

The 75-year-old "judo missionary" has trained nearly 100,000 people since the start of his journey which, since the late 1970s, has taken him across Asia, Africa, Europe and North America.

"Without judo, I'm just an ordinary old man," smiles Tsuneo Sengoku, who was decorated by Japan in 2016 for his commitment to promoting the sport abroad.

The former police officer moved to Bali in Indonesia in 2007 to train local audiences, mainly young people, free of charge. It is for him the "last step" of his mission which is to teach Japanese martial art around the world.

With his red and white belt that signals his expertise, Sengoku taught judo four days a week in his dojo where Japanese armor decorated with Japanese and Indonesian flags is displayed.

The onset of the coronavirus epidemic forced Sengoku to close the dojo where more than 50 athletes were training.

All sporting events in which the Japanese and his students were to participate have been canceled. But he doesn't want to give up.

"I will not stop teaching. On the contrary, because of the coronavirus, my motivation to train children is reinforced," he said.

"I will never let the coronavirus break the dream on which I built my life."

"I want to share the wonderful world of judo with a growing number of people."

- Philosophy of judo in action -

The world affected by the coronavirus could learn a lot from judo, he said. "I want to teach my students the importance of patience, which is part of the philosophy of judo," he says.

The practice of judo also requires having compassion for others: the concept of "Jita-Kyoei", mutual aid and mutual prosperity, is one of the main teachings of the founder of judo Jigoro Kano.

Now is the time to put this teaching into practice. "I want to call people to hang on and work together," he says.

Wayan Tulus Wiarta, a high school student who has been following Tsuneo Sengoku's teachings for over 10 years, says he dreams of becoming a judo champion in Indonesia and competing in Japan where judo was invented.

But the spirit of competition is not everything. He learned from his master much more than judo.

"Mr. Sengoku taught me many other things, such as kindness, discipline, being on time," he says.

Tsuneo Sengoku clearly remembers the enthusiasm surrounding the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, in which he participated as a police officer.

And even if his own Olympic ambitions have been cut short, he would like to see young judokas compete for glory in Tokyo, when the Games, delayed by a year, will finally take place in the summer of 2021.

The Japanese man who runs his dojo thanks to donations and lives on his retirement pension, has been training every day since the closure, to be ready when he can open its doors again.

"I can't wait to see the smiles again when my dojo reopens," said the man who lives alone while his family is in Japan.

"This dojo is my destination. I will stay the rest of my life here," he said.

© 2020 AFP