Nick Adamou
The NSKA evolved into the IASK (International Association of Shotokan Karate) in 1993 when Somnath Palchowdhury, of the Indian Federation of Shotokan Karate (IFSK) invited me to India for a six day course incorporating Kyu (junior level) and Dan (Black Belt) gradings. It was during this six day course when the IFSK asked if I would let them affiliate to my association. I said they could and changed the name of my association to reflect this.

S.A.
How did the IFSK know about you in order for them to invite you to India for the six day course?

N.A.
Six months after forming the NSKA I was asked to write a monthly article in the well known martial arts magazine called 'Traditional Karate' and these articles were named 'The Nick Adamou Column'. Although I decided to stop the column for my own reasons after about a year, some of these magazines made their way to Calcutta. Somnath had trained under Kanazawa sensei a few years earlier in Calcutta and, of course had been immensely impressed by him. When Somnath read my column, and realised that I had been a disciple of Kanazawa sensei for so many years, and also discovered that I had co-authored "Kanazawa's Karate", he decided to invite me to instruct on the course

S.A.
Could you explain a little about your club at the Harrow Leisure Centre?

N.A.
The Harrow School of Shotokan Karate has been operating at the Harrow Leisure Centre for the past 30 years, since 1974 and I have taught literally thousands of students of all ages, levels of fitness and differing backgrounds, with their own unique personalities and physical potential. I have seen how Karate and the positive character changes that it can promote in most students have enhanced the lives of so many people simply through the training. In a world that is perhaps becoming ever more materialistic, with a move away from many fundamental morals and principles, I genuinely feel that the practice of karate, where the 'fight' is actually with yourself and how you deal with the 'Inner You' can perhaps fill a void that seems to be growing ever larger day by day in present day society.

S.A.
Finally Nick, how would you describe the type of Karate that you teach to your students and black belt instructors since you formed your own association in 1989?

N.A.
It would be impossible to forget Kanazawa's sensei's phenomenal karate and the way in which he taught and performed it throughout those wonderful years when I trained under him, and was so closely connected to him as his student in Karate-do from 1965 to 1989. Because of that wonderful journey and experience, I have always taught, and could only teach karate to my own students in the way that my master taught it to me and my fellow karate-ka such as Eddie Whitcher, Ray Fuller, Robert Williams, Mick Randall, Mike Peachey, Pauline Bhindra, Jack Johnson and Chris Adamou, all of whom were there, at the very beginning.

S.A.
Nick Adamou was awarded 8th Dan by the IASK Technical Committee and this grade was ratified by the English Karate Governing Body in February 2003. He has trained unceasingly in the art of Karate-do for the past 40 years.

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