A Karate Story

by Seamus O'Dowd

  At Sensei Rokah’s dojo he spent the class explaining and expanding on Nishiyama Sensei’s principles. He was a very good instructor, with an excellent understanding of Nishiyama Sensei’s karate and teachings. He taught the same things that Nishiyama Sensei had been doing in the previous class, but he explained them more clearly and in a lot of detail. I got to train in a couple more classes with Nishiyama Sensei and thoroughly enjoyed experiencing some of his ideas and techniques while I was there.

  Some years later, after Nishiyama Sensei had passed away, one of the Japanese instructors was looking at my photographs and saw a picture of me with Nishiyama Sensei. He commented, ‘Oh, you are lucky. I never got to meet Nishiyama Sensei.’

  Another thing that I had always wanted to do was to visit China and observe T’ai Chi in the parks early in the mornings. In 2010 I had the opportunity to go to Shanghai with work. I made contact with an SKIF dojo there before I travelled, so I was invited to go and train with them. That would keep my karate training satisfied on the trip.

  My translator accompanied me to the dojo in order to help with introductions. The instructor was a 3rd Dan, and the first question they asked my translator was what grade I was. As a 5th Dan, I was senior to him, so I didn’t really want to tell them my grade because this would oblige him to invite me to teach. Therefore, I told her to tell them that I was a black belt, hoping that they would not press for more information, and I would be able to just train alongside them.

  Unfortunately, the translator said they insisted on knowing ‘what number’ in order to know where I should stand in the line, so eventually I had to tell them my grade. Immediately, as I had feared, they asked if I would teach the class for them. Naturally, I was obliged to accept.

  They were a great bunch. They trained hard, but they explained that they were lacking in senior instructors in their area. Karate, being a Japanese art, was a minority martial art in China. We had a very enjoyable class, and I was glad that I had a good translator with me, because it made it a lot easier to communicate. Although it is possible to teach a class by demonstrating what we want the students to do and by using the Japanese commands with which all karate students are familiar, it is helpful to be able give corrections or explanations also. While these students were enthusiastic and hard-working, they needed the benefit of some technical details, which I could only give through English.

  While it is always great to do karate in different dojos and in different countries, obviously I was more interested in seeing the Chinese arts while I was in China. I asked at the hotel about where I might get to see people practising in the mornings, and they looked at me as if I was asking a stupid question.

  It turned out that I was indeed asking a stupid question. ‘Everywhere!’ was the response. It was true. At 6am in any park people could be seen practising many different varieties of T’ai Chi and kung fu.

  I got up early in the mornings and went out to a large park close by the hotel. The first man I watched was probably in his eighties. He practised every morning by himself, moving so slowly but so smoothly. He was incredible. As people walked past they greeted him and he replied, never losing focus or changing his rhythm. I watched him from a respectful distance for a few minutes every morning. After a few days he started to greet me also as though we were old friends.

  There were other groups practising sword forms, and several different groups doing various T’ai Chi forms. It was truly fascinating to watch a group of people coming together seemingly randomly, exercising together informally for anything from just a few minutes to maybe half an hour, and then just all going their separate ways again. Even more interesting were the other people in the park –walking their dogs or on their way to work – simply strolling between the people in these groups (I can’t call them classes, because no-one was teaching!) as if they weren’t there. No-one took any notice of the kung fu, T’ai Chi or sword-fighting that was going on. It was perfectly normal. In Ireland, whenever we dare to train outdoors we have to try to find a secluded area, almost as if we have something to hide, because Joe Public will inevitably start making Bruce Lee sounds or mocking our training in some way. I preferred the Chinese way.

  I found a group of about fifteen people who met each morning and practised the same version of the Yang-style form as me. I asked if I could join in and they made me welcome: actually, no-one was in charge so no-one could stop me anyway! It was interesting because they had obviously all learned slight variations from different instructors, so some people did the movements in one way, while others did them in another way. But overall, it was the same form, and I very much enjoyed the experience of doing T’ai Chi with them in the mornings. I was delighted to experience the atmosphere of early morning practice in China for myself.

  26. NO BOW

  Over the years a number of students from other countries trained at my dojo while visiting Dublin. I had several students from Switzerland who came at various stages to study English for a few months, and a lady from Transylvania in Romania, as well as students from other countries. One student who came to me was from a country in North Africa. He was not from SKIF but he told me he was a 2nd Dan, and the national kata champion in his organisation. However, he explained that his religion would not allow him to bow in karate class. I was aware of this issue but had not encountered it first-hand. I wanted to accommodate him, because I have a policy that everyone is welcome in my dojo. At the same time I was obviously concerned about compromising the traditions and etiquette.

  I thought quickly, and came up with a compromise. I told him that when we start and finish the class with our formal kneeling bows, he was to stand quietly and respectfully to attention at the back of the class, facing the front. He agreed to this. Then I told him that instead of bowing to his partner when we worked together he could use the western form of greeting and respect: a handshake. Again, he agreed.

  It went well for the first couple of weeks. After a little while, the other students in the senior class started to comment that the foreign student was a bit ‘showy’. He often took over the whole warm-up area while they waited for the white belt class to finish, so that he could practise the jump in Unsu or some other flashy technique. He also started commenting that we didn’t compete in enough tournaments, and that in his country he could enter a tournament every week, and always won.

  Although this was a bit annoying we had seen some students like this before, and over time, training in our dojo they learned to tone down their ego and appreciate that there is more to karate than winning tournaments. However, he also soon stopped standing to attention at the beginning and end of class, instead doing some stretches or throwing a few kicks. He also stopped shaking hands when working with a partner, unless it was someone senior to him. I decided to have a talk with him.

  Before I got a chance to raise these issues with him, an incident happened in class. I was working on teaching Jitte to the brown belts, so I told the lower-coloured belts to sit down while we went through the kata. Being at the front of the class, I had my back to the students for the first few moves, but when I turned around I noticed that Mr Kata Champion was sitting down also. I stopped and asked him why he was sitting down.

  ‘I don’t know this kata,’ was his answer.

  I was exasperated by his attitude, so I sharply pointed out that the brown belts didn’t know it either, and that was why I was teaching it. I asked him how he was ever going to learn it if he didn’t join in the class. He didn’t answer, and remained seated, so I roared at him to get up and join in. He sullenly stood up and joined in with the class. I was too annoyed with him to speak to him about the other issues that evening, so I let it go for the time being.

  About a week later we were in class again, and this time I announced that we would do Gankaku for the black belts. Again, some of the students didn’t know it, so I was going through slowly. Once again, I found the same guy sitting down at the back after I had started the kata. ‘Why are you sitting down?’ I
asked him, trying to keep my cool.

  ‘I don’t know this kata,’ was the predictable response.

  I lost it and started shouting at him. I asked him if he hadn’t learnt anything from the previous class where we had this problem. I asked him if he knew so much and was so cocky, why it was that he had to sit down when we did different kata? Obviously, I knew it was because these kata were not ‘tournament’ kata in his eyes, and therefore not important. He had no answers, and just stared defiantly at me. Finally, I just told him to get out, and only to come back if he learned proper karate etiquette. He looked stunned, but left the floor in the middle of the class and never returned.

  I had never thrown anyone out before, and have not done so since. I felt bad, but I knew that everyone else in the dojo was glad that I did. He had been the source of negative feeling, and with him gone, harmony was restored. All students, regardless of their nationality or creed, must show the proper etiquette in the dojo.

  27. INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

  As I have mentioned before, training in karate enables us to develop strong friendships with people from all over the world. I was lucky that I had travelled a bit to train in other places and made a lot of friends that way, and also forged strong friendships with students who had come to train at my dojo. These friendships really showed their value when we travelled to international events, such as tournaments.

  In 2000 the world championships were held in Bali, Indonesia. It was a long way for us to travel from Ireland, so we made a holiday of it. I was delighted to see most of my friends from Switzerland out there, as well as friends from Canada and the lady from Transylvania who had spent a few months training with us. That event really brought home what Kanazawa Sensei has often said about SKIF – the ‘F’ is for Family.

  I got through to the third round of the individual kata in the competition, but was drawn against Tanaka Sensei from the Honbu Dojo in that round, and he defeated me easily. I was happy with the kata that I did, and I figured there was no shame being beaten by someone of that calibre. Although Tanaka Sensei and I had done piggyback races together a couple of years earlier in Japan, I didn’t really expect him to remember me. I was quite surprised that when we came off the floor, I turned to bow to him, but he came straight over to me and threw his arms around me like we were old friends.

  The following year the European Championships were held in Copenhagen. I felt a lot of pressure for this event. Out of nine senior men competing for Ireland, I was the only one who was selected for all four events: individual kata and kumite, and team kata and kumite.

  I felt the pressure, especially for the team kata. Having been on the team that won silver at the previous championships, I was now the team captain, because Sensei Ray had retired and Adrian was no longer training in karate. It was therefore a new team, but we were expected to do well, and we had practised quite hard.

  Unfortunately, there was a disagreement between one of the kata team members and the coaches and selectors, with the team member being told the day before the event that he was not selected to compete in the individual events, and that the team kata was therefore his only event. He was very upset by this. By the time our event was due to start at 9am the following morning, he was not in a fit state either mentally or physically to be able to give his best to the team.

  I put a formal request to the team manager and coach to replace him with our designated substitute. My request was denied and I was informed that they couldn’t drop him because it was his only event. I tried to point out that this should have been sorted before we ever came to Copenhagen, and that he should also have recognised that if this was his only event then he should be focused on doing it to the best of his ability, but it was to no avail. He was on the team and that was final.

  Speaking of final, we didn’t get to it. In an event with only fifteen teams entered, and where we were fancied to at least get a medal, we came twelfth. I went straight to the coach afterwards and, wrongly, vented my frustration on him. When we returned home I put in a formal complaint about the incident, and it was acknowledged that it could have been handled better. I had had enough though, and announced my retirement from international competitions.

  28. SENSEI STAN

  In 2001 during one of my phone calls with Sensei Stan, he told me that he was going to be in Scotland later that year. Sensei Keith and a whole team from South Africa were going to be there also, as they were scheduled to compete at the WKC World Championships in Aberdeen. Sensei Stan was to be the guest of honour.

  Garry and I immediately made plans to go to over to Aberdeen and meet up with him. Garry was very excited at the prospect of finally meeting such a legend. When I told Sensei Stan that we were going to go and see him, he suggested that he could come to Ireland afterwards and spend some time with us if we wanted. He was looking to take a holiday, and had never been to Ireland. I jumped at the chance and agreed immediately to bring him to Ireland to stay with me.

  Out of courtesy, I contacted the JKA chief instructor in Ireland, Sensei Tommy McGrane, to tell him that Sensei Stan Schmidt would be visiting this country on holiday. He immediately asked for a meeting with me, and I met him at a Bewleys cafe in Dublin one morning. As we sat and talked, he wanted to know how I knew Sensei Stan, and why he was coming to Ireland. He explained that he had wanted to bring Sensei Stan to Ireland to teach a seminar for many years, but had never managed to do so. Sensei Tommy wanted to know if we could organise something while Sensei Stan was visiting, and we agreed that it would be an open seminar if it went ahead. Sensei Tommy and I didn’t want to make any money from the seminar, so all profits would be given to Sensei Stan.

  Of course Sensei Stan loved the idea of teaching a seminar and quickly agreed to the plan. And so, long before he ever even arrived, Sensei Tommy organised a venue on behalf of the JKA group in Ireland, and we invited people to come to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to train with this legendary master.

  Garry and I were like excited schoolchildren going over to Scotland to spend a weekend with some great karate people. We flew to Edinburgh, hired a car and drove north to Aberdeen. The hotel was a hive of activity. We walked into the reception area, and I immediately spotted Sensei Stan sitting talking to someone I didn’t recognise. Sensei Stan jumped up when he saw me, and threw his arms around me like we were long-lost brothers! Then he did the same to Garry. The man Sensei Stan had been talking to stood up and Sensei Stan turned to him.

  ‘I would like you to meet my good friend Seamus, from Ireland, and my other good friend…’ he paused and, turning to Garry, asked, ‘What’s your name again?’

  We laughed as Garry told him. It was typical Sensei Stan infectious enthusiasm combined with a little forgetfulness. Garry was delighted to meet Sensei Stan at last, and we found it amusing that he would describe Garry as his ‘good friend’ when they had never met before. Then Sensei Stan stunned us by introducing the other man as The Prince of Spain! He was Prince Adam Czartoryski Borbon, the cousin of His Majesty Juan Carlos I, King of Spain. Prince Adam was at that time a 5th Dan in Shito Ryu Karate. We bowed, not sure what the protocol was, but he was just there for karate and was happy to join in the conversation.

  This was just the first of many surreal moments during that weekend. The following morning Garry and I were treated to a private class with Sensei Stan. Garry had never trained with him before, and had hardly slept that night in anticipation. We were up early because Sensei Stan likes to train before breakfast. He really put us through our paces, and gave an excellent class on Hangetsu. Sensei Stan told me later that he wanted to see what Garry’s karate was like, and this was what the class was designed to do. Although Garry was my friend and I vouched for him, Sensei Stan always made his own mind up about people, based on their training in the dojo – a bit like Sensei Keith had done with me a few years earlier.

  It was great to see Sensei Keith again as well: we spent a lot of time together, watching the tournament and discussing sport karate v
ersus traditional karate. Garry and Sensei Keith hit it off from the start, much to my delight. At one point they were up in the stands engrossed in a conversation by themselves, so I wandered off to see if I could find Sensei Stan. I spotted him in the cafeteria area, sitting with Sensei Norman Robinson of JKS in South Africa and Ochi Sensei from JKA in Germany. I figured they were busy, so I was about to turn and leave, but Sensei Stan saw me and called me over. He introduced me to the others, and it was Ochi Sensei who invited me to sit and join them. We talked about Kanazawa Sensei and the differences between SKIF and other Shotokan groups, and Ochi Sensei even asked me if I would show them Gankaku-Sho, which I ended up doing in the middle of the seating area. (Fortunately, there were not many other people around, and those that were there were all karate-ka.)

  We spent about two hours talking. Well, I mostly sat and listened while pinching myself and wondering how I managed to be sitting with these great masters. I even texted Garry to tell him where I was and he texted back to say he was quite happy chatting with Sensei Keith. That was one of the strangest, but most special, afternoons of my karate life.

  The weekend went too quickly, but we were equally excited when it was time to leave, because we were bringing Sensei Stan back to Ireland with us.

  A funny thing happened when we arrived in Dublin Airport. Garry is a Garda, and Passport Control is manned by members of that force in Ireland. As we got to Passport Control, Garry recognised one of the officers on duty, so we went to his booth. He greeted Garry warmly, stamped Sensei Stan’s passport as soon as Garry told him that he was with us, and waved us through. Sensei Stan was visibly impressed, and wanted to know if we knew everybody! Garry replied that he didn’t know everybody – only the important people.