KYOKUSHIN IN HAITI

Ses Problemes Problems

Son Origine The origin

Une Solution A solution

Liste des Ceintures Noires Black belt list

Abandon

Problems

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Giving up  Many years have passed and Haitians slowly stopped coming to the dojo.  Sensei Jean Paul came and remained as student.  In the course of our training shihan Henri-Oh and shihan Kanamura have conducted many seminars.  In one occasion I met with a few guys that were my seniors at the school in Haiti, refering to Jocelyn and Lewis G. Zephirin.  Lewis and myself have in some degree put our share in the existance of kyokushin in Haiti.  While every body was loosing interest or focusing on other thing, between 1975 and 1977, we kept our training as if we were going to tournaments or wars.  We even started a tour of all towns and cities with no money.  We gave free demonstration and free lessons.  Then we would walk back home or tryed to get a ride from public transportation. I still can't come up with an explanation of what was the cause of that lack of interest in the Martial arts. In Port-au-Prince it wasn't that bad because in 1976 I went to sensei Jadotte for a belt promotion and he had some students. But the intensity was not the same.  In Cap-Haitian it was worst and I associate it with the fact that all the good ones had to travel to a foreign country or there was other reason that I was to young to understand.  Whatever it was, that was a great lost for the karate spirit and for the city who went down to the lowest deplorable situation.  These men were the best in almost everything.  Among them kyokushin brown belt Jean Robert Bottex, Jean Claude Eugene "bonbon," Jean Claude Jean-Baptiste "pepe," Romel Joseph (late) with the best Ushiro mawashi geri, Jocelyn Zephirin.  Among them Tae Kwon do red belt Matthieu Eugene, Andre Gaspard and the basketball club of "Carrenage."  Among them Shotokan self made the Galland Brothers Henri-Claude (late) and John, Leonce Leazard and many more that was on the scene quietly but shaping up the karate of Cap-Haitian. There was nothing happening except for two guys running the street like two "crazy" as they were refering to us.  By the end of 1977 I started a dojo at my cousins' one block from my house.  Those days a court yard with brick floor was the dream of all instructors.  I had as students a few class mate that I was teaching for free based on a deal that I made with them.  They kept their promise and three months later I took them to the National school and invite sensei Mompoint to test them for their yellow belt, that was a Friday afternoon.  The next day I had to use negociation skills to stop the home owner from kicking us out because of to many people showed up inside and in front of the place.  By the next Saturday we established a record in largest number of registration in such period.  After counting 150 young men and women, boys and girls I went to get sensei Mompoint and gave him back the Kyokushin of Cap-Haitian.  A few years later, he change the name into Capo Sport and it is today the biggest and modern kyokushin school in the city.

M H Leon & Lewis Zephirin Lori 1977

Lewis Zephirin, C. Bouchard. Michel H. Leon, Seiji Kanamura, Henri-Oh, Jocelyn Zephirin and Larry Giordano Summer training 1996

Hierarchic Problems      As you can see if you have been reading from the beginning this is not a today's problem.  This situation is over thirty years old not only in karate regardless of style but also in any aspect of the country.  The leaders have always shown weakness in administration or technically.  There are a few reasons why:  Either they don't know how to, they are not at the level of competence or because they are not interested in the development of the (style in) country.  For some people taking care of something or someone must bring them some type of financial satisfaction.  The principal claims satisfaction come from sacrifices. Shihan Jacques Jadotte for example  has sacrificed his life for the Haitian Kyokushin.  Despite all the "misunderstanding" and effort to put down his work, he never once giving up on the desire to bring the Haitian Kyokushin to a higher level.  That is why he is the Branch Chief for Haiti, special advisor to Mrs Oyama who is the honorary president of the IKO in Japan, founder of the Haitian Federation of Kyokushin Karate (FKHK*) and founder of the American Kyokushin Karate Institute (AKI) in New York.  Mas Oyama appointed him as branch chief because of his personality and his technical abilities.  As Branch Chief he established a board of directors to control the kyokushin activities contrary to what is done in other countries.  Since his nomination Haiti has registered more than 200 black belt to the International Kyokushin Organization. In our country we have shown in all aspect of life that we can't stand having one of our own as leader, president, mayor,even as bishop and further as Emperor.  We have a system of "Coup d'Etat" that is nothing but a reflection of our EGO.  Because this one is here, I could be there too. or simply I want to be in his position without having the qualification required for the job.  A lot of my fellow martial artists think they can be branch Chief in dividing the country or by making up false stories.  To be a leader you must be of great courage, technically up to date, wise and patient plus lot more but above all you must be honest (see chapter one of the book).

Effortless promotion They should wear a belt with a red lign across to show that they are...