Beginnings

(Black Belt Magazine Nov. 1989 V-27 No.11)

It seems as though only a short time has elapsed since I began my venture into the karate profession.  I started teaching commercially in 1954 at a gymnasium in Provo, Utah, and also held a self-defense course for law enforcement agencies at Brigham Young University.  After graduating from college with no experience in business, I moved to Pasadena, California, and opened my own school in September, 1956.  I was determined and confident I could make it, and as I look back, I found that my ignorance really worked in my favor.  Had I listened to my experienced business advisors, who would have warned me of all the pitfalls of my profession, I would never have been successful.

The following true story is a good analogy.  A black belt was hired to protect a rock group on tour.  A party was held on closing night, and a gate-crasher and his friends got out of hand.  Their leader attacked the black belt, but he found he had overestimated his ability and was badly defeated.  As his friends escorted him out, they yelled to the black belt "You'll regret this!  This is the national heavyweight boxing champion!"  Would the black belt have been as effective had he had previous knowledge of the party crashers identity?  Would I have been effective if I had been told about the pitfalls that awaited me in the martial arts business?

At the time of my schools opening, there was no one in the karate business to appraise me of their experiences; there was no track record for me to follow.  Learning the basic principles of business is not enough, because they are not the same for all businesses.  A recent case in point: a very successful insurance executive decided he wanted to get into the karate business.  I was consulted and gave him my advice.  His plan to have big businesses sponsor underprivileged kids was a valid idea most of us in the profession had not considered.  We have brought sponsors into the tournament scene, but not into the schools.  After listening to his plan, I was impressed.  However, as he revealed other aspects of his plan, I knew that his business practices would clash with ours.  His monthly overhead, not including salaries and other miscellaneous expenses, was $15-16,000 a month.  To meet these expenses he would have needed 400 regular students.  To pay salaries, another 100 to 150 regular students would be required.  I predicted he would stay in business a year.  I was wrong.  He closed in six months.

"Tailoring" is a very important concept.  In Kenpo karate, tailoring describes your ability to fit moves to your body size, makeup, speed, and strength in order to maximize your physical efforts.  Tailoring is also viewed as the ability to adjust your attitude to fit each situation.  These concepts also apply to business.  What works in one business may not work in another.  Likewise, teaching and business procedures at a karate school will vary from one country to another, state to state and city to city.  Economic conditions, ordinances, age groups, an annual income are some of the considerations that change with time and must be heeded.

One of those considerations is competition.  Many of us have read about the Old West, with its gunfighters and challenges.  Similarly, during my early years in business, I too became acquainted with challenges.  Since karate was virtually unknown during the early 50s, I had my share of challengers.  Because I had the only commercial school listed in the Yellow Pages, I was frequently sought out.  I once had a challenger who said he was a "jujeeti" expert.  He couldn't even pronounce the word "jujitsu" correctly.  As much as I tried to avoid a confrontation, he persisted.  You can only take so much, so I gave in.  He proceeded to stalk me, traveling clockwise, and I faked a right punch.  He attempted to grab my punch with his right hand and I instantly contoured the underside of his right arm and executed a right inward elbow strike to his upper rib cage, cracking a number of ribs.  It was my intention to knock the wind out of them, not the fracture his ribs.  As I escorted him out of the school, I felt remorse for what I had done, but I was angry with him for placing me in such a position.

I recall another incident where the gentleman in question did not actually challenge me, but felt he had the fastest hands in town.  He wished to prove to me that he could block any punch directed to his head or body.  I shot a right punch, and he blocked it successfully.  I've been shot a left punch, which he blocked.  I commented "Hey, you're really good."  As his head swelled, I asked if he could block a right and the left punch combination.  He again succeeded.  I then delivered a left and a right combination.  He beamed as he successfully blocked my blows.  I commented that I had met a lot of martial artist, but that he was the best I had seen.  His head was now so swollen he could have floated to the ceiling.

My last comment to him was "Can you block a right “with” a left combination?"  He nodded his head, indicating he could.  As I simultaneously delivered both punches, he blocked my right punch and was drilled in the face with my left.  He did not expect to punches delivered at the same time, which is what I countered on.

That was one of the ways I used my wits to survive in the early days of karate.