Memories with Karl Hovey

 

 

 

 

One Sunday while I was cleaning the dojo (which paid for my lessons) Karl Hovey and Lewis Sensei came into the dojo to work out a bit. Seeing me there Sensei invited me to join them, but as a yellow or blue belt I felt to intimidated. I did get to observe them though.

 

They were mostly talking in their gi’s when suddenly Sensei asked Karl if he had ever seen Tom’s Sea Gull kata. Karl replied he had not.

 

Then Sensei began the form (I now recognize it was the opening of his Kusanku kata, but at that time it was way beyond me.) He rei’d, then bowed down and raised his hands toward the sky, Then raised his hands circled down and raised up into kamae. At the same time Sensei raised his hands, his knees uncompressed and as if on time, his gi pants dropped toward the floor in unison with his hands. He may have uttered a sea gull call as that happened.

 

Karl and I were astounded expecting nothing like that.

 

 

The next year I remember when Tom took the club down to Karl’s tournament in Virginia. It was a very good tournament.

 

 

In 1976  Sensei took a group of us up to Sunnyside Gardens in NYC to a tournament to raise money for a monument for Shimabuku Tatsuo. There were Isshinryu competitors from all over the place, and many of the senior Isshinryu instructors across the States too. Master shimabuku’s oldest son, Kichero, was there too.

 

Karl was Okinawan, had studied Kempo over there, but learnt Isshinryu from Don Bohan in the states. That day both he and Tom were competing in the black belt forms division.

 

Karl did Chinto and his jumps from the floor when kicking were unreal, so high and precise. Of course it was his own interpretation of Chinto, not exactly standard. His scores reflected that, which was a shame, because his form was so good.

 

 

As I mentioned Tom also competed. To me he was perfect. As it turned out he took 2^nd place.

Later in that afternoon Karl came up to us to gather our attendance certificates to request Kichero to sign them.

 

When he approached Kichero there was an interpreter there saying Kichero didn’t speak English, and to have him sign the certificates would cost $20.00 a certificate.

Karl speaking Japanese directly asked Kichero to sign them, but Kichero pretended not to understand Karl.

 

Most mad, Karl came back and returned our certificates of attendance to us unsigned.

 

 

 

One year perhaps 8 years later, in the spring, I was attending a George Dillman tournament to compete. I decided to practice the Yang form to warm up after the drive there. Doing so alone in my section of the field-house floor a senior Isshinryu instructor, Karl Hovey, came up to me. “Hey you’re Isshinryu, how can you be doing Tai Chi?”

I had met Karl as a beginner at Mr. Lewis’ dojo in Salisbury in 74 but he didn’t know me. I replied “Why not?” and then explained who I was and how I came to study tai chi. Karl then remembered that day long ago.

 

 

 

Living far away from Virginia I never had occasion to see him again.

 

But this photo of him is how I see him in my mind.