I started karate in 1971 when the sport was not well known in the Timmins Area.
After Six months, I decided that I was going to be an instructor someday,
A lot of times, I almost quit because the work was hard and demanding, but being stubborn, I stayed and became an instructor.I started teaching at the blue belt level and on my own at the brown belt level, because my instructor left the area. If I had known how to teach back then, I would have had a bigger organization. I remember registering 85 people for the first class and having 2 people for the second class - John Savoie and June, my wife. Later on, my son Bill joined us. He was 7 years old at the time. So now I had 3 people on the floor. Loosing students continued except for my wife and my son because at home I would guilt-trip them into staying. I would say, "quit on me and everybody will say he can't even keep his family on the floor."
In 1978, I got my Black Belt. My youngest son Jim joined us at the age of 6. But Black Belt or not, the only people I could force to stay for longer than a month were my family. John stayed because he liked the hard work and he was a brown belt. He became my first Black Belt student. When I got my Sandan, I asked Sensei Shintani to help me with Katas and my teaching. Marc Tremblay from Kapuskasing decided to come to Hamilton with me. For one week, Sensei worked the two of us on Kata and Kumite. With Roy Yaworki complimenting us, Sensei worked us even harder. I think Sensei set us up, because when Roy would say nice kicks or nice form we would work harder. That week I lost 15 pounds, but I learned my katas and my Kumite techniques. Most of all, I learned what it meant to teach and have people to learn from me.
My next big step was getting June and Bill graded to Black Belt. A few years later, my son Jim became a Black Belt. This, I believe, gave us the honour of having the first all Black Belt Family in North America. I might be wrong, but I have never heard of anyone else having every member in the family a Black Belt. So I claim that honour! A few years ago Monique, my daughter-in-law, became a Black Belt.
Three years ago, a mining accident left me with a broken pelvis and in a wheel chair for four months. June, my wife, took good care of me and took good care of the club. While I was sick, all the Black Belts in the club pitched in to help and this really motivated me to recover faster. One student took time off from school so that my family could stay with me in the hospital for the first week. Stephane Cantin left school in Kingston to come to Timmins and help. He took charge and guided the students and the Black Belts for me. My thanks to him.
Just a few months ago, Sensei asked me to be on the Senate. That was a great honour and shortly after this, he graded me to Raku rank (rokudan) and another great honour and big step for me. The person who deserves the honour is my wife June, because she takes care of the organization. I believe she is more deserving of this position on the Senate because she has better ideas. I think Sensei Shintani is aware of this fact. Why he chose me instead of June I do not know. I hope I can live up to his expectations.
I have written more than I expected. I hope the contents of this letter do not appear as bragging. I am proud of my students and I especially proud of my family, even if I do not tell them all the time.
Spring 1998
Volume 2 - Issue 2
