ANOTHER DOJO STORY

My First White Gi and My Yellow Belt

For those who started karate even in the 1970's this story may seem very weird strange and not true but I assure you it is 100% truth.

When I started karate March 15th 1966 in Hamilton Ontario Canada, Black Belt Magazine was only 3 years old and the stories were amazing. But in the magazine they had a company who sold karate and Judo gi's. When I signed up I of course needed a uniform and it cost $12.00 and was made by a chinese cook who owned the famous Pagoda restaurant in downtown Hamilton. He was a Hungar Kung Fu man named Harry Lee who had arms like steel bars from banging them daily on trees in the park.

The first uniform he made me got ripped off my back the first time I sparred so I asked my mom what should I do as it could not be sewn up. She said can you get me a picture of one so I got my Black Belt Magazine and showed her the add and she said oh that is simple its just like Pajama's.  So with a few small alterations I had my first white gi as Harry's gi's were always black.

About 3 months after I started I was awarded my yellow belt. The only problem was there were no stores or anything to buy them from so I asked my dear old mom if she could make one for me and she said leave it with me and go to school so when I came home there it was my first yellow belt drying on the clothes line. It was beautiful. She had bought some yellow dye and dyed it for me.

Then when I got my orange belt 3 months later she died that one as well and then the same with my green belt when I got it. But then a small store in Toronto started selling uniforms and belts called Furuya's in China Town. So I got the bus and went to China Town and bought a really cool looking blue belt.  I was stylin real cool.

Oh yes those were the days. The next Dojo story will be how I learnt kung-fu in a Toronto chinese restaurant by watching the cook Paul Chan.