All the time this was going on I felt a set of eyes gawking at me. I really didn’t want to look in his direction, but I did. It was one of the most terrifying feelings I ever had in my life. Melvin pointed to Gabe, Gabe bowed and turned the class over to his brother, Ernie. I looked out the corner of my eye and saw Gabe bow to Melvin. Gabe walked off the mats, pointed at me and said “come here”. Complete silence from all in the bleachers. Gabe said, “would you like to take Karate”, you can pay your registration fee on pay day if you decide to come back. Without missing a beat, he said “no speaking at all….bow when anyone stands in front of you. The only one who ever speaks is Melvin, or the highest rank belt under him.. I looked him in the eyes and said “yes”. He told me to take off my boots and socks, roll up my pants and take off my shirt. Keep on my tee shirt, as I will need it. I thought to myself, I wonder what he meant by that. He said “put your hands at your side and bow, do not move until Melvin bows to you and tells you where to go”. “Do you understand?” I said “yes”. He smacked me on my head and said “what did I just tell you?” I just did not want to mess around with this guy. He asked if I understood. I looked at him, he had his finger up to his lips. I recognized the sign. I bowed and did not say a word. “Stay in that position till Melvin bows to you. Walk on the mats and do not say a word”. I stayed in that position for what seemed like 10 minutes. As I stood there in my bowing position, I reflected where I came from. A little “blue collar” town called Gloucester City, NJ, where most of the kids were very tough because they were in a “survival mode”. I also pondered “Why did I choose to go Airborne?”
Sometime when I was in the 10th grade a neighbor kid, Butchy came home on leave. He was dressed in his Class A’s, bloused pants, spit-shined boots, blue Infantry scarf, shiny silver jump wings, 82nd Airborne patch and standing tall. I thought, that’s what I want to do. Butch was a neat kid, he was a protector of the little kids who were picked on by the bullies. I was one of the kids he took care of.
Finally Melvin acknowledged me. He bowed and told me to come on the mats. Stand near the last white belt. I bowed in acknowledgement. It felt really good. Then for no reason, I heard somebody say something in the bleachers. I don’t know what it was….but Melvin walked off the mats and told the lst lieutenant to leave. He walked back over to Gabe and said, “Just a smart ass”. Now I am part of the class. Boy is this neat with all the spectators. Why is it that I wish I was still in the bleachers? Or better yet, not here? You could have heard a pin drop when Melvin entered the circle. Gabe bowed to Melvin and took his position back in the circle. Melvin walked across and stood in front of me. I thought…special attention, boy am I lucky. All kidding aside, I thought this could really, really be bad. Do I bow or just shit my pants and asked to be excused? At this point in time, I felt like a “roadkill” that had been hit by a tractor-trailer. He said to me, very slow and deliberate like talking to a little kid and it sounded like it came from a dark, deep hole, and you can tell and feel when somebody has extreme confidence. “Do you know how to do the breathing exercise?” A thought entered my mind….thank God I didn’t do what I thought……..like speak. I was like a “bobble-head” on the dashboard, not daring to speak but bowing and trying to keep my head on my shoulders, not saying yes or no, not knowing what was expected. Gabe never looked at me. So much for help. Impatiently, he asked “can’t you speak?” I think I said “yes”. I might have said it three times, but in my nervousness I may have even said it more than that.. Melvin said to me “ I want you to hit me as hard as you can to the solar plexus area when I nod my head”. I gave him the old “bobble-head” which I guess meant, Okay. Then something happened and I wanted to wake up. I never saw anything like this before, later I experienced it again, with Henry Slomanski. A terrible sound came from deep down, every muscle in his body tightened up, I think even his eyeballs. There was no way in the world I was going to hit him, knowing that he could tear my arms off, or worse. He came out of his breathing exercise, which sounded even worse than when he went into it, and asked “did you not see me nod?” I answered with the “bobble-head” approach again. He said “one more time”, so I hit him. He looked at me and said “you punch like a little girl”. I expected that answer. ( I can see Lester laughing as he is sitting with his daughters, saying “now I know where he got that from”.) Every student that was introduced to karate went through the same thing. Melvin said “Ok, go into your breathing exercise”. I didn’t have the slightest idea of what he was talking about. So about 6 times of swallowing air, getting a headache, it was time to see if I was doing it right. Melvin hit me, down on my knees and threw up my guts. He said “would you like to try it again?” I shook my head “no”, I really didn’t care about this freaking bowing crap, I thought I was going to die. He said, “clean it up with your tee shirt and go wash your face”. Thanks Gabe, now I know why you told me to keep my tee shirt on as I would need it. Needless to say, hundreds and hundreds of students were told the same thing. As I was walking out he told me to “bow when you leave, and bow if you decide to come back on the mats” I threw away my tee shirt and came back. I stood in the bowing position, this time for about 15 minutes. Melvin went over to this extremely big black man. He was a blue belt with a cast on his right hand. I found out later that his name was Wil Smith, he was a Command Sergeant and in charge of the Jump School. He became a brown belt and also became one of my best friends. Melvin introduced us and he told Wil to teach me the proper stance and punch with the right hand. He said “do the first part of #2”. So I thought, ok, here we go.
Wil said, “punch with the right hand and step through with the right foot”. Then he smacked me in the head with the back of his hand, which had the cast. After about five times of getting hit in the head, I truly thought my head was going to explode. Melvin told Wil to explain the rest of #2, but don’t do it. Then we were both told to move and take a seated position and observe O P Carlise get tested for his Blue Belt. O P was a police chief in Columbus, GA and went up to his brown belt in time. Wil stated “Nobody speaks in here while in the bleachers, and I’ll show you why”. Everybody in the class kicks with the balls of their feet, Melvin kicks with his big toe. This is a tile wall, can you see the eight holes about the size of a golf ball? It’s Melvin’s way of telling somebody in the bleachers to “shut up”. Once he does that he goes over and kicks with his toe and puts a hole in the tile. Nobody has ever challenged him. Hmmmm I thought, I wonder why?
The test is on it’s way. I saw them pulling back the mats. He showed me the proper way to sit. I then saw some of the most amazing things I had ever seen in my life. So much blood and puke, I’ll let it go at that. Melvin looks at Carlise and says “ dye your belt royal blue”. We formed a circle again, with the mats back in place, we bowed to Melvin, he introduced me to the class, it was a Monday night. He said “ I hope to see you back Wednesday” Everybody congratulated O P. I looked around, Melvin was gone and the bleachers were empty. I hope that Melvin is looking down and I didn’t leave out anything.
I showed up Wednesday night, Melvin had a gi in his hand with a white belt. He sat down and drew a Goju ryu fist on it with permanent ink. I asked how much did I owe him. He told me nothing. I bowed and said “thank you”. He asked how I was at cutting grass and painting houses. I told him anytime and any place.
“I thought Melvin was the greatest there was in Karate, until I met Henry Slomanski, who was second to none.
So here is where it began. I became the Main Post Instructor and one of Henry and Melvin’s Shi han, Master Instructors. This is how I started on the path to meeting Henry Slomanski.
“There is no material gain in spreading the word about Henry, I just feel compelled to do so.”-John B. Burkhardt”
Sometime when I was in the 10th grade a neighbor kid, Butchy came home on leave. He was dressed in his Class A’s, bloused pants, spit-shined boots, blue Infantry scarf, shiny silver jump wings, 82nd Airborne patch and standing tall. I thought, that’s what I want to do. Butch was a neat kid, he was a protector of the little kids who were picked on by the bullies. I was one of the kids he took care of.
Finally Melvin acknowledged me. He bowed and told me to come on the mats. Stand near the last white belt. I bowed in acknowledgement. It felt really good. Then for no reason, I heard somebody say something in the bleachers. I don’t know what it was….but Melvin walked off the mats and told the lst lieutenant to leave. He walked back over to Gabe and said, “Just a smart ass”. Now I am part of the class. Boy is this neat with all the spectators. Why is it that I wish I was still in the bleachers? Or better yet, not here? You could have heard a pin drop when Melvin entered the circle. Gabe bowed to Melvin and took his position back in the circle. Melvin walked across and stood in front of me. I thought…special attention, boy am I lucky. All kidding aside, I thought this could really, really be bad. Do I bow or just shit my pants and asked to be excused? At this point in time, I felt like a “roadkill” that had been hit by a tractor-trailer. He said to me, very slow and deliberate like talking to a little kid and it sounded like it came from a dark, deep hole, and you can tell and feel when somebody has extreme confidence. “Do you know how to do the breathing exercise?” A thought entered my mind….thank God I didn’t do what I thought……..like speak. I was like a “bobble-head” on the dashboard, not daring to speak but bowing and trying to keep my head on my shoulders, not saying yes or no, not knowing what was expected. Gabe never looked at me. So much for help. Impatiently, he asked “can’t you speak?” I think I said “yes”. I might have said it three times, but in my nervousness I may have even said it more than that.. Melvin said to me “ I want you to hit me as hard as you can to the solar plexus area when I nod my head”. I gave him the old “bobble-head” which I guess meant, Okay. Then something happened and I wanted to wake up. I never saw anything like this before, later I experienced it again, with Henry Slomanski. A terrible sound came from deep down, every muscle in his body tightened up, I think even his eyeballs. There was no way in the world I was going to hit him, knowing that he could tear my arms off, or worse. He came out of his breathing exercise, which sounded even worse than when he went into it, and asked “did you not see me nod?” I answered with the “bobble-head” approach again. He said “one more time”, so I hit him. He looked at me and said “you punch like a little girl”. I expected that answer. ( I can see Lester laughing as he is sitting with his daughters, saying “now I know where he got that from”.) Every student that was introduced to karate went through the same thing. Melvin said “Ok, go into your breathing exercise”. I didn’t have the slightest idea of what he was talking about. So about 6 times of swallowing air, getting a headache, it was time to see if I was doing it right. Melvin hit me, down on my knees and threw up my guts. He said “would you like to try it again?” I shook my head “no”, I really didn’t care about this freaking bowing crap, I thought I was going to die. He said, “clean it up with your tee shirt and go wash your face”. Thanks Gabe, now I know why you told me to keep my tee shirt on as I would need it. Needless to say, hundreds and hundreds of students were told the same thing. As I was walking out he told me to “bow when you leave, and bow if you decide to come back on the mats” I threw away my tee shirt and came back. I stood in the bowing position, this time for about 15 minutes. Melvin went over to this extremely big black man. He was a blue belt with a cast on his right hand. I found out later that his name was Wil Smith, he was a Command Sergeant and in charge of the Jump School. He became a brown belt and also became one of my best friends. Melvin introduced us and he told Wil to teach me the proper stance and punch with the right hand. He said “do the first part of #2”. So I thought, ok, here we go.
Wil said, “punch with the right hand and step through with the right foot”. Then he smacked me in the head with the back of his hand, which had the cast. After about five times of getting hit in the head, I truly thought my head was going to explode. Melvin told Wil to explain the rest of #2, but don’t do it. Then we were both told to move and take a seated position and observe O P Carlise get tested for his Blue Belt. O P was a police chief in Columbus, GA and went up to his brown belt in time. Wil stated “Nobody speaks in here while in the bleachers, and I’ll show you why”. Everybody in the class kicks with the balls of their feet, Melvin kicks with his big toe. This is a tile wall, can you see the eight holes about the size of a golf ball? It’s Melvin’s way of telling somebody in the bleachers to “shut up”. Once he does that he goes over and kicks with his toe and puts a hole in the tile. Nobody has ever challenged him. Hmmmm I thought, I wonder why?
The test is on it’s way. I saw them pulling back the mats. He showed me the proper way to sit. I then saw some of the most amazing things I had ever seen in my life. So much blood and puke, I’ll let it go at that. Melvin looks at Carlise and says “ dye your belt royal blue”. We formed a circle again, with the mats back in place, we bowed to Melvin, he introduced me to the class, it was a Monday night. He said “ I hope to see you back Wednesday” Everybody congratulated O P. I looked around, Melvin was gone and the bleachers were empty. I hope that Melvin is looking down and I didn’t leave out anything.
I showed up Wednesday night, Melvin had a gi in his hand with a white belt. He sat down and drew a Goju ryu fist on it with permanent ink. I asked how much did I owe him. He told me nothing. I bowed and said “thank you”. He asked how I was at cutting grass and painting houses. I told him anytime and any place.
“I thought Melvin was the greatest there was in Karate, until I met Henry Slomanski, who was second to none.
So here is where it began. I became the Main Post Instructor and one of Henry and Melvin’s Shi han, Master Instructors. This is how I started on the path to meeting Henry Slomanski.
“There is no material gain in spreading the word about Henry, I just feel compelled to do so.”-John B. Burkhardt”