Authentic Karate Club

2011-07-17T18:54:00.000-07:00

In memory of our Great Grandmaster Harold Lee Hankins, who departed from us tonight, July 17, 2011. He was a father to many of us and ab inspiration to many more.

Real OG's (Original Gentlemen)

2010-06-17T17:17:00.000-07:00

Battle of the 7 Cities Reunites Authentic Karate Masters

By Lincoln Stone

Special to the
New Journal and Guide

Some of the nicest people you would ever meet are some of the deadliest men you could ever know. This was particularly evident at the seventh annual, Battle of the 7 Cities, martial arts tournament which was held Saturday, June 5th, at Granby High School in Norfolk, Virginia.

The tournament is hosted each year by Virginia Black Belt Hall of Fame inductee, Master Jack Dark, III. This event showcases martial arts schools from all over the area and beyond. The practitioners competed in sparring and forms (choreographed movements which simulate fighting). Some of the form categories included various martial arts weapons. The top winners in each category received trophies, medals, plaques or belts.

Abundantly apparent during the event was the amount of respect, discipline, manners, attention to protocol, and positive energy each participant possessed. The older the black belts, the more reverence they managed to receive and project. These men earned their rank the old-fashioned way, through countless hours of grueling practice and dedication to their discipline, art and science of martial arts.

Among the many black belts in attendance was a core group who earned a difficult to achieve black belt from Norfolk’s own Grandmaster Harold Hankins. Hankins was a student of one of the pioneers of martial arts in America, Ki Whang Kim. It was Ki Whang Kim who granted Hankins (along with fellow classmates, Leon Nicholson and Gaylord Patterson) permission to teach Korean karate in this area.

Master Jack Dark is the highest ranking student from Grandmaster Harold Hankins, co-founder of the first karate school in Norfolk, the legendary Authentic Karate Club which was located on 35th Street near Newport Avenue in the Park Place section of Norfolk. Hankins has retired from teaching and rarely but occasionally appears at events. He has left his legacy in capable hands.

Each of these veteran warriors has decades of martial arts experience and are reservoirs of deadly knowledge and fighting skills. Yet, they all are quick to smile when approached and project an aura of politeness and humility in the presence of others. Still, one gets a sense that these men could easily inflict massive and devastating punishment if they had the desire or need to do so. They are old-school black belts and gentlemen in the time-honored sense of the word.

Master Jack Dark carries on the great tradition of the 35th Street Karate system, a system which includes the teachings of some world renowned martial arts masters who visited and taught there. Besides Ki Whang Kim (Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan), martial arts masters such as Shiyogo Kuniba (Motobu Ha Shito-Ryu/Seshin Kai), and Duncan Leung (Wing Chun) also taught at the little school in the heart of Park Place. Aikido, Ju Jitsu, boxing, and other martial arts studied by “Mister” Hankins were incorporated into this system as he brought in numerous martial arts masters to offer special instructions for his students to expand their skills.

Master Dark has taken that package, added Korean sword fighting (Haidong Gumdo) and has operated his own successful martial arts school for years now, which is currently located 928 Diamond Springs Road, #108 Cypress Point Shopping Center in Virginia Beach, VA. Dark’s charisma, skills, and engaging personality helps draw participants from miles around.

Grandmaster Albert Cheeks, former heavyweight World Tae Kwon Do champion and a member of the prestigious Taekwondo Hall of Fame was a special guest in attendance Saturday. Cheeks was one of the greatest competitors in the martial arts history of this country. Cheeks was the solo student of Grandmaster Ki Whang Kim at one time and continues to carryon the traditional teachings of the late, great Grandmaster Kim. Recently, Grandmaster Cheeks promoted Dark to 7th degree black belt.

Eugene “The Cyclone” Wynn was notorious for his devastating techniques in local tournaments on his way to winning championships, a minister; Wynn was a classmate of Jack Dark at the Authentic Karate Club. Together they were known as “The Dynamic Duo” and were a formidable pair in any tournament even participating in the infamous Fu Jow Pai full contact karate tournament which was held annually in New York’s Chinatown.

Austin “Butch” Simpson aka “Mad Dog,” was the first student to earn black belt under Harold L. Hankins at the Authentic Karate Club. Simpson was a fierce competitor who struck fear in the hearts of many tournament opponents on the way to numerous championships. “Butch” traveled from Maryland to assist his classmate, Master Dark, with his tournament. Coincidently, Simpson had another type of homecoming that day, being a graduate of Granby high school where he earned a number of awards in sports and music.

Herbert Lee Fayton is also a senior black belt from the Authentic Karate Club. He has retired from the Norfolk Police Department where he was a detective who often worked under cover on a multitude of dangerous assignments. Fayton credit’s the skills he acquired from martial arts with saving his life several times. Fayton has his own school now, located 211 Providence Road, Chesapeake, VA.

Bernard Floyd was a classmate of Albert Cheeks and a student of Grandmaster Kim. He was arguably the fastest competitor on the martial arts circuit in the golden era of the 70s. Floyd was known for his lightening kicks and precise technical skills. Master Floyd, now 7th degree black belt, has been lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight champion before retiring from the fighting circuit. He has also emerged from retirement a couple of times to reclaim championships.

One of the greatest fights ever, in the memory of those who witnessed it, was the battle between Bernard Floyd and Bernard Christia. Christia was also a champion black belt from the Authentic Karate Club and gained notoriety for his amazing speed and the fact that he competed with only one arm, the other lost due to an accident.

Josiah “Big Jo” Blount earned a black belt from the Authentic Karate Cub, where he operated as an assistant instructor to Grandmaster Hankins for 15 years. Blount has also been bodyguard for a number of artists when they came to town, such as Luther Vandross, Phyllis Hyman, Prince, Patti Labelle, LL Cool J, Ice Cube, and many others. Blount often operated as the school’s enforcer, even while building a career in the music business with his own Dangerous Jams record label.

Another black belt from the Authentic Karate Club, who showed up later at the event, was Willie Hunter, Jr. Hunter heads the Tiger Martial Arts Academy in Portsmouth, Va. As a child competitor on the local karate tournament scene, “Little” Willie was a martial arts prodigy. He currently operates one of the largest and finest schools in the area and continues to travel and study various martial arts styles to expand his own knowledge and hone his teaching methods.

Saturday, these well-seasoned warriors got a chance to reunite and pose for photographs following the black belt meeting before the competition began. They were all armed with warm smiles and magic memories as many in attendance recognized this historic reunion which was being witnessed at this prestigious event and snatched the opportunity to record the reunion for posterity.

Andre “AJ” Burden won the 18-29 lightweight black belt division. Burden was competing in the men’s division for the first time and is a student of Jack Dark III. Isaiah Pace was the 18-29 heavyweight winner and eventual grand champion. Pace is a Haidong Gumdo student of Jack Dark. The tradition of excellence continues.

After Class (The Lessons Begin)

2008-07-27T10:14:00.000-07:00

I visited a karate class recently. It was a good class, the students trained hard, the instructors focused in on some crucial elements of the arts, and it seemed all involved gained something from the class. When class was dismissed, practically all the students jumped up and rushed home, or off to some other pressing engagement. This kind of disturbed me.

I remember attending class on 35th Street. Class may have ended at 8 pm, but the students and instructors would often linger around until perhaps MIDNIGHT!! It was during this time, after class, when some of the key elements of martial arts understandings were revealed, and the invaluable experiences of the black belts were shared. I believe some of my most important lessons were learned after class. If nothing else, a lifelong bond was created with other members of the Authentic Karate Club, some of these relationships are even stronger than my own cohesive family relationships.

After class, we may have had some techniques clarified or improved. Sometimes we just listened to Baba Hankins explain how he learned. There were shared descriptions of fights and altercations, or memories of some tournament battles which were discussed and analyzed in detail. Occasionally, we would get together and go to a movie, or a meal, or to another school to train some more. There were even times when other martial artists would swing by and some impromptu sessions would evolve. It was amazing what happened AFTER class. It was incredible the things we learned AFTER class.

I don’t know how you can grasp all that martial arts have to offer you if you don’t pursue it to its fullest and not just view it as something to do. It is a way of life--or at least that is what it once was. Those who I have witnessed to excel in these warrior ways, sought more from their teachers and seniors than the average student. They implored those who taught them to give them more. This way, they gained so much more than knowing how to throw a punch or block a kick, they learned how to apply their lessons to every aspect of their lives and how to benefit from this way they chose to travel.

You can’t get it by just going to class. You also need to get it after class and even before class. It certainly was worth it to me.

Authentic Karate Club Black Belts

2008-04-18T22:46:00.000-07:00

On August 16, 1969, Master Ki Whang Kim granted Mr. Hankins, along with fellow black belts, Leon Nicholson and Gaylord Patterson, permission to teach Korean Karate. The school was named The Authentic Karate Club (after Lt. Charles O’Neil’s Authentic Jiu-Jitsu Club).

When Master Hankins decided to close his school years later, thus ending an almost legendary chapter in Hampton Roads’ martial arts history, these were the students who had earned black belt during that period.

Austin E. Simpson
Belden T. King
Alfrances Hankins
Joyce Patterson
James E. Shields, Jr.
Bernard Christia
Floyd Wright, Jr.
Alonzo Parker
Darryl Brisbane
Milton Haynes
Benjamin Hodges
H. Lee Fayton
J. Edward Shields, Jr.
Joseph Recca
Carter L. Wilson
Jack Dark, III
Amy Hankins
Michael Jackson
Nathan M. Richardson
Josiah Blount
Eugene I. Wynn
Willie Hunter, Jr.
Jesse Hunter
Joseph Garcia
Daniel Webb

Martial Arts Roots & Shaolin Temple

2008-04-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

Do you know your martial arts roots? Techniques, methods, and systems are passed down from instructor to student with varying degrees of success. Harold L. Hankins studied a number of martial arts and acquired proficiency in a few. Some of his teachers did the same.

Harold Hankins pushed his teachers to teach him the way their teachers taught them, even if it meant personal pain and struggle to himself. This way, he felt he could reach back, through his teachers, into the past, to get more of the essence from which their martial arts came. He wanted to gain the spirit of the art as well as the techniques.

These roots of martial arts grow deep and reach back to the Shaolin Temple. The roots often intermingle and cross along the path. Sometimes a student learns from his teacher, his teacher’s teacher, and his own classmates. For example, Choki Motubu learned not only from Itosu, but also from Itosu’s student, Kentsu Yabu--just as Harold Hankins learned, not only from Ki Wang Kim, but Kim’s student, Albert Cheeks, or was taught by Sifu Leung as well as Hankins' classmate, Dave Meadows.

Some of Master Hankins’ students also had access to his teachers, such as Duncan Leung, Shiyogo Kuniba, Ki Wang Kim, and others. The amazing thing is that his students did not have to seek out Master Hankins’ teachers, they also came to his school and taught. The little school on 537 W. 35th Street, in Norfolk, Virginia, was privileged to have witnessed some of the world’s greatest and most renown masters and legends. A brief lineage of three such masters who visited and taught at his school, is listed below. Their roots go back to the Shaolin Temple,

Tang Soo Do .................................Motobu Ha Shito-Ryu

\....................................... /
HAROLD L. HANKINS
/ .......................................\
Ki Wang Kim ...............................Shiyogo Kuniba
Kanken Toyama....................................... Kosei Kukuba
Kentsu Yabu .................................Choki Motubu
\......................................... /
Yasutsune “Anko” Itosu
Sokon “Bushi” Matsumura
“Tode” (Karate) Sakugawa
Kusanku

Wing Chun Kung Fu
Duncan Leung
Yip Man
Leong Bik
Leung Jon
Wong Wah Bo (hard style) and Leung Ye Tai (soft style)
Leung Bok Chau
Yim Wing Chun
Ng Mui

Other styles studied by Master Hankins:

Boxing from Roy Luson;
Judo & Jiu-Jitsu from LT. Charles O. Neal;
Pa Kua and Hsing-I from Robert Smith;
Aikido from Akio Mitake and Nebuhiro Hayashi;
Tae Kwon Do from Kwang Hyung Kim, Ilhoi Kim and Jong Kwan Park

Additional Training from classmates:

Tang Soo Do from Albert Cheeks
Wing Chun from Dave Meadows

The tradition continues. Several of Grandmaster Hankins' students now teach. At least 3 have prospering schools in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia; Willie Hunter, Herbert Lee Fayton, and Jack Dark, III.

Masters Dark & Fayton have also expanded their martial arts training by gaining expertise in Haidong Gumdo under Master Dong Jin Park, USA Haidong Gumdo President.

Jack Dark Tae Kwon Do Champions

Fayton Martial Arts Academy

Tiger Martial Arts Academy

Our Legacy

2008-04-10T13:57:00.000-07:00

It was a long, torturous, fascinating journey. It was perilous road congested with prodigious pitfalls, and intriguing turns. Phenomenal is the man capable of surviving such an expedition. Harold Lee Hankins not only survived this road, he conquered it.

The journey began over fifty years ago, on the hazardous streets of the wrong side of Norfolk. A part of the city where you wake-up each day wondering whether you would be predator or prey. Each day brought with it new lessons in survival. Young Harold became a street warrior, not by choice—by necessity. This was a daily struggle of life and death.

However, as the Fates would allow, this warrior was also an award-winning scholar. So outstanding were his mental gifts that he was feared for his mind as well as his wits. People then, as now, often shuddered at the mere sound of his voice. He possessed the skill, knowledge, and determination, to have become a brilliant lawyer, or masterful surgeon. Circumstances forced him to sacrifice degrees in arts and sciences for degrees in other arts.

As a young man, Harold Hankins was thrust into boxing. His teacher, Roy Luson, was five times heavyweight champion of the Navy; only an injured hand prevented this knockout specialist from representing the USA in the 1956 Olympics. Luson built an elite core of young amateur boxers, which included Hankins. So viciously effective were these “farmers,” that they were banned from any further fights with the Navy’s champion pugilists.

Sensing there was more to fighting, Harold Hankins sought out qualified Masters in the Asian fighting arts. He wrote letters, made telephone calls, and traveled to meet them. He recruited and petitioned membership to build a school. The odds against him often seemed insurmountable.

Once he a found a Judo school and applied for membership. The Instructor blatantly insulted Hankins by telling him his race of people were inferior, unable to grasp and endure the training. “We find colored people lack the culture to learn this discipline,” he was informed.

Disappointed—but not discouraged, determined to learn Martial Arts, start his own school, and open its doors to any and all with a desire to train, Harold Hankins continued studying and traveling many miles, sacrificing pleasure for his principle. He opened the first Karate school in Norfolk, Virginia. Many world renown Masters contributed to this unique and profound school.

Some of the teachers are in the Black Belt hall of Fame. Some were sadistic, brutal, ruthless, unsympathetic, intolerant of mistakes, or just downright mean. Sometimes Harold Hankins traversed lengthy stretches of lonely highways and waited endless hours in empty hallways for classes to begin. He endured “No Pity Nights”; classes in which even the teacher suffered broken bones.

He endured horrors of training and drilling which would give Freddy Kruger nightmares. Few pulled through these panic filled classes of agony. Those who did are to be revered. His Master instructors were trained in the old tradition. They honed their skills on battlefields. Some had killed numerous men. A spectacular collection of Korean Masters, Japanese Masters, Chinese Masters, CIA Agents, and authors of Martial Arts books, were these internationally recognized Martial artists.

Harold Hankins persevered and mastered the techniques taught to him by this illustrious roster. The diversity of their styles and methods created a monster in the eyes of the Martial Arts community. Mere mention of his name was cause for alarm. Only those with the warrior’s spirit were capable of training with him. The Judo school, which originally refused him membership, asked him to return and teach classes. Mr. Hankins “politely” declined their offer.

On August 16, 1969, Master Ki Whang Kim granted Mr. Hankins, along with fellow black belts, Leon Nicholson and Gaylord Patterson, permission to teach Korean Karate. Thus was born the Authentic Karate Club, borrowing on the name of the Authentic Jiu-Jitsu Club in which he previously trained.

So from the expertise and proficiency he received in:

Boxing from Roy Luson;
Judo & Jiu-Jitsu for LT. Charles O. Neal;
Pa Kua and Hsing-I from Robert Smith;
Aikido from Akio Mitake and Nebuhiro Hayashi;
Tang Soo Do from Ki Whang Kim and Albert Cheeks;
Tae Kwon Do from Kwang Hyung Kim, Ilhoi Kim and Jong Kwan Park;
Wing Chun King Fu from Shiu Hung Leung and Dave Meadows;
& Motobu Ha Shito-Ryu from Shiyogo Kuniba,
Harold Lee Hankins created a devastating system.

From the Wrecking Crew, to the Wild Bunch, to the Bulala Bunch, 537 West 35th Street in Norfolk, Virginia was truly a House of Warriors. Those with the patience to stay and receive the proper training built character and became champions. Students under his command changed the face of tournaments in this area forever, bringing about revisions of rules, annihilation of certain divisions, and the proliferation of closed tournaments.

“When I speak—you function!” he was often heard saying to sweating and struggling students. Devotedly they practiced his preachings. Flawless technique was the goal. The by-products were strength of character, discipline, clarity of thought, confidence, patience, leadership qualities, deductive reasoning, pride of self, and winning—in anything.

“If you stay with me, and do like I tell you, you can go anywhere in the world,” he often prophesied. “You might not speak the language. You might not know his forms. But you’ll be able to fight—with anyone.” His students have been victorious in Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, North, and South America. Wherever they went, people wanted to know, “Who taught you?” The students of Harold Hankins have stood with the best of them, and stood over the rest of them.

It is one thing to learn Karate. It is another thing to become Karate. Harold Lee Hankins and his black belts epitomize this thought. His teachings have permeated every aspect of their varied lives. He has taught federal and local government agents, ministers, doctors, lawyers, actors, police officers, soldiers, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Blacks, Whites, Asians, Hispanics, and anyone else with the desire to learn his ancient techniques manifested by modern methods.

Those who were fortunate enough to thrive under the hand that managed “the stick” or suffered “the block” will never forget HIS NAME, or the lessons he endeavored to instill in us. He gave us his heart. We have witnessed, on countless occasions, his students defeating not only the students of other Masters, but the Masters themselves.

I personally can testify that I saw globally recognized Masters retreat from the challenge to battle a most willing Harold Hankins. I have seen this walking Martial Arts encyclopedia mesmerize audiences, contenders, and pretenders with his vast knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of the arts and warriors. They always stand in awe of his mental and physical prowess.

He took us in, nurtured us, and cultivated us as his children. He taught us to be officers, and gentlemen, and ladies—warriors as well as scholars. Now that we have matured and have children of our own, and students of our own, they are his grandchildren. With eminent appreciation, we acknowledge his accomplishments, already of mythical proportions. He is genuinely a present day legend, devotedly loved and admired by those who felt “the stick.”

Finding Time To Train

2008-04-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

No matter how good the instructor and instructions, you must put in your own time to train and practice, especially these days. You can squeeze in time to train. I used to walk to class daily--a distance of approximately 5 miles. Master Hankins used to tell us the story of a Hsing-I master, Shang Yun-hsiang, who would train the 20 miles, to and from his teacher's house, barefooted, with his shoes draped around his neck, while Shang practiced the "half bamboo step." After awhile, I noticed that it seemed every time Master Hankins told the story, he would look directly at me. Finally, the light bulb went off.

So, instead of just walking to class, I would train on the way to class, practicing a technique or doing some drill to utilize the time. For three months at a time, I would practice the same thing. For example, I would hold some weights in my hand and practice striking techniques all the way to class. I wouldn’t put my arms down to rest them, just kept them up. At times, it felt like 10,000 needles were sticking in my arms.

It seemed every night, on the way back home, When I was close to home, going across the Campostella bridge, my arms would have the most needles pricking them. I would have the urge to throw those weights into the river below. But the thought that Master Hankins would make me dive into the water to retrieve those weights (I figured he wouldn’t let me replace them), was deterrent enough to force me to continue with weights in my hands. Eventually, my arms would return to normal, and I would be home. After three months of this, I had a much quicker and devastating striking technique.

For another three months, I would punch every telephone post along the route to class with my right hand (a distance of approximately 5 miles). On the way home (unless I was fortunate enough to get a ride), I would punch every telephone post with my left hand. A telephone post is not as forgiving as a makiwara. There were many telephone posts along the route. I developed a formidable punch, I couldn’t even punch a person in play without doing tenable damage.

I remember after three months of punching telephone posts, I reached the corner of 35th & Newport for the final pole. A police car with two officers were watching me. I was in my usual ill-tempered mood after such a punishing training regimen. I glared at the two officers and then delivered a shocking punch to the pole. By then, my technique was good enough that the lamp on top of the pole visibly shook. The two officers looked at the lamp, looked at each other in disbelief, then sped off. I knew my punch was pretty good then.

I would train while watching television shows. I would stay in a stance while watching a show, and do push-ups, leg lifts, or some other exercise when a commercial came on. Even if sitting somewhere, like in a movie theater, I could practice and perfect a blocking technique or something.

Training was a ritualistic routine like personal hygiene. I just did it. The by-product of such training became quite evident. I would practice a technique over and over and over and over and over until I got tired and bored with it, then I would practice it over and over and over and over and over until I found comfort in doing it. It would become a natural reflex action. I only wish I would have dedicated as much time to stretching--I could use the flexibility now.

Everyone I know, who was ever any good at martial arts, put in extra time training. My senior student and classmate, Jack Dark, III, now a master himself with his own school, used to run or ride his bicycle to class, arrive early to train, train with the class, train after class, then run or ride his bike home. Some days, we would put in extra training sessions, or leave 35th Street dojo after class and go to practice with Sifu Duncan Leung at his Wing Chun class.

Jack would train so hard, Marines fresh out of boot camp, or champion body builders could not keep up with him training. He would be so quick and elusive, fighting him would be like fighting a ghost--a ghost who could hurt you at will and evade any attack you launched.

You had to be dedicated (or crazy) to go through such training as our Grandmaster Hankins had in store for you. But you would receive remarkable results. He would often say, “If you stick with me, you’ll be in such good shape, you could run in the Kentucky Derby. You might not win it--but you’ll be in it.”

Train harder and more frequently. It has rewards and by-products you cannot imagine.

A journey of 1000 miles begins...

2008-04-08T15:43:00.000-07:00

In May of 1976, I met two men who changed my life forever. One was Harold Hankins, the other was Duncan Leung. I stand tall with feet planted on the shoulders of these martial arts masters. The lessons they infused into me have enabled me to accomplish much more than I could ever dream. Along the path in which they guided me I have been fortunate enough to have also met others who have impacted my life in a glorious manner.

This blog is dedicated to some of the adventures and lessons I have acquired along this path. I trust it will both educate and entertain others who are traveling similar paths. It will hopefully also set the record straight on many matters and misconceptions.