Shoki: The Story of
Sensei Pete Ratcliff
By Nick Armbrister
Interviews
Questions
and Answers with Sensei Pete being interviewed by Nick Armbrister in Sensei
Pete’s Dojo in Holy Trinity Church, Godson Street, Oldham. Any other interview
locations are stated in future interviews.
Interview 17/01/2013
Nick:
Why did you start Martial Arts and at what age?
Sensei
Pete: I first started getting interested in Martial Arts in 1979 watching TV
programmes such as Bruce Lee, Monkey Magic and I progressed from there.
Nick:
What age were you then about?
Sensei
Pete: I would say I was about five years old.
Nick:
Why didn’t you stop?
Sensei
Pete: Because I enjoyed it and I thrived from it and by the time I got to
become an instructor I wanted to pass on these skills I had.
Nick:
At what age did you become an instructor?
Sensei
Pete: Fourteen.
Nick:
What belt or grade were you then?
Sensei
Pete: First Dan.
Nick:
Black belt?
Sensei
Pete: Yes.
Nick:
What benefits did you gain as a person skills wise and other than the obvious
Martial Arts?
Sensei
Pete: Self Confidence, fitness, strength.
Nick:
What did other people say about this like friends and family members?
Sensei
Pete: They just encouraged me and wished me good luck.
Nick:
What did people say like you know the school bully? They thought like oh yeah,
what did they say?
Sensei
Pete: They wanted to challenge me.
Nick:
And did they do? Did they challenge you?
Sensei
Pete: Yes.
Nick:
And the result would be that you would show your skills.
Sensei
Pete: Yes, yes.
Interview 24/01/2013.
Sensei Derek Fullen also contributed.
Nick:
Where did Karate originate from?
Sensei
Pete: Japan.
Nick:
When did it come to the UK and the West?
Sensei
Pete: Well to be quite honest with you I couldn’t give you the dates.
Nick:
About a century ago?
Sensei
Pete: Many many years ago I would say.
Nick:
So like the 20th Century?
Sensei
Pete: Yes possibly.
Nick:
What weapons are used? For example people know the Samurai sword. What other
weapons are there in Karate?
Sensei
Pete: There are Nunchaku, the Sai, the Bow Staff, Twizzle Sticks, Draw Staff,
Bokken. A Bokken imitates a Samurai sword. The real name for a Samurai sword is
the Katana.
Nick:
What defence against the weapons you mentioned are there? For example blocks
and things like that.
Sensei
Pete: There are various combinations depending what weapons were used.
Nick:
For example if it was a…
Sensei
Pete: If you were using a Bow Staff you can use another Bow Staff to defend
yourself or a Sai.
Nick:
What’s a Sai?
Sensei
Pete: A Sai was a farming implement many years ago to turn soil and it went
into a weapon. It’s sort of a metal rod with two forks like a cow's horns.
Nick:
Would that be used for agriculture and fighting then or would it be used for
one then the other?
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