Sensei Srikrishnan Ramamurthy has
been associated with the Seibukan Bangalore Association for many years now and
his contributions to our karate family have been profound. He is our
inspiration, our backbone and the spark that keeps this group ignited. But the
most important characteristic that makes him all the more lovable is his utmost
humble nature.
Having known him for four months now,
I must say that he is the kindest and gentlest teacher I have ever met. Age is
no barrier, nor is the distance. A few days ago he agreed for a brief online
interview for our blog. Here it goes:
When did you start learning karate? What prompted you
to start off with this art?
In 1968 I learnt a little bit of Shotokan
karate from a friend of mine, but that was discontinued after a few weeks. It
was only much later, in 1990, that I happened to meet Sensei Bala in a gym and
he helped me overcome a severe back pain. Ever since then I’ve been hooked to
Seibukan karate!
Twenty four years! That’s a really long time. And that
surely shows your dedication towards this art! Who was your first karate
teacher?
Sensei P.R. Ratnapala, the chief
instructor of Seibukan Karate in India. He is a genuine teacher of the
philosophy and practice of karate.
Wow. You were indeed very lucky to have him as your
teacher. So who is your favourite martial artist?
“Do not pray for an easy life. Pray
for the strength to endure a difficult one.”
Yes, we sure can learn a lot from him. How has the
journey so far been?
It’s been beautiful. I have met some
amazing people; it has helped me understand my weaknesses and has given me the
strength to overcome them. There is still a long way to go though. You can
never learn enough!
I second that! You can never learn enough karate!
So what is the one thing that you consider to be the
biggest achievement in your life till date?
To be associated with Seibukan.
What is your biggest dream/wish in life?
To visit the Honbu Dojo in Okinawa,
Japan and work to develop Seibukan karate in all states of India.
So we share a common goal then!
Tell us something about your personal life. What do
you do when you’re not training?
Well, what can I say? I am retired!
Tell us how you feel about karate. Why do you love it
so much?
Karate has given me good health and
confidence. There is always so much to learn and the development is continuous.
Until a few weeks ago, you were working very closely
with the Bangalore dojo. How do you feel about the class? What, in your
opinion, are our strong points and weak points?
I enjoyed working with the team. The
Sunday classes were primarily to help develop uniformity in practice and a
uniform understanding of the needs of the Association.
Strong points: I would say... good
team spirit, dedicated & disciplined karatekas, and their loyalty to the
Seibukan Association.
Weak points: Implementation of
decisions taken democratically is lacking (for example, every black belt to
start their classes individually or in groups; other methods to consciously
spread Seibukan activities; regularity, etc)
We would surely keep that in mind Sensei. Lastly, what advice would you give to budding young
Karatekas?
Attitude is as important as learning
skills. Only focus can enhance skill, only humility can develop good attitude.
Thank you so
much for your time, Sensei. We hope to see you soon in the Bangalore dojo.