MARSHALL STREET

...was a very martial location in London, where I trained with the renowned Enoeda Sensei for 5 or 6 years. This clip is from a TV programme about local activities in London. It's quite jokey, and that's okay.



What it fails to show is the absolute charisma of Enoeda Sensei, and the implacable control his voice had over trainees' nervous systems. I've trained with other world famous martial artists in various disciplines, and no one has impressed as much.

The dojo was on the top floor of the building that contained the old swimming baths. Climbing the steps to the dojo was a warm-up in its own right.

One of things I loved about the place was the mix of people (including many foreign visitors). When I'd just started training there (already with over 15 years Shotokan training, plus Judo and Wu Shu Kwan) I watched two guys sparring after the session. They were knocking bits off each other, with a level of contact I wasn't used to at that time. They looked like scary Neanderthals.

Afterwards, in the showers, their conversation went like this:
"So how did your interview go?"
"I had to talk about punctuated equilibrium."
"You mean in contrast to strict neo-Darwinism?"
"Yeah, exactly..."

It was a place of surprises. And sometimes blood.

Osu!