Interview with Sensei Elwyn Hall

In June 2009 the Finnish Shotokan karate-Do Federation, JKA Finland, organized its annual summer camp at the Hakkari sports hall in Lempäälä. This year the participants were in for a very special treat. Our Chief Instructor Sensei Willy J. Ortiz, had invited Sensei Elwyn Hall from England to participate as a guest instructor. Sensei Hall had visited us two years earlier, during the 2007 camp, and for this reason all the senior belts knew that they were in for a memorable weekend.

Sensei Hall's training sessions were indeed unforgettable events. Here was a man who pushed us to train faster and harder than ever before, and still had us craving for more. Although afterwards it seemed that every part of my body was aching, during the training and especially when standing in front of Sensei Hall during a demonstration, I felt completely impervious to any fatigue or pain. Such was the rush that was inspired by his dynamic Shotokan karate.

In addition to the intensity of his method of teaching, I noticed that he was also a very articulate instructor. He was able to express exactly what he wanted from us, and how we were to do it. This precision, coupled with his dynamic fighting spirit, improved everyone's karate impressively. With his explanations he gave us an understanding of the technique, and with his demonstrations he conveyed to us the feeling that changed simple movements into powerful karate techniques. This powerful martial spirit was transmitted to all the practitioners during the camp.

 After the camp was over, I was given a chance to sit down and talk with Sensei Ortiz and Hall. I was curious to know the history behind such an inspirational karate instructor, and I asked him how his karate career got started.
Firstly I would like to thank Sensei Ortiz very much for inviting me .It has been a very enjoyable trip. Before we begin the interview , I would like to say, like many people I am still attempting to learn and still attempting to keep an open mind to learning .And in fact have a lot to try to learn .So please recognize mine is only an opinion. I am not attempting to say mine is the only point or view or that my view or opinion is the only right one. While I think its important to attempt to try to have the courage of your convictions. I think it is also important to recognize the potential importance of other points of view. 
-  I started karate in 1977 at 11 years of age. My first instructor was Sensei Jim Patterson, who ran a Dojo along with his wife. I trained with him until I was about 19 years old, at which stage Sensei basically told me to leave the Dojo. He knew that I had reached a point in my training, where I could improve only by training under other Sensei. Being a well-educated man, he directed me to other Dojos, which is something that not all instructors would gladly do. Even though I've trained with many other instructors, he is and always will be my Sensei. I am still close friends with his wife Val who is not only a great karateka and Sensei in her own right, but is also a very kind and lovely person.

 -   I went on to train with Senseis Enoeda, Kawazoe and Dave Hazzard. With regards to Senseis Kawazoe and Hazard I was very fortunate indeed, since in terms of technical mastery and practical application few people in the world can equal either of them.  Some of the stuff they do simply has to be seen to be believed. Sensei Hazard's personal training, support and  direction was extremely valuable and most appreciated.

-         Above all I feel very privileged for the extensive training and time spent training at Marshall Street with the Late Sensei Keinosuke Enoeda, at that time the chief instructor of JKA Europe. I also feel very privileged to have to have known someone who can truly be described as a Legendary Iconic figure within the karate world, Sensei Enoeda. 

      Sensei Enoeda understood, the meaning of ippon. “An absolute commitment to the performance of perfect technique". He had a certain fire within him, and had the gift to convey that feeling to you during a class. He had an intensive approach to karate, as he was always seeking to improve his students both mentally and physically. This was sometimes very demanding for us. His instruction was always inspirational, systematic and perfectly balanced the development of technical prowess and fighting spirit. Always demanding and getting more from those of us training with him.

We also discussed his time in the KUGB (karate Union of Great Britain) kumite squad. From the late 1980's to the mid 1990's the British team won numerous world championships, and included some very famous competitors such as Terry O'Neill, Ronnie Christopher, George Best and Frank Brennan. In competitions, In many occasions Sensei Hall was asked to take the first fight during team kumite because of his absolute commitment to victory. Sensei Enoeda and Andy Sherry, were in charge of training this famous squad, and Sensei Hall explained what went on during these trainings.

 'England's squad sessions, particular during the early 90’s and before, were known throughout the karate world for their extreme difficulty and sheer intensity. Several other national teams and organization within the UK and overseas felt that some of these sessions simply ‘went too far.
The squad sessions were normally held once a month, and they lasted about 4 to 4,5 hours. However, when we were preparing for a big competition, we trained shorter training sessions 2 times a day! When I started going to these sessions, from the beginning the juniors were training with the seniors , so at the very first training I was up against some of the best kumite men in Britain! These trainings were more intensive than anything I had ever experienced before. They were designed to overwhelm, and leave an impression on you. They forced you to raise the level of your own training, because you knew that if you didn't, you wouldn't survive the next session. During the squad sessions, everyone was fighting to defeat each other. There were about 30 people in each session, and 5-7 guys were on the A-team, the representative kumite team. Once you were on the team, you really had to fight to hold your place.
What is not arguable is that these squad sessions helped to lay the bedrock for England’s competitive dominance during that time. It is fair to say that accurate vivid recollections, and video footage, rightly means that these sessions have taken on a near mythical status. Not just due to the sheer intensity of the training. But also because of the frequency of injury (sometimes serious Injury) and because of the likelihood of injury.

Getting on the Squad was just the first part of the challenge. A rich talent pool of World class fighters, at the pinnacle of their fighting prowess coupled with Olympian fitness levels and razor sharp battle hardened technique. Meant that promotion from squad to team and gaining a coveted place on the actual England team was something you really had to fight for and be combined with your own individual training endeavors (in all cases huge personal training commitments). Several generations of those rare few who experienced these squad sessions from the 90s and before. And who eventually learned to manage and indeed thrive on them. Have gone on to become some of the best known karate men in the world: Terry O’Neil, Billy Higgins, Dave Hazard, Steve Cattle, Ronnie Christopher, Elwyn Hall, George Best, Frank Brennan, Ian Roberts…

When I asked his opinion on today's competitors, he said that some of these young people are marvelous athletes, and that it is a challenge for us all to maintain and enhance the Martial aspect of competition. When you take this away, you are left with nothing more than a “technical sport”, and that is not karate.

- Part of the challenge for today’s young competitors and especially the elite level competitor is increased, because usually nowadays they are training and preparing in relatively small talent pools. Although not always the case, usually the bigger and stronger the level of internal competition within any given talent pool or squad eventually significantly increases the potential for the overall standard to rise.

The training sessions held by Sensei Hall here in Tampere, emphasized very strongly on the martial aspect of karate, and maintained a very powerful atmosphere. To us Sensei Hall seemed more than an instructor, a force of nature. I was deeply impressed by these trainings, and we discussed with him the importance of the martial spirit in karate.

-         The way I see it, certain aspects of life require a certain feeling. As you may have noticed I am not, by nature, a very aggressive person outside the Dojo. However, when training a martial art that aspect has to be brought out, but always in a very controlled way. You should think of it as having a delicious meal in front of you. The meal tastes it's best when you really have an appetite for it. The same applies with karate. You have to really have an "appetite" for training. It's necessary to put everything you have into the technique, and this the feeling I try to inspire in my students. I also feel that it is the job of the Sensei to create a challenging environment for the student. The training should not be comfortable or easy, but rather a challenge which will inevitably raise the level of the students karate.

We spoke further of the development of karate nowadays. Sensei Hall felt that karate has begun a slow decline. In his opinion, in many places it is often missing the very martial element that he tries to emphasize in his own trainings.

-         I think a challenge within karate is to recognize a minority of instructors are more concerned with politics, how much money they were making and the position of authority they have within their organizations, rather than transmitting the idea of good solid karate to their students. Karate is then reduced from a martial art to a matter of business and politics. I travel often to teach around the world, and I have seen a wide variety of standards ranging from strong and dynamic karate to a technical sport which has no place in a real self-defense situation.

At the end of our interview, I asked him what he thought of Finnish karateka, as he had already trained with us in two occasions. He replied:

-         Honestly you are quite fortunate in Finland to have a man like Sensei Ortiz as your chief instructor. In my opinion the karate you practice here still retains the essence of a martial art, and you should cultivate that idea in your training.

I asked him if he had anything to say to the Finnish karateka who would be reading this article. Like his karate, simple and precise, he summed up his message with just a few words.

-         Keep training hard, and keep an open mind.

  Henry Niemi

For information on Sensei Halls courses contact elwynhall@hotmail.co.uk

Henry Niemi