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After a while I got bored by the way the sensei teached his students. He only focussed on technical moves. I know this is very important, but I also wanted to fight (sparring = maybe only dutch).There was no talking to him, so I quit. After a few weeks I started to train Ashihara Karate in Dordrecht at a dojo called "Kyoto-gym". This style and dojo was what I was looking for. The sensei John (oops forgot his backname) and Cor van den Adel where very focussed on kumité. At first it was very dificult for me to switch from "scintouch" to "full-contact", but within a half year I got the hang of it.
I usually train 2/3 times a week and got the 3 kyu grade. Next month I'll do an examen for second kyu. Last time I only trained the kata. After that I'm going for a year to Australia, so that's not gonna help me to get to the first dan grade soon. No tournaments coming up.
I already told I'm going to Australia. Maybe I can get
some information about location in the OZ about Ashihara karate training?
I have been involved off and on in the Martial Arts since the age of six. Starting with Kendo and Jujutsu, which took place in Japan (I was born and raised there until I was eight years old). I remember not being allowed in the regular childrens classes and was taught separately by my Sensei along with his son who was a friend from elementary school.
Anyway, since then I have trained in several different
arts such as (not in order): Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido, Kyokushinkai, Shotokan,
Goju Ryu, American Freestyle Karate, Ba Gua, American Kenpo, Chinese
Kenpo, Hawaiian Kempo as well as Daito Ryu Aikijutsu and Hakko Ryu Jujutsu.
(I hold Dan ranking in Chinese Kenpo, Tae Kwon Do and also received my
Ikkyu in Daito Ryu Aikijutsu, Hakko Ryu Jujutsu, American Freestyle Karate
and Hawaiian Kempo.) The reason I have trained in so many styles is because
I have been moving a lot and they never have the same styles available
in the areas I have moved.
However, I have not trained actively in a dojo the last
three years due to an injury I sustained to my lower back during a Daito
Ryu demonstration. I am extremely thankful to my teacher in Ba Gua who
also does Chinese Medicine for getting me healthy again.
I would also like to add that I have just now become
a member of Senpai Narker's AKI and will be attending his long distance
learning program.
Tom
Ross - USA
I then heard about an Okinawan Uechiryu Dojo were I began
training. Although I really enjoyed the rigorous training the Dojo
didn't attract many students an folded after I was there about one year.
Disappointed I looked around for another school and In Jan of 93 found
the Shorinjiryu Kenzenkai Dojo where I have trained since. I work as the
Research Coordinator for Fightingart.com and am a member of the international
Hoplogical society.
Age 28. Shodan shorei ryu. Different knowledge of shuri
ryu, shorin, kaggie kenbo,Tae kwon do, jeet kun do, and others different
styles began training in june of 1986 and presently claim shodan in shorei
ryu but given a red belt from the korean rok army. have competed in city,
state, regional, national and tournaments in germany, korea and in saudi
arabia, have been in the united states army for over nine years
Andy
Rutledge - USA
I began Motobu-ha Shito-ryu and Mugai-ryu iai under Don
and Mitch Coslet in 1988 and we later joined Hayashi-ha Shito-ryu.
My Shito-ryu sensei retired in 1998 and I'm currently a student of Okinawa
Goju-ryu (Jundokan International) under Jim Pounds. I train in my
home dojo and participate in a small karate study group with other friends
and I'm a sometime visitor to various dojo in the area that will have me
on occasion :-) . Outside of karate, my other passion is bonsai
and I have a few dozen little and BIG
trees.
I started the arts at the age of 10 in John's Karate Club in Boise Idaho. I knew right then that I was going to pursue the arts for the rest of my life. I continued karate for a year until I seen a show called the Green Hornet and his side kick Bruce Lee and from then on I started to look for a kung-fu school to be just like Bruce.
It was hard to find a Kung-fu school in 1963 because it wasn't a popular system yet in the West and especially in North West. I took up grappling in Judo and Jujitsu from some local clubs until I moved to California (Fresno) to work in the fruit fields with my mother.
I found a couple of Kung-fu systems in the area but found it hard to sign up because I wasn't Asian decent. Being 11 years old at the time I felt pretty left out and confused but the owner of the grape fields in which we were working was a Chinese gentleman and overheard me talking to my mother about not getting in to take classes, he promised if I worked real hard for him he would talk to one of the schools and get me in. I was absolutely ecstatic about the chance to get to study Kung-fu and work early morning to dark. I thought that he would never get back to me but, on the second month of working for him he took me down to one of the schools and got me in.
I couldn't believe it! I was finally going to get my chance
to be like Bruce Lee! I can't begin to tell you the training that took
place in this short article but the rest is history. I continued to travel
around the country and take any martial arts that I could get into. In
1969 at the age of 18, I entered the U.S. Army. I was one of the lucky
ones who got stationed in Germany instead of Nam. I took all the Martial
arts the military had to offer and for two and a half years competed locally
as well in Austria and went
undefeated. Back then you didn't wear any pads and looked
something like the UFC with the exception that you had to try real hard
to not get injured because it was against military standards to be
injured and not perform your regular duties.
The Germans were really into the arts and were fierce competitors but I managed not to get seriously hurt. I was discharged in 1973 and met Martha who was my pen pal for a year and a half and got married. I took up Law Enforcement for a period of five years and gave lessons to fellow officers and continued my study.
I ended up in Nevada in 1979 and took up the art of Karate with Sensei Jim Woodson (American Free Style) who lived sixty miles away in Winemmucca Nevada. Nevada is very wide open and towns are far apart. I studied and drove to his class, at times through bad weather, for three years before I received my black belt. I then started my first commercial school with an active enrollment of 60 students. I maintained the school for several years.
I then met Kyoshi Fred Buck at a Koshiki Tournament in
Salt Lake and to make a long story short we ended up liking each others
skills and beliefs. I have been with the Kyokushin Organization every since
and have found my home. I became the Nevada Branch Chief in 1990 and the
rewards and training have been a dream come true working and training with
such great people in the martial arts as Hanchi Donald I Buck director
of Kyokushin U.S.A., My Instructor Kyoshi Frederick S. Buck director of
the American Kyokushin Karate Organization and Professor Raymond (Duke)
Moore Aiki-Jujitsu, Coach Ron
Mcdowell Kodokan Judo-advisor for Judo in the AKKO and
my Judo instructor and to many more in the AKKO that make it what
it is today. I wouldn't be who I am with out the support of all these people
and my most trusted students.