shinbukai

Seienchien

“I have not seen him since……” could have been the name of the gathering on the Gold Coast on the 9th of July 2008. As Sosai Les Anyos looked proudly over the small but extensive line up of students that stood before him, I stood, grinning, like a cheeky kid, looking up and down the line, remembering the years that had passed, and the times we had shared.

“do you remember…. the injuries, tournaments, training camps, training sessions, dojo’s, Gradings, students, instructors……” the points of discussion were quickly bounced around the group, as two handed handshakes followed traditional bows of respect, where smiles and laughter of amazement or maybe even disbelief, hung in the morning air.

Then it all came back to reality, “Yoi Dachi”….. “Seiza”, and the reason we were all standing here, some after more than thirty years, Shin Bu Kai Karate. I closed my eyes and it was all the same, same voices, same commands, same actions, thirty four years ago, Moe scout hall, six years old, today, Gold Coast a grown man, a lifetime apart, but you couldn’t tell, I would need a mirror to see any difference.

Sosai Les Anyos began with the warm up, moving into basic techniques, blocks, punches, shuto, empi and kicks. What…. Spinning back kick? He didn’t…. Yep he did. As I stand in Kumite, assistant to the demonstration, Sosai, drives “that” heal into my chest, “welcome to Karate Kyoshi”, is what I heard, Thud, is what my fellow black belts heard, (one sound can say so much) I nod in humble appreciation of my welcome.

As the sweat beads on my forehead, and the Gi’s crack and snap around me…. (no wise crack here, the Shin Bu Kai black belt is still as powerful as ever), I look around our circle and see Kyoshi James Tee, who I always believed to be the strongest man to stand next to Sosai, I look for a weakness that his many years might have thrown him, none to be seen, he still looks as hard as those days in the eighties where I watched him in a tournament in Sale covered in blood and injuries, tall and strong, just like he was playing his favourite game, Twenty years have not changed him.

Kyoshi Richard Anyos, always the perfect technician, ok he wears a bandana, I think it is for the sun?( Nothing to do with hair) everything is in its perfectly technical place, every technique is telling its story, Karate.

Then comes Sensei Craig Heffernan, huh? What? Sensei, I remember his first class with me, another scout hall, still in Moe, Now he is a Sensei? We must be getting soft, giving them away, crack goes his Gi, sweat flies, and then I realise, that was eighteen years ago, and yes he is deservedly, Sensei.

Christian Hughes, amazing, hard, strong, and still cheeky, oh, and did I mention, twenty years older. Jason Gwerder, Sensei, always there, always working, a student of Sosai, hard and resilient, Anthony Svasek, Sempai, I can’t believe that this man is standing here, I smile, appreciating that he too, is a lifetime into a karate life.

Time disappears and hours pass, the class finishes, after the sparring, a bit of blood, a couple of bruises and a lot of smiles, ok, fair enough, maybe a bit of huffing and puffing too, as well as a head kick from Kyoshi James, and yes it landed.

I can’t believe how much is still the same, after all these years. I can only imagine how Sosai must feel, watching his life’s work standing in front of him, strong as the day, they received their first belt, their black belts and up through the ranks, then here comes Sensei Fats, Laszlo in tow, followed by Hanshi Beryl and Kyoshi Sama Sharon, with the twins, Jai and Cruz, Amy, Linley, Nathan and Jack. (The next generation)

I try to count the years of martial arts standing in front of me…… I decide to count the ranks instead, a little easier…. Ok maybe not. Such a small gathering, so much experience, so much ability, so much knowledge, so much history, all because of one man, Sosai Les Anyos.

Sosai, I take the honour of speaking for all that stood there in front of you, from the very first training session through to today, the men and women and the kids, and I believe simplicity will say this best ….

“Thank you”

By Brian Anyos