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| An Interview with Sensei Stuart Wright
First of all 30 years of Kyokushin Karate would take forever to talk about. I know we will only scratch at the surface, but I thank you for your time in giving this interview. What made you want to learn Kyokushinkai Karate? A crowd of us were hanging around at the local park, as you did when you were 17 in those days. A friend of mine told us he was doing karate at a local school. All the crowd said they would go along, however, I was the only one to turn up. I was told there was a waiting list and to come back in six weeks; how times have changed! So I went back and was hooked. My joining number was 279; the class sizes were huge. The Karate club was a Kyokushinkai style of karate. It was not a conscious choice on my part to do Kyokushin, it just happened that way; and I’m very glad it did. What was the training like in the early days? As a student you do as the instructor tells you, at that time we just got on with it, the same as we do now. There were lots of low grade basics, it was normal to do one or two techniques in one stance all night. The instruction was good and we were worked very hard with the whole concept being that if you did a technique thousands of times you would master it. I believe that is still the way to train. It only becomes boring if you are not training with full commitment. The classes lasted around three hours and sometimes we were not allowed to leave until we got whatever techniques right. Also if one member of the class continued to get it wrong all; the class would have to do push ups, squats or sit ups until the student got it right. It was a very regimental way to train karate, I could not get enough of it. It was exactly the sort of training I wanted to do. What was the kumite like? Kumite fighting was as much a part of the training as the basics, some students wore pads which could be any type of hand covering including wraps and boxing gloves. Most students did the kumite with no shin/instep or hand mitts. There were a lot of bruises! You would partner up to fight, each fight could last five minutes, and all fighting was full contact. This could go on for an entire lesson, however, all kumite was performed in a true spirit of respect and friendship. I must say it was great when pads became more available and you went home with fewer bruises!
Anyone who has taken a karate grading will tell you how hard it was and how nervous they felt; that part of karate will always stay the same. We were graded from a syllabus; waiting three months between each kyu grade, no real difference from today although the belts were coloured differently; we started at white then red, orange, yellow, green, blue, brown and then of course, black. What has changed least is the structure of gradings. It was. however, unusual to see brown belts training at the club and a black belt other than the instructor was as rare as hens teeth! What is your view on tournaments and have you competed in any? Tournaments are a part of karate that I feel are important for the development of a student. To win, lose or draw should not be the main goal of the tournament. Of course, we all want to win, that is human instinct, but if we give everything we have to give the greatest battle is won and that’s the battle with ourselves. To test ourselves is what makes us human. it is easy to sit and watch others, but the watchers will only ever watch and wonder. To compete, give your all and push yourself to the limit, is to be at one with your mind, body and spirit.
Have you done any other sports? I have always enjoyed running since
my school days and most sport interests me. I have played soccer,
captained Chelmsford Rugby Club for two years, I have run six
half marathons and four full marathons; three of those were the
London Marathon, I ran the first one was in my gi, I have also
completed three Olympic distance triathlons and have run to the
top of Ben Nevis and back down again. (that was quite a challenge!) There must be special moments that you look back on, are there any in particular?
I know there must be many more things we could talk about, but any final thoughts Sensei?
Thank you Sensei Stuart I am
sure the readers will find the interview very enlightening.
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Sensei
Stuart Wright has been training Kyokushinkai Karate for 30years
and teaching it for 23 years. He is a very private person but
we managed to get an interview with him and were able to ask questions
that readers may find both interesting and inspirational in their
karate training. 
Were
the gradings any different from today?
As
a young karateka I competed in many tournaments; I was successful
at Kata, Clicker, WUKO and Knockdown. When I was picked to represent
Kyokushinkai in the all styles British WUKO Tournament in 1979
was one of my best memories. Representing the Chelmsford and Gravesend
clubs at Clicker and WUKO at inter club and national level was
also a great honour. We usually managed to win two or three rounds
in the Clicker and WUKO. it was always a lot of fun fighting semi
contact and a great way to learn how to fight. As a knockdown
fighter 1 was lucky to be fighting when there were so many fighters
on the circuit; at squad sessions there were around 100 fighters
turning up. The atmosphere was fantastic, some times we had no
kick shields and used our gi jackets and each other as pads Most
meetings were a knockdown tournament in themselves!!
There
are hundreds of things I look back on, to choose any of them in
particular is difficult. Seeing Mas Oyama at Wembley at the first
European Knockdown Tournament and standing up for the Japanese
national anthem was inspiring. Training with Hanshi Steve Arneil
for the first time and all my subsequent training under him, all
my gradings, my first Knockdown fight, my disappointment at having
to stop when I broke my hand after nine fights on my 30 Man Kumite
test. The opening of the Chelmsford Dojo in 1981, sempai Helen
and sempai Jared getting their shodan grades, the list is endless
but I guess those few spring to mind immediately.
Final
thoughts, that’s a hard one, but here goes I have had a
fantastic time training Kyokushinkai Karate; I have seen both
good and bad times, I have laughed and cried at times, I have
trained so hard I could not walk for two days (only the Kyokushin
Shuffle!) I have seen my feet stick to the rocks and turn blue
at the waterfall training in the middle of winter in Wales, after
each summer camp I always say that was my last camp, I have attended
eleven so far, number twelve is this year 2003.
