Glenn Harrison

Scott Mullins

Pat Devore

Jose Otero

Glenn Kwan

Steve Popieski

Interview Grand Master Glenn Kwan

Name: Glenn Ellis Kwan
Style: Genki-do Kempo
Rank: Grandmaster (10th dan)
Recognized by:
The World Head of Family Sokeship Council
The Latin American Grandmasters Council
The World Karate Union Federation of Martial Artists
The United States Martial Arts Association
Hawaiian Martial Arts Society

School: Huronia Martial Arts Academy
Units 5, 6 & 7
Midland, Ontario, Canada
L4R 4Y5
Telephone (705) 526-9000

E-Mail: senseishihan@hotmail.com

URL: www.hmaa.net
www.sokekwan.com

Q. How long have you been practicing the Martial Arts?
A. I started boxing in grade 8 in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, then wrestling in high school. I officially started my martial arts training in Regina, Saskatchewan at a Grandmaster Olaf Simon Moo Kempo School in 1965.

Q. How and why did you start studying the martial arts?
A. I was a street fighter and a gang member for years, and one day I was sparring with my brother Larry who was training in Regina two days a week. Regina was an hour drive on the Trans Canada Highway.

Why I started was the simple fact that at a green belt level my brother Larry could kick my butt and had so much self-confidence it was unbelievable. Then I decided to try a beginner’s class under Lyndon and Edward Bateson and I was hooked.

Q. How has your karate changed over the years?
A. When I started all I wanted to do was fight, hated kata and horse stances and running around the legislature buildings in Regina. As a student of Kempo under my brother in Moose Jaw, we only had about 9 kata at that time and no weapons. I instituted a lot more kata of different systems for the tournament scene here in Ontario. In Moose Jaw there were no classes for junior students and I took a long time before I figured out that to run a school successfully you had to go with the flow and I started junior programs which I started to love to teach and also pay the bills of the dojo.

Q. Who have you studied under?
A. Grandmaster Olaf Simon, Sensei Edward and Lyndon Bateson, Larry Kwan, Ben Bertram out west and here in the east I trained with Monty Guest, Scott Hogarth, Steve Reynolds, Harold Howard, Israel Segarra, Alice Segarra, Ron Beer, John Atkinson, Steve Hails, Dino Hennings, Don James, Alex Atkinson, Matthew Durant, Stephen Capela Jr., Wally Jay, Edmund Parker, Bill Wallace, Joe Lewis, Suruoka Sensei, Ron Balas, Dennis R. Decker, James Faille, Bruce Juchnik and others who played a very important role in my training.

Q. What are your personal beliefs about training?
A. I believe that the martial arts should have a serious side to physical and mental training BUT everyone should still have fun in the martial arts and never stop training – in and out of the dojo.

Q. What do you feel is the proper ratio of kata to kumite in training?
A. Kata is a library containing just about every kind of self-defence imaginable including learning to run like the wind.

Kumite as taught in most dojos fight tournament style, which is a game of tag with very little contact and a lot of showmanship.

Every student must be taught true self-defence that works and kumite is taken from a Cassius Clay (Ali) quote: “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.”
Kata teaches basics – stances, blocks, strikes, kicks and evasion. As you go up in belt rank your expertise continues to grow with you.

Q. Do you have any funny or interesting karate stories you would like to share?
A. A very knowledgable instructor once said to me: “When you are a green belt you are a hu – when you are a shodan you become a human – when you are a nidan you become a human be – and lastly, when you become a sandan you become a human being and receive your teaching licence or certificate in your martial art.

Q.How do you feel about full contact kick boxing and the mixed martial arts?
A. Full contact kickboxing takes a very special person to endure the pain in training and sparring that a student must endure. Mixed martial arts are a valuable tool in training to be the best that you can be. Yet, one should never be satisfied with one art when there are so many styles and systems out there which would benefit everyone involved in the martial arts.

Q. Could you tell us a little about your school?
B. I presently instruct at the Huronia Martial Arts Academy in Midland, Ontario, which was one of the first Martial Arts Cross Training schools in our area of Ontario. I was asked to introduce Kempo Karate to the students but martial arts cross training is still the main training for the students young and old alike.

Our dojo (co-owners Dave and Alice Dennis) has 5,000 square feet of space with two dojos, one with hardwood floors for traditional karate and one with tatami covering the entire floor for the mixed martial arts.

Q. Do you have any programs or events that you would like to promote or talk about?
A. Events that we enjoy are holding our own shi-ai a couple of times a year and having Grandmaster Israel Segarra (Goju-ryu Karate-do) and yes our students enjoy any time they receive from Hanshi Capela of Goshin-Jutsu, a very good friend and someone I look up to with deepest respect.

We have been very lucky to have two grandmasters that are highly respected and thought of, in and out of the dojo, to step onto our dojo floor to instruct the students and myself awesome martial arts techniques and share their wisdom with us too.

Q. Is there any one you would like to thank or send a message to?
A. I would like to thank Shihan Dave Dennis for being my friend, believing in me and offering me a chance to stay in the martial arts, and also to Sempai Alice for everything she does for me, especially making me laugh.
46. I also would like to thank Prof. Wally Jay for being an inspiration for me about enjoying life outside of the martial arts and on the dojo floor. I would love to shake his hand once more and remain standing while I know he thinks about the pretzel whenever martial arts is mentioned. And his lovely wife Bernice who stood beside Wally all these years.

Q. Do you have any advise for the karate students who will read this?
A. “What is a black belt?” “A white belt that stays!”Remember that karate is a way of life and when someone says: “Are you still in karate? Your answer will be: “No, karate is still in me!”

I look forward to July 9th, not only to spend time with old friends but to make new friends. And to spend a quiet evening with Hanshi Capela who unfortunately we don’t see enough of here in Canada.

See you all soon,

Glenn E. Kwan

F. Thank you for your time