You never know where you martial journey is going to take you.

Back around 1988 I entered the internet world with my pc and AOL.

One of the individuals I met was Charles Joe Swift and shortly he and I became friends. Eventually learning I had studied French in high school and at Temple University (then a requirement) he eventually asked me if I might translate a French edition of books by Kenwa Mabuhi. At that time they were only in Japanese (and not regularly available there as they were written in the early 1930's). But he found french editions published by his son in France and wondered if I might translate them.

Now I was not a French major, but I had spent one summer in Reims, France as the Universitie de Reims with the Foreign Language League.

It had been over 30 years since I had studied French. I while really got to know the champagnes of Reims I really was only an average student. But I was curious and I told Joe I would try. I  found my old dictionaries and then got to work.  

I even sought advice from a Tuttle Martial Arts editor, George Donahue,  who worked worked on Patrick McCarthy's books, to seek advice how to best translate books.

After much work and even more swearing  I completed Joe's request. The first book was about  Sanchin and Seiunchin katas. The second book was about Seipai kata. The french editions did not contain the complete texts. That was ok for my own interests. 

Following Ginchin Funakoshi's lead, Kenwa Mabuni wrote about the Shitoryu kata, in contrast to the kata Funakoshi wrote about. It became obvious he was writing for the Japanese martial establishment about his Shito Ryu, choosing his works to show the Goju side of Okinawan karate.

Mabuni

Now to shorten the story, he told Patrick McCarthy what I had done for him. Shortly there after Patrick (who did not read French) asked me if I could translate a message from Roland Habsetzer, who had also published his own book on the Bubishi (also in french).

Habsetzer -
 

I did so, In return Patrick asked if I might translate Roland Habsetzers book on the Bubishi. At that time I was much interested in the Bubishi and wall willing to try, just to see the book. Patrick sent is to me where by I photocopied the book and returned it to him.

Then for next year I spent my spare time on that translation effort, all in my spare time. Frequently yelling at my dictionary. Not about the Karate terms, but I discovered the french I had studied for 6 years was french for American students, where the books were written in french for native french speakers. They were vastly different and that  is what took the most work.

Eventually I completed my translation effort. The book was quite different from the Penland and Alexander Bubishi and from the McCarthy Bubishi.

I then sent my translation to Patrick. He thanked me and asked if I wanted to try another book, that being Kenki Tokitsu’s work “Historie Du Karate”.

 

I worked on that book. Again it became very clear that the French I had studied had nothing in common with the way French was used in book for the French.

The prime example was one passage where Tokitsu compared various karate systems to types of cheese.

If you have trouble understanding that, it would only make sense if you had actually been to France and understood the passion of the French for cheeses.

Eventually I sent my translation to Patrick. That was the conclusion of my career as a translator.

Then many years later a friend who was also in Patricks organization wrote to congratulate me. So I asked him why. He told me that Patrick had named me translator for the year in his organization. I did not know that as I was never a member of that organization.

It seems Patrick published my translation of Habazeter's Bubishi 49 Self defense drawings. My friend even sent me a copy of that issue.

Interestingly I was never told about either event. The publication of my translation efforts or that I was awarded that prize Translator of the Year."

None of which bothered me, as that was not why I did those translations. I really just wanted to read them for free.

Eventually I published some of my translation efforts on my blog.

I guess I am a very sharp cheese!