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Podcast: Weekly Fascination
Episode: # 34 Nicholas Pettas, The Blue Eyed Samurai
Description: Nicholas Pettas moved from Denmark to Japan at the age of 18 to become the last student of Mas Oyama, the founder of full-contact Kyokushin karate, aka "God Hand". Starting over as a white belt in a dojo in Ikebukuro, he endured 1000 days of grueling training, broken bones, and isolation. He emerged, fluent in Japanese, confident, and ready to fight. In the dojo, he formed rivalries and friendships. In the ring, he became a legend, still known to Japanese fans as the βBlue Eyed Samuraiβ. He has worked in Japanese television, including the long-running NHK program, Imagine Nation.
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