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While karate was practised sporadically during the 1950s in Europe, in England there was no real structure and no chief instructor to look up to, despite Judo spreading rapidly at the time. A turbulent beginning was made in England with a Sensei named Vernon Bell. The lack of bibliography in this era was filled by Dr. Clive Layton’s book “Shotokan Dawn Vol. 1 – A selected early history of Shotokan Karate in Great Britain 1956-1966”. Given that the esteemed author (who specialises in illuminating forgotten parts of UK Karate history) went through approximately two million words of material (from the horse’s mouth so to speak – Sensei Bell’s personal archive), it is a wonder that Sensei Layton kept his sanity during his arduous and time-consuming research. The book begins with a short biography of Sensei Bell’s life, his start in Judo and his subsequent interest in karate. There are vintage pictures (clear and undamaged) throughout the book from the participants of the martial arts community, which present that era beautifully. The connections with the French karate scene (of Henri Plee) and Yoseikan karate (which was the first style of karate -pre-J.K.A. era- taught to Sensei Bell and the rest through Senseis Mochizuki and Murakami) are presented in a detailed manner. We see the establishment of the British Karate Federation (B.K.F.) and the beginning of organised Shotokan karate in the country through Sensei Bell’s efforts to spread the word (even if sometimes it was advertised clumsily as a secret Oriental art of death or a way to become invincible). The humble beginnings of notable karatekas such as Terry Wingrove, James William Neal, Terry O’Neil and Andy Sherry are mentioned in the book (famous singer Elvis Presley makes a cameo too!). It is heartfelt to see how much a karateka had to go through. Mouldy basements, splintered floors and daily beatings paint a picture of perseverance and hardship. Even being a member was considered part of a closed circle that you infiltrated though sheer persistence. If some wonder why nowadays there is so much talk of politics between teachers in karate, one has only to read this book to see how karate was politicised and as much effort was made in practising it; as in rifts over teaching jurisdiction to book publishing wars, both within the UK and outside of it. To conclude, the book is somewhat of a roller-coaster, going from presenting members, training and grading to bizarre events that elicit astonishment or laughter. One will not get bored reading this, do not be fooled by the serious title and subject, there is enough chaos and mayhem throughout to keep you glued to the pages. Not all books in a karateka’s library must be training manuals, this is not just for people interested in a snapshot of karate history. The gruelling training endured by the pioneers of karate in England during this era, will inspire anyone to appreciate what we have today and how far we have come from those humble and quite frankly brutal beginnings.Read full review
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