Sensei Ernie Molyneux is an 8th
Dan Black Belt & IOGKF World
Vice-Chief Instructor. He is head
instructor for England (EGKA)
and has over 40 years of martial
arts experience. A European &
World Tournamanet Champion,
along with frequent trips to the
Higaonna Karate Dojo in Okinawa
has given him a unique and rare
perspective on all things Gojuryu. His popularity as an guest
has seen him visit many nations
& develop a very high skill level.
For those who do not understand the magnitude of
Higaonna Sensei’s achievements, what can you tell us?
SENSEI ERNIE: Well for starters Higaonna Sensei has been recognised as a living cultural
treasure for his contributions towards martial arts or Karate basically. If you are talking rank
wise, Sensei has graded from white belt to 3rd Dan when he was 19 after many of training.
As for when the IOGKF started, I believe Sensei was a 7th Dan. He was this rank when he
first came to England for EGKA in 1977 and Chinen Sensei was 6th Dan.
This was the first time I’d seen and trained with Higaonna Sensei, but we in England has
been training with Chinen Sensei since 1972. But Higaonna Sensei had actually been to
England in 1973. He was with Terry O’Neil and Gary Spires, and I can’t quite remember,
but Bakkies Sensei might have also been with them. Either way, they stopped into Liverpool on their way to the world Karate championships in Paris.
As for the IOGKF itself it was formed in Poole in England in 1979, but as for the countries
affiliated with Higaonna Sensei prior to this South Africa had been following him since 1969
and England was from around 1977. But people from our Dojo’s in England were going
over to England to train with Higaonna Sensei at the Yoyogi Dojo even before that. English