RIP Three Great Kyokushin Influences In My Life
Sensei Frank Everett, Shihan Jacques Sandulescu,

Shihan Bobby Lowe

Since November 2010 three of Sosai’s students who had a huge influence in my martial arts life, two of them close friends of Sosai, joined him in the astral realms.

Sensei Frank Everett 31December 1936 – 20 August 2011

The first time I met Frank Everett I was 12. I looked up at his smiling face and thought, “If I train karate, one day I’ll be as big and strong as him.” Frank was about 5’3” (160cms). That was 40 years ago in September 2011. It was to Frank that I dedicated my book The Budo Karate of Mas Oyama in 1987. His influence on Kyokushin Karate in Australia was unquestionable; his influence on me will remain with me for perhaps lifetimes. He taught us how to train with honesty, how nothing matters except training with honest effort and friends. In fact Frank had a great poster on his wall for as long as I can remember: “There are no strangers here, only friends we haven’t met.” And that is the life Frank lived.

On August 20, 2011, Frank left us, consciously and happily. His life influenced thousands and his funeral, attended by about a thousand friends, students and family was a worthy memory of the man who taught us to take life with both hands and love it and everything in it with gusto. The funeral was full of laughter and yarns of Frank’s mischievous character. It was attended by many boxers as well as karate students from across Australia.

http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/story/2011/08/27/frank-everett-farewelled-noosa-funeral/

Shihan Jacques Sandulascu 21 February 1928 – 19 November 2010

I met Shihan Jacques Sandulescu, along with his lifelong partner Annie Gottlieb, in October 1976, the day before the 8th All Japan Karate Championships. I was interpreting for Sosai at the time and was very excited and honoured to be meeting many of Sosai’s best known students, including Jacques, who was, Sosai told me, his East Coast brother. Jacques’s life was the stuff of legend and the books he wrote based on that incredible life (see below) are an absolutely fascinating read.

Jacques influenced me in many ways. He was a rough diamond who had lived in a tough New York world and earned respect from all. Perhaps it was the extremes of his own experiences that taught him to soften that external toughness with a genuine love and compassion that was impossible to miss. The balance of hard and soft was, you know, it was graphic. You would hear him yell, “Annie! ANNIE!” and his love would come quickly but patiently and as soon as Jacques would see her his eyes would melt in pools of love. And anyone he loved knew that those beautiful big kisses he planted smack on your lips, always accompanied by a smile and a sweet, “My baby,” were real.

I recall on one of my visits to New York jacques invited me to come and train with him and Annie at, if I recall, the New York Racquet club. We put on our gis in one of the squash courts, stretched and began training. Each kata was followed by a series of push ups. We continued on, until we had finished more than 20 kata, each with focus and some more than once. I was genuinely impressed as by this stage Jacques, whose legs were badly damaged during WWII, was already in his mid-sixties. Annie, often labelled as his yin balance, was as focused and yang as the men that day. I never forgot that day.

Shihan Jacques was a writer whose books “Donbas” and “Hunger’s Rogues” are a suspenseful and breathtaking account of his own escape from Russian coal mines and survival in WWII Europe.

http://donbas.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunger's_Rogues

http://trueancestor.typepad.com/true_ancestor/2010/11/brother-jacques.html

Shihan Boby Lowe 23 August 1929 – 14 September 2011

The same day I met Shihan Jacques in 1976 I also met Shihan Bobby Lowe. My first impression was, being the interpreter for the tournament, how incredibly well this Japanese guy spoke English. There were others there, including Shihans Shigeru Oyama, Yasuhiko Oyama and Miyuki Miura, but this particular shihan, whose name I missed, really spoke English perfectly. After lunch, he said, “Where are you from? Australia? I was born in Australia. Let’s go and find somewhere to sit.” I said I was impressed by his English and he laughed and introduced himself and it was then that I realised who he was.

From that day we maintained a close friendship exchanging letters at a surprising frequency considering he was Shihan Bobby Lowe and I was a teenager with a green belt and no history at all. I visited Hawaii on numerous occasions over the years and without fail Shihan Bobby, Sosai’s “brother” and first foreign student, always made time to visit, teach me in a park somewhere or play host over a relaxed breakfast at the Liki Liki café where he was clearly a favourite customer.

In 1987 when I wrote my book The Budo Karate of Mas Oyama Shihan Bobby graciously accepted my request to write a foreword.

To the very end I was both honoured and grateful to remain friends with both Shihan Jacques and Shihan Babby, visiting them at their homes in Hawaii and New York on a number of occasions. And through all those years, never once did they make me feel lesser than themselves, always giving me nothing but love and kindness and encouragement on the budo path. Both of these men were close friends with Sosai from different parts of his colourful life and both remained loving and loyal to him until their last breath.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Lowe_(karateka)

http://www.kyokushinkaikan.org/en/news/2011/09/shihan-bobby-lowepasses-away.html

Tyrone ‘Cyclone’ Tongia Defends Title

Tyrone Tongia, former Kyokushin uchi deshi and state knockdown champion, turned his hands of rock to boxing after a period as uchi deshi in the Goki Ryo. In March 2010 his hard work paid off when he claimed the Australian Light Middleweight professional boxing title.

Soon after Tyrone relinquished the title to focus on developing his Cyclone Squad training business. When the future business foundation was solidly built he knew it was time to return to the ring and chose to do it with his old karate trainer, Shihan Cameron. This was a first for both of them—although Cameron had trained and/or had a hand in training many knockdown karate, kickboxing and MMA fighters, this was the first time he had focused purely on the “sweet science” of boxing.

“The most important link between a fighter and trainer is trust. I could have gone to a boxing trainer

but I chose to train with Shihan Cam because of that trust. He has huge experience in the fight

game and never stops surprising me with his  vision,” said Ty.

After regaining the Australian TItle in June 2011, Ty took on the challenge of defending it against well-respected hard hitting state champion, James Giltrow. I suspect Giltrow’s camp were thinking Ty would tire after a few rounds but with his new training regime I would say Ty is as fit, or fitter, than any boxer in Australia.

So Ty got stronger and stronger through the bout. In the 8th round Ty rocked Giltrow with a sizzling combination and powerful overhand right. He paused a moment and Giltrow fell to the ground. As the referee continued the count his corner threw in the towel. Giltrow took quite a while to recover.

It was a great title defence. Ty is now looking at various options for his future but will be defending his title again inDecember 2011. Stay tuned!

“The Budo Karate of Mas Oyama”
25th Anniversary Limited Edition!

2012 is 25 years since Shihan Cameron Quinn published his classic text, “The Budo Karate of Mas Oyama”. This book became an immediate international hit and as the years passed its value rose until owners now guard their copy as though it was gold.

Shihan Cameron is happy to announce the production of a limited special 25th Anniversary Edition of The Budo Karate of Mas Oyama. This edition will be available in April 2012. We will be taking advanced orders as soon as a firm date is set.

There is a whole new generation of Kyokushin students worldwide and The Budo Karate of Mas Oyama is set to light their lamp anew with the inspiring story of our founder, Mas Oyama’s life story.

Osu!

QUINNTESSENTIAL Total Training
Shihan Quinn and Elite Athletes

The teachings of Budo and Kyokushin Karate are universally profound and find resonance with many people and many walks of life. If the message is transferred with clarity and purpose it will impact on even the greatest athletes.

Since 2000 Shihan Quinn has been working with elite athletes in many fields, including swimming, Shooto, K-1, Muay Thai, MMA, Australian Rules Football, boxing, BJJ, rugby league and rugby union. On top of that he has been invited to work with corporate groups seeking more clarity and understanding about what really matters most in their life. The message he takes is based on the teachings of Budo and Sosai Mas Oyama and finds universal application.

Currently, Shihan Quinn is working with Dani Samuels, World Women’s Discus Champion, Jake Stein, Australian Junior Decathlon Champion, the players from rugby league teams including Melbourne Storm, Sydney Roosters, Parramatta Eels and the NZ Kiwis national rugby league team. Results have been clearly measurable and players and athletes are finding profound improvements in every area of their lives.

Shihan Quinn’s VCA Blueprint process takes practical and powerfully transforming principles that can be applied by both athletes and corporate warriors in work and personal life.

If you are looking for a speaker who has the cred of 40 years of personal experience and is able to inspire with purpose and provoke you to review your world and drive to new levels in a way that not only resonates but offers genuinely and simply practical solutions for a wide range of life’s challenges, check www.cameronquinn.com or contact Shihan Quinn directly.

Budonews

Shihan Cameron’s newsletter, Budonews, has become a real hit with readers since commencing in June 2008. To celebrate we have a special discount offer you won’t want to miss. The Budonews is interesting, educational, thought provoking and very helpful for tweaking your training to maximize results. So if you haven’t yet subscribed, what are you waiting for? It’s free after all. Use the link below, sign in and receive your first Budonews today.