FOUNDERS PAGE
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I started training in 1968 at the Bucks
County Karate Club with Sensei Hodgkiss. That was the year that Sensei
Hodgkiss started his club at the Fairless Hills YMCA, in
Fairless Hills, PA. He was so
successful that in 1972 the Central Bucks YMCA, who didn't have a building
or a karate club, asked Sensei Hodgkiss to send someone to start a program
from scratch. I had just received my Shodan the year before and was his
senior assistant. He asked me to take on this task, and I accepted.
I started the karate program at the Central Bucks YMCA as a 1st degree black belt in 1972. I held classes in the Doyle Elementary School for 8 years. At that time I also held a recreation class for special needs adults.
The YMCA’S building opened in 1980. Once we had our own building, the club got bigger and bigger, the rest is history. Our two clubs continued to produce black belts with a solid background in Shotokan traditions and basics. These black belts started clubs of their own, and we saw a need to develop our own organization, breaking away from the United States Karate Association.
Sensei Hodgkiss started the Shotokan Karate Association (SKA) and it is still growing. I am a co-founder and sit on the Board of Directors of the SKA. I am responsible for updating and enforcing tournament rules. The SKA holds two tournaments annually (a junior and a senior). I provide advanced training for black and brown belts in the SKA. We now number 20 clubs in several states. Sensei Hodgkiss had a vision that Shotokan Karate should be affordable to everyone; taught by qualified instructors, who know how to make training fun and demanding. We, the instructors of the SKA, have made that happen.
We hold safe tournaments, provide weapons training, have guest instructors, have 20 other SKA karate schools that our students can train with, 10 black belt instructors, and a stable environment in which to train.In February 1993 one of my instructors Vince Mitchell, died in an automobile accident. In memory of Vince, I set up a scholarship fund for children who cannot afford karate lessons at the YMCA. It is entitled The Vince Mitchell Memorial Scholarship Fund.
I have worked for three General Directors at the YMCA: Louise Peters, Ken White, and Gene Smith. All have praised and supported the karate program.
We work with children and adults; we give them direction, confidence and self esteem. We teach them that humility is a good thing, and it is a way of life. They learn to believe in themselves. I have always felt that my work is very important to the YMCA and to the community.
I have matured in my capacity as Head Karate Instructor over these 30 years and I have learned much from my students. With the help of my fellow black belts, we have been able to grow as a club and improve our karate skills. Our club gets bigger and stronger every year and we consistently out perform our competition in tournaments.
Through this experience I have developed strengths that include: leadership, people skills, organizational abilities, tradition, dedication, team teaching and a reputation of which I am proud. This attracts new students.
Today, after 30 years of additional training in Shotokan Karate and the bo staff (weapon), I have attained the rank of 6th degree black belt. This ranking carries the title of Master.
Sensei Hodgkiss is my Sensei and has always been more to me than my Sensei. He has been my mentor and friend for over thirty years. I am retiring now with the knowledge that Sensei Liddle will take over and continue the tradition and values that has made our club so successful over the past 30 years.
