In
1966, Pat Dempsey, then aged 57, started training in Shukokai karate at a
club run by Tommy Morris. Later that year, at a course in Glasgow, Mr
Dempsey, with his sons Pat and Paul saw Hirokazu Kanazawa demonstrating
Shotokan karate. All three Dempseys were extremely impressed and in 1967
the "Dempsey's Karate School" was founded in Dundee, teaching traditional
shotokan karate. Since its establishment over 36 years ago, the club has
been visited by many leading Japanese Sensei including Sensei Nakayama,
Enoeda, Kanazawa, Kase, Shirai, Tsuyama, Takahashi, Osaka, Kawazoe, Kato,
Tometa, Ohta and many more.
|
Tommy Morris (centre) |
Kanazawa sensei presenting Pat (sr)
with his black belt |
While his sons
continued to train and work their way very quickly through the grades, Mr
Dempsey continued to promote karate in Scotland and was a founder member
of both the Scottish and the British karate boards and The Karate Union of
Scotland. In 1974 he was invited to sit on the Japan Karate Association
Executive Council. For his tireless promotion of karate in Scotland and
continuous involvement with karate in general, Mr Dempsey was awarded
honourary 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Dans by his great friend Sensei Masatochi
Nakayama. In 1985 at the World Shoto Cup in Japan in recognition of his
great contribution to karate, he was awarded with a plaque the text from
which is shown below:
"Mr. Patrick Joseph Dempsey
Sr. of Great Britain has over a long term of years devoted his energies
towards the development of karate-do. In commemoration of the 30th
Anniversary of the establishment of the Japan Karate Association we
commend your meritorious service.
September 29,1985.
Kitae
Ogawa
President Shoto Karate-Do World Cup.
The Japan Karate
Association"
|
Presentation of the plaque to Pat Dempsey Sr at the Shoto-Cup in
1985 |
Sensei Nakyama
and Sensei Kanazawa on their first visit to the Dundee club with Pat
Dempsey Sr. |
Pat
Dempsey Sr. |
In 1988, Mr Dempsey
was elected as chair of the newly founded Japan Karate Association -
Scotland which is the JKA's official body in Scotland. Sadly, Mr Pat
Dempsey passed away on the 16th of October 1990 after a short
illness. However, his devotion to karate has been passed on to his
son, Sensei Paul Dempsey who now runs his association, the
KUSN.
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