A Glimpse Back in Time - - - 50 years (1957–2007)

This year is rather special to me because:
• 50 years have passed since I became interested, fascinated. involved in the Asian Martial Arts known as Budo and Wushu.

• The karate dojo started 1957 in Taradale, Napier, New Zealand with the original members - Ray Fredriksen, Paul von Stroheim, Ken McLennan, Fred Coulter, David Moyes, Gordon Larkins and myself, known as the Napier Karate club still exists today but at a different address, and now trains Goju Ryu karate affiliated to Sensei Morio Higoanna.

• YOSHINKEN will be officially 5 years old this summer.

• My friendship and budo commitment with my very good friend and brother in the martial arts - Sensei Jan Kallenbach will soon cover 40 years of regular and considerable varied experiences.

• First contact with Sensei Yoshimichi Sato made at the Kyokushinkai Honbu Dojo in 1965.

From the New Zealanders I began training with I am the only one still active today, although I still have a good contact with Ken McLennan, Fred Coulter and my oldest NZ “mate” Paul von Stroheim. Yoshinken is the result of these 50 years and very closely involved in the foundation were Sensei Jan Kallenbach and Sensei Yoshimichi Sato who I am proud to have such dedicated budo friends, they have been a continual source of inspiration.

Special sensei who I have met and had opportunity to train with should be named:

Soshi Kenichi Sawai: Jujutsu-Iaijutsu-Kenjutsu-Judo –Taiki Shisei Kenpo
Sosai Masutatsu Oyama: Korean Kenpo-Judo-Shotokan-Goju karate - Kyokushinkai
Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura: Kyokushinkai –Kobudo - Seido Jukkyu Karate
Sensei Arthur Koji Hisatake: Kyokushinkai
Sensei Donn Draeger: Jujutsu -Judo -Karate -Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo -Katori Shinto Ryu
Hanshi Steve Arneil: Judo-Boxing-Kenpo – Kyokushinkai – IFK
Sensei Norimasa Iwama: Karate-Shorinryu-Taikiken
Sensei Pascal Krieger:Judo-Iaido-Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo
Sifu Cui Rui Bin: Wushu - Yiquan
Sifu Dao Siming: Wushu - Yiquan
Sifu Li Jian Yu: Wushu - Yiquan

I must also mention another good friend in Budo and dedicated Karate master – Shihan Ingo De Jong Goju Kai who I have enjoyed every meeting with him since he and his partner Ann came to Sweden in the early 1970´s.

There are so many styles, organizations, within the martial arts, many are very unique in their own special way but this is due to those who are and have been the practitioners, so this is why I think of first of the person and then of the ryu, style, or organization they represent. More often than not these sensei/sifu have been very much involved in two or more other disciplines, and probably this contact has formed their final choice to where their development and future lies.

One notable exception to this is Shihan Risuke Otake of Shinden Katori Shinto Ryu who belongs to a long tradition of masters in this ryu who have trained all their lives in this Cultural Treasure of Japan I met Sensei Otake through Sensei Donn Draeger, both these sensei were of the highest caliber a budoka could hope to meet.

My point being, to be an all-round budoka you should meet-listen-train with respected sensei/sifu in other systems whenever possible not so much as to leave your chosen art but to see what you are doing and where are you going in your budo.

“Do not be afraid to go outside your own house”

“Challenge yourself - do not become too comfortable “

“To experience enlightenment and inspiration throughout life you must travel in mind and body “

I have even read that some masters have even opened their door to let their chosen student leave
to gain experience in all ways, to prove himself, to test what he has learned to date, does he believe in what he has done and where does the path lead to now ? I have not seen this in reality, and have difficulty in seeing the dojo´s of today encouraging members to walk out – but – there is a lot of sense in the idea. (apart from the economic side of course).

Karate has grown and changed immensely over these 50 years, and I see this with mixed feelings
competition has been one of the major influences, gradings are another, and ego the third.
When I came to Sweden in 1968 there were very few who had even heard of karate let alone trained, my co-operation with Sensei Attila Meszaros was an extremely interesting, and enjoyable time in
introducing Kyokushinkai karate, building SKK, the entry into the SBF, national and international tournaments, and training camps. My 5 years as the first Team Manager/Coach for the SBF Karatesektionen were also a good challenge and a most interesting time when all-style tournament karate was starting, and an experience I’m glad I had the chance to be a part of.

My first generation of students including Karl-Henrik Robért, Gerard Versteegh, Bertil & Göran
Friberg, Henrik Forss, Thomas Sonnenfeldt, Christer Lagergren, went on to be very successful in their chosen careers, after several of them placing highest in the karate tournaments of their time, but unfortunately active budo is not on their programme today. At the same time I am very happy that budo karate has given some strength and perspective for the rest of their lives.

When I think of how it all started in Napier NZ I was very fortunate in having the “right people “
with me, Paul von Stroheim ( photographer and former NZ weightlifting champion ) saw karate for the first time when a group from a Japanese naval ship visit to Sydney , Australia gave a demonstration, this inspiring action was transferred over to us when Paul came back to NZ and contact was made with Ray Fredriksen a school teacher who was a Shodan judoka guided us into the Japanese fighting arts through his knowledge in judo, Ken McLennan was the local traffic police officer, Fred Coulter was the local postmaster, and Gordon Larking radio /stereo sales and service shop owner ( incidentally Gordon had only one leg having lost the other in a motorbike accident ) but he was really effective in free fighting !! this proved to be a very dedicated and sincere group. We took contact around the country with any karate club that was interested to meet us – Kumite (free-fighting) was the main objective –no referee, we continued until one gave up – very simple rules, no attack to the eyes or the groin.

We later visited all Japanese ships which came to Napier’s port and through this way we came into contact with several Japanese systems, we bought the only available books written on karate – The Art Of Empty Hand Fighting by Hidetaka Nishiyama and What is Karate by Masutatsu Oyama these became our karate “bibles” and were the basis for our beliefs on how karate should be and lived - we could not have done better as time later showed – both these books are classics in the karate world. The only reason I went to Kyokushinkai karate Honbu Dojo there was an address in the book and a seaman from one of the visiting Japanese boats took contact with Oyama sensei for me and arranged that I could become a Kyokushinkai karateka at Honbu Dojo in Ikebukuro, Tokyo 1965. This was an unbelievable experience for a young 21 year old “Kiwi” from a small town of 20,000 coming to Tokyo’s metropolitan of 10 million inhabitants.

“From a frying pan into the fire “

This became a test in many ways, and only those who have traveled alone to a country with different culture, language, traditions, food, and stay for some time in my case 6 months will understand what the mind and body goes through.