Inquiry Into Karate Clubs

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31221, 19 November 1966, Page 15

Inquiry Into Karate Clubs

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) LONDON, Nov. 18. The Government has ordered an investigation into Britain’s karate clubs after complaints that thugs are learning the Japanese art of unarmed combat. The investigation was announced in Parliament yesterday by a Home Office Minister after a wave of public concern at the spread of the potentially deadly method.

A karate expert can split a brick or a thick wooden board with a flashing stroke with the edge of his hand. A few weeks ago, a 20-year-old kitchen porter was imprisoned for life after boasting he killed a man with seven karate chopping blows in a club fight. The Judge said that if the technique was so lethal, it was time to stop it. Karate clubs have about 10,000 members in Britain. They defend karate as a philosophy with a code of conduct emphasising fitness, courage, and chivalry. The British Medical Association recently investigated the karate trend and decided there was no danger in children seeing secret agents use the chopping blows on television spy serials. Many Parliamentarians are not convinced. A Government member, Mr Geoffrey Rhodes, claimed in the House of Commons yesterday that thugs and hooligans were freely joining the clubs. The head of one large club said yesterday that, he would welcome an inquiry. He agreed “undesirable people” were now joining. Mr Richard Taveme, a junior Minister at the Home Office, promised the investigation would determine “what the problems are, and the remedies.”