John McLean is a Tenshinkan
Instructor with responsibility for Ardler Dojo in Dundee and has been teaching
in this Club now for over 5 years. He was first introduced to Tenshinkan Karate
by a work colleague, Brian Marr who would tell him about the training sessions
with Shihan Robert Kane and finishing with 'light sparring'. John explains,
"It was the 'light' sparring aspect that puzzled me as Brian said this
was how he came about getting the bruises and occasional black eye, I would
find out the reason later. That year, in 1988, Brian's enthusiasm rubbed off
on me, so I asked him if I was too old to start karate as I was now the ripe
old age of 29. Brian's answer was, "go along and find out". So during
November 1988 I went along to the St Clements Dojo and my first impression
was how disciplined it was, every command from Shihan was greeted with an
'OSSU' and performed sharply. After a short while I even did a session with
'light' sparring, now I know how Brian got the bruises".
Sensei John McLean's Karate Licence book has a section like everyone else for Gashuku Courses. He is very proud of the fact that since starting his karate career he has attended more than 35 of these courses over many years.
Early in the Summer of 1994 Shihan advised him that he could sit his Shodan exam at the end of the year. John tells the story, "Unlike my first grading when I was nervous because I knew what was coming, this was going to be a very tough hour or so, because now I had no idea of what to expect. After 15 minutes Shihan reminded me that at the rate I was going I wouldn't last 45 minutes. I sat this exam at the same time as Niall Auchinauchie and Jim Barlow, who were trying for Nidan, and together we all passed, much to our relief".
In 1997 John passed his
Nidan examination and the following year he was
awarded an Instructor/Examiner
Certificate on the Summer Gashuku of 1998. When Kancho Miwa attended the Scotland
1999 Gashuku, John McLean gave Kancho his word that he would make the trip
to train in Japan. And so true to his word he traveled to Japan along with
Sensei Jim Barlow and Shihan Robert Kane in October 2001, and on 11th October
he sat and passed his Sandan Examination under the instruction of the World
Chief - Kancho Mamoru Miwa. John takes up the story, "Standing in the
Honbu Dojo in Japan, the first thing that struck me was the heat - it was
34 degrees outside and the dojo was not air conditioned. All the tales and
the stories I had heard about training here came flooding back - it certainly
has an atmosphere all of its own. After 1 hour or so I left the Dojo 'shell-shocked'
and thought how am I going to get through two weeks of this? But get through
it I did with assistance from Shihan Robert to finally pass my Sandan examination".
John McLean Sensei has long maintained that when you don't enjoy doing something then you should stop doing it. But he plans to keep on training and teaching thus enjoying Tenshinkan Karate.
