| Ticky Donovan - A Man who did his Bit! |
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“Thank you to Joe Long and Paul Alderson for arranging and giving me one of the best nights of my life and thank you to everyone who attended for making it one of the most memorable nights of my life. When I first walked into the room and saw it jammed pack I just got so emotional I could have just cried with joy. I would like to thank all those who stood up and gave speeches. Where do I start naming people who were there? Please excuse me but I cannot for fear of missing any body out. I hope you will all understand as every body there where so important to me and the Great times and memories I have had. I would like to thank my children who where so supportive to me leading up to the evening as I was so nervous, Mireille, Karine, Patrick, and James. The only thing I regret about the evening was A, it had to end and B, it went so fast some of the night seems just a blur!” Best Wishes, Ticky. That was the response from the man of the moment as he reflected on the wonderful commemorative evening that celebrated his extraordinary and distinguished career as a bona fide Karate legend. Joe Long and Paul Alderson of Fighters Inc have put on many memorable events and showcases but few were as personal or heartfelt as the evening they had planned for a man they consider a close friend and unique Karateka. As a result the planning was meticulous and resulted in a true celebration of the life and times of Ticky Donovan, complete with food, This is Your Life style overview, guest speakers and music and merriment, courtesy of TJ, who rocked Ticky with splendid renditions of classics from his favourite Swing artists. Commemorative events can be sombre affairs but this event was definitely a celebration as Ticky was very much alive and well and the feted guest of honour. As he was announced and entered the room he received a heartfelt and sustained standing ovation that clearly touched him. With everyone seated they were serenaded by TJ and wined and dined, Ticky holding court on the central table. The retrospective of Ticky’s life began once everybody was relaxed and comfortable with Mr Michael Dinsdale and Mr Mick Billman passing on regards from the The World Karate Federation, The European Karate Federation and the English Karate Federation, culminating with the presentation of a gold watch to Ticky on behalf of the BKF, a gesture that truly left Ticky speechless. It seemed fitting, however, as very few British martial artists have had such an enduring impact on their art or sport as Ticky Donovan OBE. A passionate, patriotic man, he has guided English Karate teams and numerous individuals to the very top at world level as both fighter and coach, with an unprecedented 5 successive World title wins between the years 1982 to1990. It is ironic then, that a man now so synonymous with Karate originally found it ‘slow’ when compared to his first love, boxing, when he was a youngster. A fact emphasised by a specially designed collage of photos presented by Fighters Inc with the help of Tyrone Whyte that included a photo of a young Ticky in boxing attire and not a gi!
Ticky started Karate aged eighteen in 1965 at Tatsuo Suzuki’s Clapham Common club. Ticky was ready to quit after his first lesson but changed his mind after seeing a dynamic demonstration from the legendary Tatsuo Suzuki himself and from that point on was hooked. Mr Tatsuo Suzuki was lined up as the first guest speaker but unfortunately a minor accident the day earlier prevented him from attending but his club secretary Allie Reigate translated and manfully read a handwritten letter from Mister Suzuki, in which the veteran Karate Legend praised Ticky’s passion and spirit, before presenting him with a personally signed book. Ticky stayed with Wado Ryu for over three years and was working on the newspapers when he started training. Karate lessons were expensive at the time-5 shillings-but Len Palmer helped Ticky get around this, the youngster training free if he collected the dojo fees. When Mister Suzuki and Len Palmer unfortunately parted company both men wanted him to stay with them and Ticky’s loyalties were split as Mr Suzuki was a great instructor and Len Palmer had helped Ticky in various ways. Ticky stayed with Len but did not forget Mr Suzuki and the fundamentals he was taught. When Mr Kanazawa came over the group switched to Shotokan and at this point Ticky trained with Kanazawa and Enoeda but fate was to play a hand again as Mr Kanazawa went to Germany and Mr Enoeda to Liverpool. To make mattrs worse Ticky broke a bone in his hand at the selections for the European Championships and decided to give up completely as he had an offer of door work in the West End from Billy Walker. After six months out of the dojo Ticky got ‘the bug’ once more and the nearest Karate club to him was Steve Arneil’s Kyokushinkai dojo in Stratford, where a lot of his friends trained. Ticky found the atmosphere electric, changed to Kyokushinkai and trained in the style for nearly four years, taking his second Dan with Mas Oyama. The legend that is Steve Arneil paid tribute to Ticky on the night, eloquently reminiscing on their time together with the now famous England squad, putting their achievements in perspective and reminding everyone of the impact Ticky has had within the Karate world. Mister Arneil’s appearance and speech was a genuine highlight for Ticky who mentioned that he was truly honoured and delighted to see Steve sat there when he entered the room. “I was very honoured and privileged to be invited to Ticky’s party celebrating his retirement. I thought it was a fantastic turnout to show Ticky our respect for his work over the years and it was a great evening. I was also pleased to meet many faces I hadn’t seen for many years but most of all it was great to see Ticky once more and it must have been a wonderful surprise for him to see everyone there. The evening brought back all the great memories that money just can’t buy and I would like to wish Ticky all the best in the future and I’m sure that he will always be involved with Karate in some capacity even if it is simply enjoying himself at a tournament or taking part as a high level member. Good luck Ticky and congratulations on a wonderful night that truly celebrated your career!” Steve Arneil The Kyokushinkai years were a great time for Ticky but unfortunately splits came so Ticky decided the time was right to leave and open his own Dojo, a dojo that saw the beginning of the now famous Ishinryu’ style. Ticky remembers that he wanted a name that meant “open mind’ but when translated it came out as “empty head” and the idea was quickly scrapped. Meeting a Japanese Judoka on holiday he got this big translation book out and came up with the name Ishinryu that meant “everybody with one heart” Ticky asked if there was any Ishinryu in Japan and he said no, and Ishinryu was born. At first Ticky simply saw it as a club name but, inspired by the suggestion of Mr. Kimura, a famous Shukokai instructor, later as a style integrating all that he had learnt from previous instructors. The clubs and style quickly spread with Peter Dennis going to Basildon, Will Verner opening in East Ham and Tyrone White opening in Stratford. Administration in the early days of Ishinryu was taken care of by Fred Kidd, a well-respected friend of Ticky’s who previously trained with him in Kyokushinkai. Fred’s son Simon was able to witness the magic of Ishinryu from a young age and on behalf his late father Fred and himself, he gave a memorable and heartfelt speech, putting into words his admiration for a man he came to consider as his mentor and friend.
“I have been in the very privileged position of knowing Ticky since a very young age, when I used to go with my late father and watch him compete. I started training under Ticky in the early 70's and eventually went on to teach for him at the Barking dojo. During my career I was further coached by Ticky in both the Ishinryu and the National teams. Ticky has always been a great inspiration in my life and is very much responsible for my success today. My father always had the utmost respect for Ticky and told me that if I was to make a successful career of Karate then I should learn form him. The event on Saturday was, as I am sure everyone will agree, a very successful evening, with so many people from years gone by attending and all with the common sentiment of how this man had been so influential in all our lives. I would like to wish Ticky all the success for the future and I am sure I speak for everyone when I say that he will be sorely missed on the National team.” Simon Kidd He may be remembered as a great fighter and an even greater coach but he didn’t exactly set the World alight in his first tournament- Ticky’s first ever fight was a loss when his opponent hit him with a low roundhouse kick and he was told to sit down because his opponent had won! History shows us that things did get better and Ticky went from Southern Area Champion to three times British Champion in 73, 74 and 75. Ticky had contact with Dominic Valera at the time and he had this list of how many times he’d won the French Championships. This inspired Ticky who knew this was the way he wanted to go and after winning the British title twice he was determined to make it a hat trick. When Ticky did win the third time he fought Tyrone White who was one of his students and it was then that he knew then it was time to make space for the others and the next year Tyrone did win. At this juncture in the story it seemed apt that Tyrone, now famous in his own right, gave the next speech, peppered with anecdotes and tales of Ticky’s relentless desire to get the best out of his fighters...whether they liked it or not! “I started training under Ticky from a yellow belt having been recommended to train with him by Steve Arniel, my first Instructor. From day one, his disciplined, inspirational and motivational approach won me over I wanted to be as good as him. I watched him perform Tobi Yoko Geri and practised until I could do it too. I won the British because I watched him win three. Sadly the British were not held after, so I could not follow his lead. At my first Europeans that I shared the team title with him and he then planted the seed in my head to win my first European individual Title. The standards that I have in karate I got from him..as I said on the night a Diamond Geezer!” Tyrone White From there, Ticky secured his place on the British team and in British Karate history, as a member of the team that won the World Championships in 1976, a defining moment that saw them defeat Japan in the final. It was a moment that Ticky will never forget but it was tinged with the team that won in ’76 never fought as a team again. Many look back on those glory years with great nostalgia and mention how much harder Karate was ‘back in the day’ but Ticky has his own unique take on a time that people often say was stronger and harder, whereas he believes “we just didn’t have the control!” Although Karate was hard and strong then, Ticky stresses that the competitors are complete athletes now, fighting in a different world. The World may have changed but Ticky adapted and continued with World Championship success, this time as coach, with wins in 82, 84, 86, 88, and 90, an unprecedented record that has yet to be beaten. Ironically it was a job he almost didn’t take as Roy Stanhope took over from Steve Arniel as manager and Ticky looked to continue fighting in the team. When Roy said that he wasn’t staying as manager, Ticky was the next in line for the job and Roy told him to seize the opportunity, advice that Ticky acknowledges he is indebted to Roy for. The advice proved good for the team too, as Ticky put together an unbeatable winning streak that saw Great Britain the envy of the world, forged through his fierce patriotism and consistent desire to win. One of the longest standing members of Ishinryu and the British Karate Team Ian Cole has witnessed Ticky as a coach firsthand throughout the golden years and his speech was the funniest of the night as Ian regaled everyone with hilarious stories of life on the road as an England fighter under Ticky. His speech may have been belly laugh funny but it was also underpinned by genuine warmth and affection for his long term coach. Karate is indebted to Ticky and his immense contribution to the art was recognised in 1991 when he received the OBE, an honour that he not only richly deserved but was immensely proud of. At the time Mervin Etienne put into perspective just what an achievement the award was, pointing out that Ticky received the OBE by winning the World Championships five times in succession and yet Graham Taylor received the CBE for steering the England football team to the quarter-finals. The face of Karate may have changed, the rules may have changed but Ticky has been a constant and weathered the changes, guiding the 1996 squad to 5 gold medals and top position overall.
Ticky is at his most passionate, however, when it comes to the England team as an entity and the idea of ‘the team’ winning was always closest to his own heart as he believed that if we won the team event then the whole country was World Champions. Ticky explained this belief to his squad numerous times, the notion that that when you win as an individual, then it’s your “thing” but when the team wins, everybody wins and everyone in Karate in England can say, “Don’t you know we’re the World Champions?” One person who knows Ticky’s philosophies better than most is a man who has won too many world titles to mention, the man who has assisted the England Squad alongside Ticky, and the man who now has the task to carry the England Team into the future, the new England Coach Wayne Otto OBE. Wayne gave the final speech of the evening, a speech full of unreserved praise and admiration but it was his final words that received the most applause and brought a twinkle to Ticky’s eyes as he reminded Ticky that when Karate finally becomes an Olympic sport he fully expects Ticky to stand alongside him one last time, a sentiment echoed by everyone in the room. “I remember a conversation Ticky and I had, it was just after a championship that I had just won. I was about 26 years old and I already had a few World titles in the bag. He said to me, " Wayne you won some good titles and you’re fighting really well, but you haven't reached your best yet." "What do you mean?" I said. He then said to me "You’re best won't come until you’re into your thirties, just wait and see". Well to cut a long story short, I experienced the best fighting of my career in that period, I was fighting so much and so well it was like having ESP. Saturday evening was a great opportunity to celebrate and honour a great coach and a dear friend.” Wayne Otto OBE There would always come a time when even the most dedicated and passionate coach would decide to call it a day and relinquish the job he has cherished for so long. Ticky himself said that “when it’s time to retire I want to be able to go and say that’s it, I’ve done my bit.” The final speaker of a memorable celebration was called to the podium- a World Champion, A Winner, a Legend but above all else a dedicated Karateka with passion, patriotism and heart. Another spontaneous standing ovation followed as Ticky, brimming with emotion delivered a humble and moving speech, genuinely overwhelmed by the sea of faces before him. It was a tribute evening that Joe Long of Fighters Inc was understandably proud of- “I first walked into Ticky’s dojo at the age of seven and was amazed by his passion. This evening summed up how many lives and careers have been touched in the same way. Ian Cole said to me that out of all the event’s I’ve organised (and there’s been a few!) this one meant the most to a number of people and I’m proud of that fact.” The final official act of a touching and memorable ceremony was a special presentation made to Ticky by Wayne Otto on behalf of Joe Long, Paul Alderson and Fighters Inc in celebration of an incredible career. Then it was party time with Ticky in constant demand for photographs as TJ got the place swinging once more and guests danced the night away, culminating, aptly enough with ‘My Way’. It was the icing on the cake of a perfect evening within the intimate surroundings of the Loughton Academy as Fighters Inc and the Karate community paid fitting tribute to a true Karate hero, a man who did his bit- Ticky Donovan OBE.
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