In the world of karate, has earned more black belts than most others who are alive and kicking.

The Surrey resident, a master of the martial art, has practised karate for more than five decades, and still teaches at a dojo in Langley.

鈥淚鈥檝e been at it since 1965, so we鈥檙e looking at around 54 years now,鈥� Owens recalled.

As a rare ninth-degree black belt, or , with and others, he鈥檚 still at the top of his game.

鈥淚n this organization, the JKA,鈥� he said, 鈥渢he highest at one time was a ninth-degree black belt, because you can鈥檛 get your 10th until you die, so I don鈥檛 want the 10th,鈥� he explained with a laugh.

鈥淪ome of the rules have changed a bit, but ninth, to me, is the highest while you鈥檙e still alive.鈥�

During his 71 spins around the sun, Owens has also earned a significant number of certificates, awards and accolades from several karate associations around the globe, and has learned from some masters of the martial art.

Twice a week, as chief instructor, Owens brings those Shotokan karate skills and knowledge to a dojo in Langley operated by , in the .

It鈥檚 a long way from East Vancouver, where Owens was raised, grew to love karate and also worked as a police officer, starting in 1981 and ending with a 28-year career with the VPD.

鈥淚 was about 33 when I joined the police force,鈥� he explained, 鈥渟o when I got out of the academy, I started the police dojo a year later, around 1982.

鈥淚 just wanted to get the police (officers) involved, and a number of them joined and worked their way through, right up to black belt,鈥� Owens added, proudly.

In those days, he worked in Chinatown and the Downtown Eastside, among other beats, and grew familiar with the gangs and thugs who frequented the area.

Earlier, on the mean streets of the mid-鈥�60s, learning karate was a no-brainer for Owens.

鈥淲ell, I grew up in East Van 鈥� that says it all right there,鈥� he said with a laugh. 鈥淲e got into lots of scraps and so forth, so I started off looking for a better way. I was always successful but you know, you always get hurt somehow when you鈥檙e fighting people, but I was looking for something where maybe I didn鈥檛 get hurt so much, you know. I looked at everything 鈥� kung fu, different karate styles, but they didn鈥檛 really suit my personality, but then I found my instructor now, Hiroo Yamashiro, and that was it.

鈥淭he interesting part is,鈥� he added, 鈥淚 was fortunate to train with some of the great masters that started the JKA, like (Jun) Sugano and , the head of it, and with , their technical director. Most people may not know these names but, you know, anybody in the karate world sure does.鈥�

Today, Owens is vice-president of World Japan Karate Association, and takes seriously his role of teaching others.

鈥淵ears ago an instructor said to me, you have to understand that you鈥檙e getting older and you have to pass it on and take that responsibility,鈥� Owens explained. 鈥淎nd really now I understand that relationship, as a senior person you need the credentials to be able to grade people and have them respect it. I started to accept that over time.鈥�

At age 71, Owens remains active in the dojo but, like anyone, he鈥檚 not as young as he used to be.

鈥淚 thought I was 21 the other day so I鈥檓 limping a little bit today,鈥� he said recently.

鈥淚 still have a group of students,鈥� Owens continued, 鈥渁nd one thing I always tell them is, it鈥檚 great to have all the accolades and certificates and be accepted by your peers 鈥� wonderful, actually 鈥� but karate is the practice, and so I still practice every single day. I have a small dojo upstairs in my house, and so I鈥檓 there a lot.

鈥淎s for teaching, the rule is, for every hour you teach you should put two hours of practice in, going over it, and you have to do that. I still put in an hour every day, but sometimes I end up doing two hours or more, just because you get into it, and I love it. You have to learn, because you can get sloppy. I have a group of friends and we still get together and practice, and every week one person has the job to criticize everybody else, and we all have input. The problem is, once you get to my rank, nobody wants to criticize you. That鈥檚 just the culture of karate.鈥�

tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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