The fist is ugly. It is broken. But for the man who owned it, it is the most beautiful thing he ever made. This article is dedicated to the journeymen of Korakuen Hall, whose kobushi tell stories their mouths never will.

Legendary Japanese boxer (辰吉丈一郎) once said in an interview: "My kobushi is not a tool. It is a second heart. When my real heart wants to quit, my fist keeps fighting."

As the old Japanese boxing proverb goes: "Sakura wa chiru, kobushi wa nokoru" (桜は散る、拳は残る) — The cherry blossoms fall, but the fist remains.