Hi everybody , I'm Rik Carpenter and, after over 20 years, I'm back doing the first style I ever did, " Goju Ryu", but I must warn you before we go any further, if you've got a weak stomach and don't have a sense of humour, don't read on,…what ya still there , then I'll begin. I have always been mad keen on all sports especially football, and played at a decent level for quite a few years, but after going self employed I gave up football as I couldn't afford to get injured, (can I hear the sound of violins?). So due to my inactivity I put on a few pounds, ( er..stones I mean ) and generally lost my fitness, (yep I used to have it all folks, the looks, the money, the car, the job, the house, the wife, the hair, I've still got one of them,… not telling which one though ah ah .) Kenny was a joiner I met on a job, he was also a Sensei, a black belt and passionate about his Goju Ryu karate. He had an air of self confidence about him the likes of which I'd seldom seen in anyone before, and like all Sensei's, he had the gift of the gab.
Our chats always seemed to end up with me asking questions about his karate, and Kenny always saying, "Come along to the dojo tonight and take a look, you can even join in if you like, and if you don't want to do the karate just do the warm-up and get yourself fit again", this was always followed by me finding an excuse not to go, ( like I'd be washing my hair, watching Coronation Street, having piano lessons,..( ok so I was kidding about washing my hair.)
Well after finally running out of excuses, I plucked up some courage, and made my way nervously, to Kenny's dojo. I seriously thought that I would turn up at the dojo, do a nice gentle warm up, work up a sweat and gradually get myself back to some kind of fitness and finally get back into those white trousers, ) that I used to look good in, ( well I thought so.), boy was I in for a major shock . I entered the dojo the local YMCA, (remember the song,…if you do, you're older than you think guys) and someone wearing a karate suit and white belt was methodically sweeping the wooden floor, another five guys in their Gi's were going through a series of stretches, and right at the front as large as life was Kenny who after greeting me introduced me to the other students. Kenny asked us to line up and after completing the formalities we started the warm-up, yes folks here we go hang on to your hats, what…. big toes up little toes down and all that…you now the routine guys yeah,… (but what about the sweating , the fitness my white trousers,) after working on all the joints right up the body to the neck we did a series of stretches, then the orders came, "down for press-ups ." Well I know that adrenaline, testosterone,(or was it Tobelerone?) and male pride kicked in during the strength exercises, causing me to exit stage left to throw up and recover in the gents, I hadn't even survived 25 minutes of the warm-up, ( all right,… 20 minutes then …OK ).
The warm-up came to an end and I sat and watched in amazement as Sensei Kenny put the exhausted students through a gruelling session of karate. I left the dojo drenched in sweat with my face whiter than any Gi and a tremendous respect for all the students and especially Kenny who did the whole warm-up with the students and more. Kenny never expected any student to do something that he couldn't do himself, (remind you Norton guys of somebody?)
I progressed from the warm-up to the karate itself, and remember one night thinking I was in a dojo with a bunch of crazy people doing something truly magical, ( some things never change! ) but that's Goju Ryu for you, it just gets in your bones. I had some great times there, but for some reason the club disbanded, and I couldn't find another Goju Ryu club anywhere, and if it wasn't Goju Ryu it was nothing.
A few years and a family later, along came GKR, ( Go Kan Ryu ) which was a style of karate that allowed family's to train together, which was fine to a point, but adults and children didn't really work, and to be fair GKR did try to change things, but, after three long years with not a lot of personal progress, I needed something more challenging .
A Black belt friend of mine from GKR who had also left the club, told me that another student and friend of mine, had left GKR and started training with another style and was loving it, so I gave him a ring. " I don't believe it, (sorry I sound a bit like Victor Meldrew there, ) Dave, a Goju Ryu club virtually on the door step brilliant!"
So on the 15th of May 2007, and after a break of over twenty years, I attended my first Goju Ryu class.
Sensei Terry Noble 4th Dan, ( like,…WOW, sorry getting a little excited there.) was standing in for Sensei Chris Robins 4th Dan who was at the, "Gasshuku" in Goa. We did the formalities, stretching, warm-up and eventually Traditional Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate, absolutely brilliant! Sensei Terry allowed me to catch my breath during the warm-up, for which I am eternally grateful, and made my first class back a truly memorable and enjoyable experience, thanks Sensei Terry. The following Tuesday 22nd Sensei Terry again stood in for Sensei Chris, once again a brilliant class, and for the first time in over twenty years, I had to learn how to hit the deck without hurting myself when thrown, a skill that comes back very quickly indeed after sixty minutes of close contact training, fantastic!
Tuesday the 29th of May 2007 was the day I met him, ( sound of gothic church organ music strikes up, you know, like in the horror movies,) the man,…our man,…(the music's getting louder,) Sensei Chris Robins 4th Dan in Goju Ryu Karate.
Dave introduced me to him, he seemed like a really nice guy, (slim,… very slim, average height, late 40s early 50s, all his own teeth,…calm down ladies,… well one of those is true,…not telling which one though .)
We went through the formalities, the stretching, the warm-up, the warm-up, the warm-up ,( when will it stop, please someone stop him! Did I say he was a nice guy? He must be a good actor, though someone did say he'd been to RADA.)
I was suddenly taken back twenty years, back to that dojo with Sensei Kenny, history was repeating itself, and I had to leave the dojo go outside and grab some fresh air. I crept back into the dojo and spent the next twenty minutes or so kicking pads with a partner, all the time Sensei Chris encouraging , "More Power, More Power, you need More Power," (he'd make a good politician don't you think.) We ended the session doing wrist lock take-downs, it was absolutely awesome, and I was absolutely shattered.
In Sensei Chris I have met a man who continually amazes and inspires me, he does the whole warm up, demonstrates all the disciplines with speed, power and timing, gives every student his personal attention and time, never stops encouraging and he has the experience to push every single student to their absolute limit.(told you he was a nice guy really,)
I consider it a great privilege to have Sensei Chris as my instructor, and always look forward to Tuesday and Friday nights,(I must be mad,) I still haven't got used to his warm-up yet, but I'm slowly improving week by week,(oops,…I think my nose is starting to grow,)
Thanks Sensei Chris,(hope I haven't embarrassed you to much,…didn't think so.)

Rik left the Gokan Ryu concern with the rank of 4th kyu.On joining Norton Dojo in May of 2007 he chose to revert to10th kyu in the I.O.G.K.F./O.T.G.K.A. syllabus. Through his endeavour and exertion he was awarded 9th kyu in September 2007.