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INTERVIEW FOR MASTER WILSON

 

  Master Wilson, you have honored me with two interview opportunities on your web page. The opportunity was challenging as the questions were well thought out and straight forward. My goal is to give you the same challenge with an opportunity to come to know a side of Willie Wilson some may not know.

Thank you for your time on this Master Wilson. I appreciate your agreeing to spend personal time on this interview. 

The interview will be in three parts.
Part One: Organization and Professional
Part Two: Teaching Methodology and Philosophy
Part Three: Personal Insights Into Your Life and Experiences

PART ONE:

Organizational and Professional

1.      Explain the Organizational structure of the Karate 5.

  The organizational structure of the Karate 5 is headed by five Sensei’s, a president (Grandmaster Wilson), a Vice President (Master Melbert Lee, Sr.), a secretary (Sensei Jon Whitehead), Training Coordinator and Web Master (Master William Mason), and one position which is currently vacant.  Grandmaster Maurice Msarsa serves the organization as Dojo Sensei.  Instructor Naomi Mason serves as ad hoc secretary for the Board.  A support group for the Board is made up of Instructors Melbert Lee, Jr., Anston Wilson, and Naomi Mason, all black belts. 

  Under this umbrella, the president is responsible for the overall training of Masters and Instructors.  The vice president and other Sensei’s are responsible for the training of lower kyu ranks.  As vice president, Master Lee has reporting to him the Instructors and Sensei Whitehead. The other Masters assist with the overall work load and report to the President. Master Lee also has other job duties that include responsibility for equipment, (ordering and inventory), maintenance and care of the building. This is why he is assigned additional personnel to assist in carrying out these responsibilities to meet the standards required by the Karate 5. Master Mason is our Training Coordinator, Web Master and Sensei of the Morristown Dojo.  He is assisted by Instructor Naomi Mason. 

  All events, guidelines or any changes must be approved by the Board.  We also encourage input from the support group of instructors.  Our group is a service based organization for the benefit of the community and the well-being of individual development.

  Karate 5 makes ample use of our constitution and bylaws, because that gives us a dependable way to deal with any situation that may arise. The constitution and bylaws help us govern our dojos as they contain the guidelines that enable us to make better decisions and achieve our objectives. They allow us to stay focused and eliminate rash decisions. The fact that we do use our constitution and bylaws as the basis for our decisions and the fact that the board always votes on each issue, keeps us on solid ground as we deal with each event or issue that occurs.

2.            How long has the organization been around and who were the original 5?

  In 1974 Grandmaster Harold Long asked Mr. Lee and me to go out into the community and help with inner city children to develop skills to keep them off the streets.  At first, the classes were held at the YWCA and a year later at the YMCA.  Because of the skill level of our students when we went to compete, we were asked where we trained.  When we told them we were at the “Y”, they would not take us seriously, so we decided to call it “Lee’s School of Karate”.  As we grew in the next five years, Mr. Lee decided that he did not feel that he was able to continue with the current status at that time.  At this time in 1980 the Karate 5 was created from the idea that five good people could make one great organization.  At this time I gave the name to Mr. Lee of “Karate 5”.  Since I was in college at that time, I asked that he be President and I would be the Coordinator.  Frederick Brabson was Assistant Coordinator; Linda Wilson served as Secretary, and William Faulkner as Treasurer.  Since then the offices have changed to president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and training coordinator and web master.

3.      What do you attribute to its longevity and success as an organization and martial arts dojo at the same time?

  Our success has come from our ability to provide services to the community.  We have been able to see the need to help in the community, our churches and the local residential community with discipline, leadership, development and required skills. 

           The success of the Dojo has been due to the standard that we set when we were created from being a service organization and to be a helpful martial arts school.  We were based on development and not a monetary gain.  That way, we did not have to worry about the money.  We stress more development and training, thus making us more unique.  We did not worry about rank and did not have to be political pawns.  We had the ability to develop a unique and awesome program that is unsurpassed by the average martial arts school.

4.            What Leadership qualities do you consider a must for organizational leadership?

  Here are a few; being trustworthy, being consistent, fair and having good communication skills.  Many leaders say they are born and some say they are taught. I have found that in most cases, it is a person who has taken on the responsibility and accountability at that time to do things and get things done.  Most people think they have developed a certain amount of skills but it is the passion a person has to get things done.  If you are asking me to get real, I must say the most important quality is to be passionate about what you do.  Passion relates to all other leadership abilities. To get things done requires other abilities to acquire what your passion has laid out for you.

5.            Of these, which were you born with and which have you had to acquire?

  This is a hard question to answer since a lot of times we have the tendency to group the abilities from God into those with our everyday tasks.  To think about one that I would say I was born with would be my communication skills.  Everyone knows how much I love talking with people.  I have even been teased about it, but I love talking.  Sometimes I talk too much to some and not enough to others.  To one my talking is a blessing but to another it could be an irritation, but I am always true to everyone.  So if you do not know what I am talking about, take this as a learning experience.  If you do know, take it as a conversation. 

  The other is the job of wanting to complete a task and get it right.  I must say that I was probably born with the spirit of getting it right.  The passion that I spoke of is something I had to acquire because of the need to get something done.  These two passions and wanting to get it right are my strengths.

6.      What does the future hold for the Karate 5?

           The future of the Karate 5 is unlimited.  What I have found is that our humanity limits what has given us our uniqueness, i.e. our work schedule, our health.  However, beyond that the future of Karate 5 is very bright and at a stage that we will work to train and develop others.  We will continue this journey and provide for the community leadership and development of young martial artists that will help in the social life of the community. 

           In being real, the Karate 5 is only limited by our economic structure because we are more of a service organization than a “for profit organization.” 

           The real part that I see is now after all these years of training; there is a need to have a real foundation based on the concept of “getting home at night”.  Not that a true martial arts training school, that focuses on sports, could not also develop in the true meaning of martial arts.  The future for the Karate 5 is so demanding that again, I would say it would be based on the ability of our people that we would eventually let lead the organization.

7.            How did adopting other disciplines such as Jujitsu and Arnis help or hurt the Karate 5?

           The only hurt is that other people in Isshinryu did not understand their own system or history.  The system of Isshinryu can stand on its own.  The system of Jujitsu can stand on its own.  The system of Arnis can stand on its own also. 

           The weakness comes from individuals who do not develop an understanding of their own system. The interweaving of the entire arts crossover from time to time.  The first masters in Isshinryu studied others but knew their own systems.  Masters Denny Shaffer, Clyde Stanley, Butch Hill, James Ogle, Chris Spruiell, Joe Laney and Maurice Msarsa who are known for teaching Dim Mak, developed their systems with more than just a few techniques, unlike most masters that I have encountered.  I have found that the Isshinryu system and most systems are sports centered.  They build their legacy on trophies with favoritism from others in the ring, and judges from the same school, but their true art is based on a few techniques that bring home a few trophies.  So how can they help but let it be known how little their system has to offer.

           My first encounter with Jujitsu was from an invitation from Master Mason to meet Moses Powell who later introduced me to Master Vee.  In meeting and studying what Jujitsu had to offer and how I could interweave these skills with my other skills, including Isshinryu, I developed these arts into our system. 

           Once you know your system, Isshinryu, and add the same strengths of another to your system (Jujitsu and Arnis), you are able to close-in and finish your techniques.  I take the weak and make it strong.  Try these together and they come together – cross training.

8.            What has been your biggest organizational disappointment, or has there been one?

Politics!  Politics!  Politics!  I know that when you achieve a certain rank or position that comes with the territory. Is it polite when politics are used for one person’s bad management and damages the true art that we are trying to perfect?

  One incident that really affected our organization was when Grandmaster Msarsa, a member of the IIKA Board, nominated me to receive my 9^th degree ranking and it was supported by others like Master Denny Shaffer, another member of the Board.  I did not get the promotion but was told that I was qualified; and met the board requirement of age, skills, and time.  I was also told that I was from another generation; they did not need another 9^th degree on the Board, and would not fit in.  Meeting all the requirements only meant that they were not ready for a black man to be included with the other older board members. I was already on the IIKA Board as was my Sensei, Grandmaster Msarsa. Not only was this a real disappointment to our organization and supporters but other martial artists across the country that knows us. 

  At the same time Karate 5 Board and other martial artists from Jujitsu, Arnis, and Isshinryu voted to promote me in Mixed Martial Arts.  The same ones that denied my 9^th degree in Isshinryu honored and supported my 9^th degree in Mixed Martial Arts and said that I deserved it.  We felt that my 9^th degree was denied on the basis of my ethnicity.

  I have been in the organization of IIKA and enjoy some of the people and respect some, but at the same time this organization could be stronger since it has more longevity than most organizations around.  However, due to the political nature I see it can’t gain strength.  I notice they are now beginning to teach and act like they have discovered the fountain of youth, like they have just now discovered teaching. 

            I have found another organization (ICA) venturing into the arena with similar likeness because of their recognized commitment to their students that no other organization has rendered.  They seem to be giving students what they need, training, not politics.

9.            What has been your most pleasant surprise that came along at the right time?  Was it a defining moment for Karate 5?

            One was when Karate 5 was recognized as pioneers of cross training and our skills and abilities were recognized as high standard and producing good martial artists.  That we had paid the price and will be known for students martial artists developed through our training with some of the best martial artists in the country.   When we were recognized and recruited by Masters Shaffer and Msarsa, they put us in for board positions and recognized us for the Hall of Fame.  That was the turning point for our organization for all the years we had been ignored and black-balled for trying other types of training.  When this did come, I, and some others were ready; some were not.  Some see that this was a mistake and they were not stepping up their training.

10.    What social obstacles, if any, have the Karate 5 had to overcome to stay together?

            We have always been one of the most diverse schools.  We have never looked within ourselves about color or social status.  The outside looking in has been more demeaning to us.  We are trying to help with skills, abilities, and leadership.  We help financially and with fellowship and with overcoming everyday fears of society.  What has hurt is that someone would not want to train with us over the years.  They would ask, are you going to train with the blacks.  They did not look to see that we were more diverse and that we had more skills than most.  We had some people that would not shake hands with us.  At first it hurt because I was trying to see what they were seeing.  When I realized that it was ignorance, it freed me from being small minded and blaming others. 

            Our blessings come from us knowing who we are, a child of God, and have the same opportunities as anybody else.