
























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-

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-
I trained with him whenever he was in this country. I have a great respect for the
vision and intellect of Ohtusuka-

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-

