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Jon. I don't suppose
you go round the Martec headquarters showing off too much though. As
many a father has said in the past 'You're not to big for a slap yet,
sonny'
Jamie I would never dream of doing it, ha ha.
Jon. I believe you received an injury early in the tournament to
a very sensitive area of your groin has that recovered now?
Jamie. Yes, I'm okay and I can still have kids.
Jon. Do you think that gave you something to think about and stopped
any tension building up as you reached the later rounds?
Jamie. Yes it probably did.
Jon. Do you generally get nervous at the bigger tournaments, if you
do, do you have any relaxation techniques you use. Apart from getting
Joe to kick you in the goolies that is?
Jamie. I don't get nervous as in having butterflies in my belly,
but I get sort of sleepy until I get smashed in the face - then I wake
up.
Jon. Do you ever have a problem building up enthusiasm for the more
regular tournaments?
Jamie.Yes because I have done this since I was five, so its just
"The same old, same old"
Jon. Which is your next major tournament and when is it?
Jamie. British WKA Cnhampionships in Febuary.
Jon. I have seen you beaten recently by one of Sensei Alfie Lewis's
fighters, what was his name I forget it at the moment?
Jamie. 'Me too', only kidding, he is called Robbie Hughes.
Jon. He is a fantastic fighter, don't you think?
Jamie. Yes, he has been Junior and Senior world champion.
Jon. He is a bit smaller than yourself and although you tend to dominate
the fights on a physical basis, he often still seems to picks up the
trophy. Does this get frustrating for you and do you have any new tactics
for the next time you meet?
Jamie. He is taller, but lighter, we have fought three times and
as it stands it is 2-1 to Robbie. I do not see it as a problem when
he won. 'He has not beaten me, I have lost', I look at it this way,
and I honestly believe that if I did not have to work six days a week,
no one on the planet could get near me, but I have to keep my priorities
in order.
Jon. What are your hopes within martial arts and in life generally for
the next couple of years and on into the future?
Jamie. To carry on learning.
Jon. Not many fighters cross over styles and fight on the WUKO or
the 'Full Contact' circuit or any alternative fighting system. It would
be great to see a great fighter do that and win World championships
in two areas of Karate and speaking as somebody from a Freestyle background
it may shut a few peoples mouths. I am positive the likes of the great
Alfie Lewis could have done it, but as far as I know, he never had the
inclination, would you ever consider it like Joe did in the past. I
believe Joe won a European Gold or Silver medal on the WUKO circuit
as well as many freestyle tournaments, one of the fights from the past
that sticks in my mind was Joe fighting a Kung Fu fighter from York
martial arts supplies, a great clash of styles, but too many years ago
now?
Jamie. Joe won numerous titles, both in WUKO and Freestyle and as most
of the 'old school' karate competitors will tell you, he was the best
light weight fighter to come out of this country. As for Sensei Lewis
he also won a lot of WUKO Tournaments, but preferred Freestyle. As for
me I have been brought up in the Freestyle system.
Jon. How do you think Martial arts and Karate in particular will
develop over the next twenty years?
Jamie. I can not be sure, there are too many cowboys out there spoiling
it for the real instructors. As for competition there are too many money
grabbers, not putting anything back. Hopefully they will be Extinct
in 20 years.
Jon. Finally, thank you ever so much for talking to us and all the
best in the future, both in Martial arts and more importantly in life
generally. Please send our regards to Sensei Joe Tierney.
Comment by Jon Tilley: A slightly depressing end to our interview
with Jamie, but I honestly believe that martial arts is a fantastic
past time and sport. From the more relaxation based arts like Tai Chi,
through Kung Fu and Traditional Karate and on to sport karate and the
other sport based martial arts like Tae Kwon Do and Kickboxing, and
through into the full contact sports like Muay Thai, not forgetting
the weapon arts like Kendo and Eskrima. There must be millions of people
within Britain alone that practice some sort of Martial art at sometime
in their life and most of them at the local church hall, where the most
a martial arts instructor could hope to make was enough a curry on a
Friday night, not much for the effort of running a club. That will not
change, equally I can not see the charlatans and cowboys disappearing,
but if the Martial arts community is willing to indicate bad practice
and potentially poor clubs we can hopefully keep the cowboys in their
place, which is essentially as short term clubs with little to offer
apart from the latest fashion stemming from the movies or media.
I was lucky to meet Sensei Joe Tierney and Sensei Jamie Goulding, I
have met many great fighters and quite honestly they have not impressed
me, it is never the fact that somebody is a good fighter, it is the
fact that somebody is a good character which impresses me, and as far
as my limited experience of Joe and Jamie, they are good people. From
running small inter club tournaments to taking part in Martial arts
fighting cancer, this is what Karate should be about. No body is perfect,
but we can all monitor our behaviour to a degree, trying not to be too
money orientated particularly with students, not bullying kids or adults,
not bull shitting excessively.
To all the young people who may read this, always remember 'all that
glitters is not gold'. Being offered a Blackbelt in eighteen months
or claims of physical invincibility within six months or six years even,
are to be honest bull shit. Training with a world champion does not
make you a world champion and equally many world champions come from
clubs where the instructor never even fought competitively so beware
of false claims.
Good fighters are not necessarily good instructors, look for a club
that suits you and always remember that if somebody does bull shit you,
that makes them a bullshitter, don't become one yourself. Martial arts
is an individual sport and your progress is at the end of the day down
to you. Sensei Joe Tierney and Sensei Jamie Goulding are good role models
not just to fighters, but to me as an instructor as well, so thanks
again to them for their support. If any instructors are interested in
joining our very informal group of aquaintances that have taken part
in 'Martial arts fighting cancer' and other events, please contact me
and we can always share information about seminars etc. Good luck. CONTACT
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