Dear Tony

I was reading a Chinese-language article regarding the history of Karate-Do in Okinawa and Japan - and I discovered Funakoshi Gichin's original grading syllabus - which he produced in 1924 (developed from Judo). By the time I encountered Karate-Do grading in the early 1980s (through Wado-Kai and Shukokai), most Japanese styles had consolidated their grades into far fewer (with many progressing from White, to Yellow, Orange, Green, Blue, Purple, Brown [3 sub-grades], and Black [10 Dans]). When I encountered Goju Ryu during the mid to late 1980s, however, I discovered what looks like the far more traditional ranking-system.

I read later that Goju Ryu, being Okinawan (with direct cultural links to China), did not originally have grades (traditional Chinese gongfu - such as our family style - does not possess formal grades). Gradng was only forced onto the style by the Japanese government (I believe initially in 1936 [as part of the cultural splitting with China - in preparation for war] - but this was not taken-up with any great enthusiasm at the time in Okinawa). Grades were finally adopted in the 1960s - as Karate-Do spread all over the world and became popular. 

I note that the rank of "5 Dan" carries the honorific of "錬士" Jap: "Ren Shi") [or Chin: "lian4 shi4"]. 

錬 (Ren) = forge, cultivate, temper

士 (Shi) = warrior, scholar, skilled

Therefore, "錬士" seems to mean "Refined Warrior-Scholar". 

錬 (Ren) = left-particle - 金 (jin1) - "Metal"

錬 (Ren) = right-particle - 柬 (Jian3) - "Refine"

金 (jin1) [left-particle] = 亼 (ji2) [upper element] - mark, collect, gather (as in to "find" iron ore)

丷 (ba1) [middle element] - (contraction of "八") - in old dictionaries "two blocks of metal" - as in "two separate the iron ore" through the smelting process

士 (shi4) [lower element] - in old dictionaries, an "upside down rritual axe" made of metal (the product of smelting and forging iron ore)

柬 (Jian3) [right-particle] = 束 (shu4) [outer element] - select, gather, bind (tie) + 

八 (ba1) [inner element] - "8" or in this context - to "divide" and "separate"

It is interesting to see "士" (shi4) meaning "scholar", "warrior" (traditional) and "metal axe" (ancient).

For educational purposes, I lived in Hereford from September, 1984 – July 1989. Prior to this I had spent a year living in Reigate and Redhill (1983-1984) - where I trained for one-year in Wado Ryu Karate-Do (see below). Master Chan Tin Sang (1924-1993) had suggested that whilst travelling for education, I should attend whatever local martial arts training was available, and in the case of the karate styles, try to discern the Chinese gongfu roots that exist within the developed martial techniques. I spent a year training in Wado-Kai Karate-Do under Sensei Alan Bound in Redhill, but when I arrived in Hereford  during September, 1984, I was swept along into the local Shukokai class taught by Sensei Tom Beardsley 4th Dan (I will write about this separately). However, in 1986 I was informed about a traditional Goju Ryu class in Hereford – I think from am advert in the magazine entitled ‘Karate and Oriental Arts’ - taught by Mr Tony Smith. This class was held in Hereford Leisure Centre (I think on Wednesday and Friday nights), with an optional Sunday-morning training in the Herefordshire countryside (this was popular amongst those who participated in the training of the local SAS Regiment). These classes were extraordinary and reminded me of our traditional Hakka Chinese gongfu style. The emphasis upon heavy (muscle and bone) body-conditioning was so familiar to me that it felt like a ‘returning home’ - although the sheer intensity was something entirely 'new' to me compared the more 'laid-back' Chinese attitude to training. Not better or worse - just 'different' and useful! This Okinawan approach was obviously ‘Chinese’ in manifestation – just as Wado-Kai and Shukokai were typically ’Japanese’ - but contained something uniquely 'Okinawan' in its approach to training. The grading system of coloured-belts was similar (with some differences), but the gradings were so hard and infrequent that those that focused on Goju training had to psychologically and physically commit themselves to levels of dedication I had not seen in any other Karate Training Hall (or ‘Dojo’). Practitioners, led by Tony Smith and his assistants, trained to the point of utter exhaustion – and then moved into new dimensions of 'being'! As a 10th Kyu white-belt, I had to undergo a three-hour grading session (under ‘Sensei Bill’ 3rd Dan and his equally highly graded partner - whom I met again many years later, by accident at a dinner party) to earn my 9th kyu – a white belt with one black tag.  As matters transpired, I was granted two grades in one examination (together with a friend) and left with an 8th kyu grade – a white belt with two black tags which I still possess today, and am very proud of (although I am told that Goju Ryu has seemingly abolished the '10th' and '9th' Kyu grades - so that everyone now starts with an 8th Kyu)! I was living a double martial arts life at the time, being a practitioner of Hakka gongfu since a young child. I managed to train for about 18 months solid in Goju Ryu in Hereford, but trained for much longer when back home in Devon (between my required but secretive gongfu lessons). I made contact again in 2000 with my Goju Ryu teacher via telephone (and the internet). Since my formulative days in Hereford, I had married a British Chinese woman born in Hong Kong (indeed, the daughter of my Chinese Master), had inherited our family gongfu style and was teaching classes of my own by this time. For about two months in 2005, I had a friend who was driving near to Cardiff once a week and she agreed to visit Hereford en route and we trained with Tony Smith in a different hall (somewhere near the centre of Hereford). Tony also stayed a few times in our home in South London and I was happy (and honoured) to meet his partner and sons. As an author, I wrote an article about Sensei Tony Smith and it was published (in two parts) in the ‘Traditional Karate’ magazine in 2007 (please see below). Around 2007 Tony introduced me to Mr George Andrews 8th Dan at his training hall in the Elephant and Castle part of London.  ​