Anthony Clarke 5^th Dan K.U.I. 3^rd Dan Judo

I first started in Martial Arts in Parkgate Street, Dublin 1960 in Judo. My First aim was to achieve my 1^st Dan Black Belt. At that time there weren't many high grades in Ireland so we had to bring Japanese Black Belts in from abroad. There weren’t many practising Judo and in 1960 as a lightweight, to get graded, I had to compete against all weights even heavyweights. My first Championship to enter was in 1962; It was an All Ireland Grade Championships which I won as a Brown Belt. I passed my 1^st Dan in 1963 and 2^nd in 1968, from there I went on to receive my 3^rd Dan in Judo.

From 1965 I represented Ireland in all International competitions, European and World Judo Events. I won 2 Brown Belt National Ireland Championships, 8 Lightweight National Ireland Championships, 3 Welterweight National Ireland Championships and Kata Champion. In 1968 I won Bronze in the British Open Championship and Gold in the London Championships. My proudest moment was when I represented Ireland in the Olympics in Munich, Germany in 1972. I trained in London for 2 years full time from 1966 to 1968 at the Renchudan Judo Club and I travelled all over Ireland training and coaching Judo.

While Training in Judo in Parkgate Street, Dublin I was asked to do a Demo with a Shotokan Karate Group. My first course in Karate was in 1962 under Sensei Muracami, from then on I practised both Judo and Karate. We opened a club in Palmerstown, Dublin until 1966, when I left to go to London to further my Judo career. In 1973 back in Dublin there was a Karate Club based under the Judo Club where Tommy McGrane was the Instructor, so I started training in both once again. The only High Grades in Shotokan were again Japanese Instructors so all courses and grades were done by the Japanese.

I was graded 3^rd Dan in Judo and was graded Dan Grades by the J.K.A. and K.U.I. and now hold a 5^th Dan K.U.I. grade since 12/10/2001.

I opened my First Karate Club in St. Mary's School, Clondalkin, Dublin in 1983, which went on to win National and International medals in Team Kumite and Individual Kata Kumite. I have been involved in coaching the K.U.I. National Team for many years and have travelled to many countries. The K.U.I. Irish Team as Manager and Coach. I am still very much involved in the running of the K. U. I. as a grading examiner and on the technical board.

As you mature as a Black Belt your priorities gradually change, you begin to see things differently, you think less about yourself and more about others as you want to pass on the knowledge you have gained through the years of training both in Judo and Karate to a new generation of students.

It is only through teaching new students that you can really repay all the instructors from whom you have learned. It is important not only to develop karate, but also to help develop the Organisation to which you belong. The development of a good organisation depends on a certain number of people who have dedicated themselves to Karate in which they have to set a high standard both for themselves and for their students and members to follow. It is the quality not quantity of karate that is important in an organisation and the only way to achieve this is through many years of dedication and commitment. Dedicating yourself to any art is not easy there is always a price to be paid for anything worth having, and for the Karate-Ka it is often their social life, which is sacrificed.

There is no room for ego in Karate, there is no technique that cannot be improved upon the speed, focus, form and co-ordination must all be correct. But most important the spirit must be strong on the inside and the more you learn the more there is to learn.

There is truly no end to the learning it is this that makes Shotokan Karate a life long challenge even if you attain this elusive perfection you must then attempt to teach it to your students.