zen shin birmingham, zenshin birmingham, shotokan birmingham, kids karate birmingham, kids kick boxing birmingham, karate west midlands, kick boxing west midlands, shotokan west midlands
Shihan John Richards :: Magazine Articles
Traditional Karate - Volume 1, Number 8 - January 1988
The force and form of John Richards Article by Dave Wakeling
page 5 of 5
D.W:Earlier you mentioned the link between European and West Indian Karateka. As a black Sensei, how do you think Karate has changed since so many black people have taken it up and since a lot of them have become very successful at it?
J.R: A lot of the black Karateka are natural athletes and they could train to be good at almost any sport. Also, they often start off with a certain warrior attitude. Sometimes it can be hard work to discipline that natural ability! I think that many of the traditional aspects of Karate help to do that: The clean white gi, the good manners in the dojo, the respect for your sensei, etc. The most noticeable change in Karate since so many black people became involved in it is the way that it has been sped up and made more mobile. This has already made a big difference. Now competitors have to be lighter on their feet and more fluid in their movements if they want to do well. It's this natural ability frafted onto the sound principles of traditional Karate training that makes such an effective combination.
D.W:Have you found a way to limit the numbers of injuries sustained during training?
J.R: I think that a lot of hand and foot injuries happen early on when beginners have more enthusiasm than technique. To prevent muscle injuries a thorough warm-up is essential. Recently I've been looking into Iyengar Yoga as a form of stretching exercise to ensure suppleness and also give a little extra poise. As I get older this becomes more important to me. I'd hate to ever loose my mawashi-geri! Correct stance and posture can prevent undue strain on knees and elbows. Blocking with open fingers, punching without a proper tight fist protecting the thumb . . . It's usually silly little bits of bad practice that cause injuries. An instructor learns with experience to try and protect his students from this sort of thing, but, of course, accidents can and will happen.
D.W:What are your hopes for the future of Zen-Shin?
J.R: I want to keep things pure, but I am ambitious and sometimes I get jealous when I see people making commercial success out of 'supermarket' styles. You know: "Whatever you want, we'll sell it to you." I am fussy, and my organisation is only about 700 strong. I know I could have done things to make it bigger much sooner, but Zen-Shin is slowly growing here, and in Europe and I'm sure that, if I set my goals high and keep my aim pure we will get there. I want a solid organisation that won't go up and down with the fashion. That's why I like Shotokan. It's always been there and it always will be.
D.W:What do you see as the future for the martial arts in general?
J.R: I think that here will be, as there always have been, crazes that come and go. I always think that commercial martial art is a bit like commercial pop music - it comes and it goes. You should know that, Dave.
D.W:Ouch! Thanks!
J.R: I know that the traditional forms with a proper sense of attitude and discipline will always be around because they have something permanent to offer. For me, Karate is a lifetime study and a complete way of life. I know that there will always be plenty of people around who are attracted by this - so long as we agree to set our standards high.
Update news
Student Login
Improve Health
Black Belt Club
Shihan John Richards :: Magazine Articles
D.W: Earlier you mentioned the link between European and West Indian Karateka. As a black Sensei, how do you think Karate has changed since so many black people have taken it up and since a lot of them have become very successful at it?
D.W: What do you see as the future for the martial arts in general?
