An interview John Richards. By Bob Sykes

Bob Sykes: Sensei, thank you for permitting this interview to go ahead. Could you start by telling our readers how you first became involved in the martial arts?

John Richards: When I was around 12 years old I started Boxing. Over the next couple of years Karate started to gain in popularity. There was a club not far from where I lived, so I went down to try it out. I loved it, couldn’t get enough of it, and the rest is history.
My first Karate instructor was Tommy Ryan in the early ‘70s. Karate was very basic and very strong. I took over as instructor in 1975, amongst my first students were Linval Graham Howard Brown, Shirley Graham and Yvette Bryan.

BS: You have stuck with Shotokan, what was it that impressed you most about this system?
JR: Shotokan Karate was created for me; it is dynamic and suits my body type. I love the power and the Kime, it makes me feel alive. However you can adapt Shotokan Karate to suit almost anyone, you have to work

[To read this article in full you must buy the April 2009 edition of Martial Arts Illustrated]