Back in the 1970’s when martial arts was becoming popular and parental guidance hadn’t been invented, you could find me and my mate Sue ensconced in the ABC cinema, Walsall, watching Enter the Dragon, doubled with Cleopatra Jones. Over and over. The trick was to get there for the first showing, then hide between the seats at the end before the usherette flushed you out with a torch. This way, I watched Bruce Lee and Tamara Dobson six for the price of one, every Saturday for about three months. I know ETD by heart, it’s “the art of fiding widout fiding”. And now here I am interviewing a real life Karate expert……

Shihan Josh Johnson 7^th Dan (Wado-Ryu) was born in Hanover, Jamaica, and raised by his grandparents for six years while his parents settled here. Josh came to Wolverhampton to join his parents in 1966 aged 16, and trained to be an engineer at the then Wulfrun College and Wolverhampton Polytechnic. He worked as an engineer until 1983, then for the Local Authority as a centre manager until 1999, when he took early retirement. He now works far longer hours…..

Josh’s decision to learn karate came from an unfortunate experience on the streets of Wolverhampton. “I had a nasty introduction to England when I was beaten up by someone who I feel should have known better. I had only just arrived from Jamaica and was shocked at their behaviour. I realised that I needed to know how to defend myself. I heard there was a Karate Club upstairs at the George, what is now the Varsity. I saw those guys perform and thought “This is for me!!” and went back the following week. I then moved to Temple Karate in Digbeth, Birmingham, where I stayed. I was training seven days a week, and could only afford one Karate suit, and they were like cardboard, you couldn’t wash and dry them in a night!”

How long has Josh’s journey to become a 7^th Dan taken? “From that time at the George to 1999 – that’s over 30 years of blood, sweat and tears! It’s seven years for a 7^th Dan, six years for a 6^th and so on. There is no fast track. Complete mastery of karate comes with maturity of mind and spirit.”

Awards? “My first trophy came in 1973, and it’s still my most treasured. I came third in an individual event against some tough guys! It was at Penn YMCA karate club, and I was coached by Kuni Sakagami, 7^th Dan – he’s still active in Karate. I was really proud. I’ve won over 100 trophies and medals over the years. I only practise Karate, and have never been drawn to the other martial arts. I always give 120 per cent in whatever I do, and Karate demands that. As European Coach I’m taking a team to the European Championships in Italy in June, and the World Championships in Brazil next year. I’ve been a club coach for years, and have represented Great Britain twice in Europe. I teach Karate in the local community, in schools and community centres. I’m very proud of my national and local squad of Karate students. I’m also involved with the University of Wolverhampton, running a summer school at the City and Telford campuses. I also give talks to local schools.”

Is Karate Sport or Art? “Definitely art. It’s about self expression. You watch the moves – it’s like ballet”. I tell Josh that, in fantasy land, I would be a Kendo master, with the outfit, mask and big stick. So sexy. Josh admits that he had a penchant for fencing –“Just for that mask!”

Does Josh keep to a special diet? He laughs. “No, I just eat! But healthy eating is my way of life. I have never eaten junk foods, and that’s a legacy of my upbringing in Jamaica – fresh foods, simple preparation. I love to cook and can put together an excellent fish stew with chilli peppers….. beautiful. My day starts at 6.30am. I go to the gym three times a week, for a complete workout, and practise my Kata every day. Kata are sets of movements, a method of practising basic motions, focussing attention, breathing, rhythm and power. A little like Tai Chi, but much faster.”

I feel there is a “secondary status” around some Olympic sports. Does Josh feel that too much focus is put on, say, track events, when martial arts are rarely televised? “I’m disheartened, but I try to turn this to a positive. I try to raise the profile of what we do at all times, but we may not see equality in my lifetime. Martial artists train as hard as any other sportsperson. I must admit I feel bitter about that.”

Is learning a martial art as self defence a good idea for a woman? “Definitely. Girls are more focussed than boys, and more open to learning. They listen, watch and learn. My daughter Eleanor (Josh has another daughter, Natalie) was a black belt at age nine, the youngest female in the UK. I failed her on her brown belt. She thought as daddy’s girl she’d be OK, but later she gave me a note…”I will do my best next time, Dad.  I’m sorry”. At around 14, that vital age when you can lose them and they need the most guidance, boys tend to think they already know it all, and as a mentor I have to unpick this behaviour. I say to them, “when your parents leave you here with me, I’m your father”. I’m a disciplinarian, that’s how I run my life. My parents taught me this. It’s about mutual respect, manners, principles; but above all, it’s about guidance.”

Karate uses mental agility to channel energy and gain physical control of a situation. Does Josh ever lose his temper? “No. I walk away. I have a gut feeling and I can sense when I’m in a compromising position. I have no fear of going anywhere, but if I start to feel uncomfortable in a situation, I leave. It’s a mixture of what I have learned about self control, and my parents influence.  I always remember what my grandfather taught me…..”The name of this family has never been disrespected”. At times of stress, the first people to come into my mind are my mother and father.”

When competing, the artist is in complete control, “pulling punches”. In a real attack situation, could Josh defend himself properly? “Absolutely. Use minimum force to control the situation, to end it, and to get away safely. I am too well trained, too disciplined to let go. Karate teaches us this. It’s all about Kai – take the fear from your mind, and control it into your opponent. Eye contact is vital. At the end, it’s about mutual respect.”

We keep hearing today that kids lack discipline. How does Josh address this when teaching? “I perhaps will give boys a little more attention. In a class, I look for the one who’s trying the hardest, and I make them the role model. This gives them the confidence, and then others will look to him for guidance, for inspiration. They can see what can be achieved, and see that it works. The benefits are motivation, increased self esteem, and decreased aggression. I occasionally have unruly groups. To get their attention I start the class, and slowly they realise they want to be part of something, to learn. Some of these kids have no-one to listen to them or take an interest. I try to make them feel special, show I’m interested in their abilities, nurture them. Karate makes people less aggressive, not more so.”

Now for the Bruce Lee Question. “I loved those films! If Enter the Dragon is on anywhere, I go and see it!” YESSSS! What about Jackie Chan? “I’ve only watched a couple of his movies. I can’t say he inspires me, but I’d love to compete with him.” (Now there’s a star attraction for Wolves). “My favourite film of all time is The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. How cool is that Clint Eastwood!”

Hobbies? “The only thing I would give Karate up for is golf!! (He can’t be serious). I took it up in 1999, to help me de-stress and give myself a new challenge when I retired from work. I now play off 11. My great inspiration came when I marshalled in the Ryder Cup. My first round was with Tiger Woods!”

Does Josh have any further ambitions to fulfil? “I’d like to travel to Africa, to Ghana. I have met people from there and I always feel something, some kind of link. My mother felt it too. I would like to trace my ancestry back.  And I would like to build a house in Jamaica, to spend three months of each year there. I see people here crippled with joint pains from the long winters. In Jamaica people walk everywhere, eat healthily and it’s not cold!

So where’s home? I get the warm smile. “Right here. I travel a lot, and when I’m heading North, I see Spaghetti junction and immediately feel that feeling – my heart lifts, I’m safe, coming home. Sure Wolverhampton has its downsides, but I always believe in turning the negative around. I believe in trying to make things better for everyone and I’m involved in the community group within ABCD Inner City Regeneration Partnership, Blakenhall on the Sports and Leisure Committee. Communities need to be involved in all regeneration projects.” In June of this year, Josh will be off to Venice for the European Championships in his role of National Coach for the Federation of English Karate, an organisation with over 16,000 members. “How do I relax? When I’m sleeping!”

Does this great man have any heroes? “Apart from my parents, my instructor, Toru Takamazawi, who ran Temple Karate Centre 1970 - 1985 who died five years ago. He taught me everything, took great care of us, made us proud to be part of his team, and was a great inspiration to me”.

Just as the gentle, unassuming Josh Johnson will continue to be an inspiration for people lucky enough to know and work with him.