Redding Shotokan Karate

A few days ago, our most-senior godan (fifth-degree black belt), Daniel Chemla, passed away. Let us not deceive ourselves, we are all mortal; however, it seems Daniel was taken from us too early.

Four years ago, Daniel suffered a debilitating stroke, leaving his once-fantastic physical abilities only the stuff of legend. Still, he continued to work at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and to practice his karate until the end.

I attended only two of his classes at the Berkeley Finn Hall dojo, but was still influenced in many ways by him. His quiet demeanor, the small smile that flickered over his face when he saw students' burned knees and toes after a suwari-waza practice...things that I saw in memory upon hearing of his death.

Still, I remember most watching him demonstrate irimi so perfectly that he caused three black belts, who were attacking him simultaneously from three different directions, crash together rather comically. I'm sure they thought, "Got him this time!" just before the collision. And they never even touched him.

I was simply blown away. If I had a video of it I'd have watched it 10,000 times by now, I'm sure. At that moment I became a believer.

Hiroko put it very well last Monday: "We are all practicing his karate." He had such a great effect on all who practiced with him that "his karate" has rippled through thousands of students around the world.