TRAD:  What was training like in those early days?

David Allsop:  For us, very basic. My first instructors were Green belts, Ron Dovey and Ken Bagguley.  Of course we were all young and enthusiastic but the training was very low grade – kicking, punching, pinan katas and lots and lots of free fighting.  At first I wasn’t allowed to fight because of inexperience, but that soon changed.  Warm-up exercises were brutal with press-ups, bunny hops, duck walking, sit-ups and muscle ripping stretches – more like wearing down than warming up.

TRAD:  What about Japanese instruction?

David Allsop:  My first Japanese instructor was Sensei Hayakawa who some may remember became a Spaghetti Western actor.  He was very good, but also Hanshi Suzuki throughout my career.  Others were Sensei’s Maeda, Kitamura, Sakagami, Shiomitsu and Fuji (a really great fighter).  The U.K.K.W had a lot of very good instructors then plus of course occasional visits from Hironori Ohtsuka-Meijin the Grandmaster and founder of Wado-Ryu.

I trained with him whenever he was in this country.  I have a great respect for the vision and intellect of Ohtusuka-Meijin, he was a true martial art giant on whose shoulders all Wado students are standing and we should not forget that.  He was a very humble, humorous man as well.

TRAD:  Which had the most influence on you and why?

David Allsop:  That’s a very difficult question but probably Hanshi Suzuki.  He is a perfectionist and a hard taskmaster. I never wanted second best.  He has driven me to high achievement. In the 60’s and 70’s he was very fast, and still is today, very thorough and precise.  He gives me the same feeling I had with Ohtsuka-Meijin.  He was a top class fighter in the days when fights were for real.  Today little has changed with him despite the passing of many years, a remarkable man and a good adversary for hard training.  He stands astride of Wado Karate in Great Britain over the last 35 years