Ukigumo
Sempai
- 15 Mar 2025
- 1,383
- 2,689
44 years ago today, on Sunday May 18th 1981 I began my journey into to the martial arts. I was at 10am at Priestnall Recreation Centre in Stockport/Manchester. I was 12 years old. It was a municipal Karate course which turned out to be Wado Ryu and I'd waited about 3 months for the course to start so I'd borrowed a book on Karate from Didsbury library (Know Karate-Do by Bryn Williams)and had been doing press ups on my knuckles on a stone hearth, so I felt prepared!
It was a sunny, warm morning and as a consequence the instructor, Keith Harrison, decide the class should take place on a grassy area adjacent to the sports hall. It had enough small trees around to provide cool shade so it was quite pleasant. I was a bit disappointed, however as I thought the first class would be better in a gymnasium. I wasn't nervous at all, but rather, keen to do my best. We started off with basic punching from kibadachi, front kicks from hami gamae, soto uke, uchi uke and then junzuki lunge punches. We had a 10 minute break during which I chatted to a couple of brothers who were Indian. I asked them what 'ka-yoo' grade they were and they looked puzzled until they realised I meant 'kee-yuu' (kyu) and indicated the two black stripes on their white belts indicating they were 7th kyu. How I envied them. We then back to work and practised front kicks before finishing off with front kicks from a really long stance to work this anterior thigh muscles and it was all over. The two hours flew by. My first real experience of Budo…the most influential thing on my whole life and the start of a long and continuing journey.
On the 18th May, every year, I celebrate that first morning. I feel thankful for have that first, very positive encounter. I wonder what became of my teacher and my regular training partner, Barry Wicks (I've tried to find them with little success..they could well have passed on) and the late Tatsuo Suzuki, hachidan hanshi our national teacher. I sometimes buy a cake or go out for dinner to celebrate. But mostly I just feel thankful and with love and warmth, remember the people, whose guidance touched my life so deeply…..
It was a sunny, warm morning and as a consequence the instructor, Keith Harrison, decide the class should take place on a grassy area adjacent to the sports hall. It had enough small trees around to provide cool shade so it was quite pleasant. I was a bit disappointed, however as I thought the first class would be better in a gymnasium. I wasn't nervous at all, but rather, keen to do my best. We started off with basic punching from kibadachi, front kicks from hami gamae, soto uke, uchi uke and then junzuki lunge punches. We had a 10 minute break during which I chatted to a couple of brothers who were Indian. I asked them what 'ka-yoo' grade they were and they looked puzzled until they realised I meant 'kee-yuu' (kyu) and indicated the two black stripes on their white belts indicating they were 7th kyu. How I envied them. We then back to work and practised front kicks before finishing off with front kicks from a really long stance to work this anterior thigh muscles and it was all over. The two hours flew by. My first real experience of Budo…the most influential thing on my whole life and the start of a long and continuing journey.
On the 18th May, every year, I celebrate that first morning. I feel thankful for have that first, very positive encounter. I wonder what became of my teacher and my regular training partner, Barry Wicks (I've tried to find them with little success..they could well have passed on) and the late Tatsuo Suzuki, hachidan hanshi our national teacher. I sometimes buy a cake or go out for dinner to celebrate. But mostly I just feel thankful and with love and warmth, remember the people, whose guidance touched my life so deeply…..
