High life
Fighting fit
Taki
Munich
This is a city that was built for the arts; a centre of European culture, with some of the finest rococo and baroque architecture in the world. There is nothing baroque about the hotel where I have been billeted, however, except for some of the karate players who were here to compete to the 1983 European championship. For ex- ample, there was the Belgian Zervas — a not so gentle giant, but gentler than Most man-beasts, who always glares at me I menacingly and cheers against me when fight. Luckily I've yet to fight hint, although the man I drew in the first round wasn't much smaller than Zervas.
After the superficial comforts of New York, Munich was character-building. The hotel had no telephone, no reading light' and no soap. The German karate federation is one of the richest, yet put us up in a hell- hole for reasons unknown. Perhaps they thought it would make everyone less ag- gressive. On the contrary, some of the best karatekas in Europe were disqualified for excessive contact — fighting the Germans, who finally won the individual title, but lost the team-fighting to the Italians. Zeros didn't fight. When I asked him why he was in mufti he glared at me and pointed to 1115 knee. Someone said that a truck had hit hill the week before in Belgium, and that the team manager had decided to keep WI from fighting because of an insurance claim. Although I had officially retired I decid- ed to give it another go when I looked around and saw a lot of fat men like Charles Benson, eating lots of starchy food and petting their bellies the way hookers stroke their jewels. So I rang up my federa- tion and offered my ancient body .01. slaughter, and they accepted with alacrtY- As I wasn't sure that I would make the team, I didn't get as nervous as usual. In fact I wasn't nervous at all until I got to„ Munich. Then, of course, it was pure he!" once again. One thing kept going thrott,78D my mind and that was, 'Why do I do It' There used to be a time in Japan when's! had to bow to superior belts but there we7, bows and bows. One bowed low to a black belt who fought in tournaments, and hardly bowed to a black belt who didn't. One da.Y., one of the latter screamed at me to h°': lower and I refused. My sensei came ovei, and told me to get a broom and start sweeP. ing. Then he ordered free fighting and Put the man who had screamed at me to fie, Yanno sensei, or the animal, as we calleu_ him behind his back. The man got. the message and almost bowed to me next tin? ;
In other words, men who lay it on the line should have more privileges than those who
don't. Or, as Oscar said, 'Young men do, old men teach.' As I am not about to teach Yet, I'd rather make a fool of myself in tournaments. Which this time I didn't. Once again it was my job to go for a draw as we were leading Holland by one point going into my match. The Dutchman I faced was strong, but inexperienced. I kept hot away as long as possible but then he connected with a right and I went down and he led by half point. But with ten seconds to go I equalised because he didn't know enough to stall or go off the mat. So, once again I ended up feeling as if I had kissed my sister, neither a winner not a loser, but except for a cracked knuckle and a swollen -law I feel fine. Which, as Jeffrey wrote a couple of weeks ago, one always does after competing in noble sports like boxing or karate.
There are no McEnroes in contact sports, especially in sports where there is no money. Except for the Yugoslays, who are outright cheats, everyone else is honour- able, Especially the English boys. Even the !ornen who compete — not in free rIghting but in technique — manage to keep it clean. Which is not the case with pal vastly overpaid publicity-seeker, Anna Ord. The next time she throws anything at boxer friend Jonathan Aitken I will take her rxer over my knee and teach him a sharp lesson, After all, men are responsible for their squaws, and the boxer needs to be reminded that his is way out of line. If he can't handle her he should go to a karate school, or send her to one. She might learn some manners there.
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