MARTIALFORCE.COM
PRESENTS
AN INTERVIEW WITH
SENSEI DAVID RICHARDSON
APRIL / 2011
My name is Eddie Morales and welcome to Martialforce.com Online Martial Arts Magazine. I would like to introduce Martialforce.com readers to Sensei David Richardson. Richardson comes from a strong background of dedicated practice. He has a high level understanding of technique in relation to modern combat coupled with an innovative and strong mental posture. Sensei Richardson and I first met through a mutual friend, Sensei Marcus Bossett. When we spoke on the subject of training, technique and principles it became obvious that his knowledge was vast. Sensei Richardson is on a continuous quest for knowledge and maintains an open mind in regards to the strategic and tactical aspects of urban combat. We here at Martialforce.com are honored to bring you this interview and hope you enjoy reading it.
Interview by Eddie Morales
Martialforce.com
Online Magazine
Martialforce.com: Where were you born and raised?
DAVID RICHARDSON: I was born and raised in Los Angeles California, land of opportunity, lol.
Martialforce.com: What is your current occupation?
DAVID RICHARDSON: I am currently employed as a Bouncer (not a doorman) in Hollywood. Let me elaborate on the difference, a doorman basically "the meet and greet" open the door, while the bouncer can do that too but he is also prepared to regulate if he has to. He is the first line of defense for trouble at the given establishment. The second gig I have is entertainment; I’m a Professional Magicician.
Martialforce.com: When, where and with who did you begin your Martial Arts training?
DAVID RICHARDSON: I started training formally in Dux Ryu Ninjitsu under an incredible Instructor and friend Shihan Steve Petrius in 1989, receiving my 1st Dan in 1996 and eventually 3rd Dan in 1998. I feel I have to clarify that what I was learning in Dux Ryu Ninjitsu wasn’t Ninjutsu and I was naive at the time. The system was more of a combination of different Martial Arts, including Jujitsu, Judo, Karate, Boxing, Arnis Escrima and even Kung Fu. This is to take nothing away from my instructors or fellow students, on the contrary, they were incredible fighters.
My training in "authentic" traditional NINJUTSU didn’t began until 1997 when I traveled to Japan. There I was exposed to Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu headed up by the Leading Authority of Ninjutsu today, Dr Maasaki Hatsumi. I later found a Bujinkan Instructor locally in Los Angeles by the name of David Dow. Between my local training and training in Japan I received my 1st Dan in 2005.
Martialforce.com: Why did you choose Ninjutsu, what was the fascination, why not Tae kwon do, Kung Fu, etc?
DAVID RICHARDSON: Well Ninjutsu practitioners were known as "Magicians of Mayhem" in Fuedral Japan. They specialized in deception, camouflage, pyrotechnics, divination and even magic. With me already a professional magician this art was a natural attraction for me. The other systems you mention were too generic for me and too accessible.
Martialforce.com: Who has been your greatest influence throughout your life in regard to Martial Arts and or life in general?
DAVID RICHARDSON: Oh I can name many from Bruce Lee to David Copperfield, but to be honest, life itself influences and inspires me to greatness. I consider myself a "Student of Life".
Martialforce.com: You were in the Marine Corps, what motivated you to join, how long were you active and what was your objective?
DAVID RICHARDSON: I’ve always been an extreme type of person as you can already probably tell; if I was going to join the armed forces why not take up the challenge full tilt. The US Marines provided that challenge. In fact it’s said a Marine is equivalent to the Navy, Airforce and Army all wrapped up in one lean mean fighting machine, lol. I did 3 years active and 3 yrs inactive as a grunt and Military Police.
Martialforce.com: What are your thoughts on MMA (Mixed Martial Arts)?
DAVID RICHARDSON: MMA has its place and is the closest a fighter is going to get to true combat. On the other hand lets not get it twisted either, the Octagon is still a controlled environment. Ill tell you this though, before MMA many martial artist ran around claiming their art to be the end to all means. It was a rude awakening to many when just being a ground fighter or stand up man was not enough. MMA brought reality to the world that a fighter must be well rounded in different styles or at least be able to counter. But the most important thing was when conditioning came into play. You had all these so-called 15-degree Black Belts getting creamed, why? Because in your average Dojo your kata and forms were rule of the day, with no emphasis on "Live Training", Training under pressure.
Your average Boxer or for that matter street fighter knows what it feels like to really get hit, to be punished and still excel. MMA was a wake-up call for everyone. Is it true combat, absolutely not.
Martialforce.com: What made you join the "The Guardian Angels” and how dangerous was your experiences with the group?
DAVID RICHARDSON: Once again im a man of extremes, lol. What better way to test your male genitalia than to patrol the mean streets of Los Angeles with no weapons and bright red hats, lol. But honestly on a serious note, I’ve always felt I was put here on this earth to help people and when I found there was someone else with the same vision (Curtis Sliwa) that made my day so to speak. Based on the premise that as a private citizen we could contribute to the safety of our fellow man and not stand idly by allowing someone to be victimized, in theory anyway. Strength are in numbers and the Guardian Angels served mostly as a deterrent for crime. I lead my own West L. A. Chapter. Don’t get me wrong, we had our share of beat downs and fisti-cuffs, but are objective was to send a message out to your average joe,..”Do Something.”
By the way this is before I had any real formal training in the Martial Arts, 1981 through 1991.
Martialforce.com: You were involved in an attempted assault on your life and as a result, you were shot; can you tell our readers about this incident and what led to it? Was it Guardian Angel related?
DAVID RICHARDSON: No, honestly I wish I could tell you it was some dramatic scenario with the Guardian Angels or even the USMC. Unfortunately it was just a matter of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, not being aware of my environment. In a nutshell, 1989, im at the walk up window of a gas station at 3am, a guy waves a gun in my face to rob me. I go for the gun like an idiot and he blasts away. Luckily, I was still able to get away do to the fact it was a small caliber pistol.
I still have the slugs in me today, one on my clavicle and the other on my lower spine. I mind my business and the bullets mind there’s, lol.
XRAY OF THE BULLETS
Martialforce.com: In our pre-interview, you mentioned the term (Pressure Tested). Can you explain what this refers to?
DAVID RICHARDSON: When Training under David Dow of the Bujinkan his theory was tradition with modern applications. Although the organization itself is based in tradition. The funny thing is Ninjutsu was never traditionally a Budo art such as Aikido, Judo, Karate-do, etc. Dow was a firm believer in "Live Training", in other words Pressure testing your skill. We would do Randori (Free style practice) and other drills with 75% to 100% attack speed and if you didn’t have your head on straight you got creamed. Was this safe? Well about as safe can be under the circumstances, I would rather sweat in training than bleed in combat.
Martialforce.com: How has your training helped you working the door at the Bar?
DAVID RICHARDSON: I would like to say that im a much better human being for it most definitely. My martial background was a prerequisite but only in terms of experience. I remember the fact that I had good people skills and could be diplomatic which was more important. I now have a heightened awareness for trouble do to my training so I tend to nip things in the but so to speak before things get out of hands at the Bar. There’s a saying that goes, "Its not about being the baddest MF in a room because you have a blackbelt, No, on the contrary, your mindset should be that everyone in that room is a little safer because you are there. In essence, you are a servant of mankind.
Martialforce.com: You also mentioned four levels in regards to combative mode, can you elaborate?
DAVID RICHARDSON: I believe you are referring to the 4 stages of confrontation. Which are, 1. Compliant, 2. Non-compliant, 3. Combative and 4. Lethal. The first stage is a time for diplomacy and stays that way in most cases. The second stage still has opportunity for diplomacy and reasoning but may require physical persuasion or controlling techniques. Escalation at this point to the next stage is very likely if you fail at your attempts to diffuse the situation, this being the Combative stage. This third stage requires you to defeat your adversary as quick and as efficiently as possible. The lethal stage is the last, the do or die stage if you will, where lethal force is required for self-preservation.
Martialforce.com: In regards to Ninjutsu, because of the movie mysticism there is sometimes a hesitation that leads to the negative on this subject. Can you tell our readers your interpretation of Ninjitsu and does it still exist?
DAVID RICHARDSON: In regards to negative connotation, on any given subject there is always the negative and positive, the Ninjutsu lore is no exception. These people were an oppressed people who had to rely on what ever it took to survive. Bound by honor, the Samurai class was limited in there actions. In fact the Samurai would hire the same people they despised and loath to do there evil deeds, the Ninja. Does this make the Samurai less accountable? I don’t think so. The Ninja families of that time utilized fear, espionage, camouflage, infiltration, superstition, mysticism, pyrotechnics and yes even magic to accomplish their goals. War has no rules.
Now does Ninjutsu still exsist? Let me address the term Ninjutsu. The pre-fix Nin, meaning to endure. Ninjutsu meaning the art of stealth and invisibility, the stealer in. At any given time in history all nations at war have utilized information gathering techniques, as well as stealth and assassination. The Koreans had the Sulsa or Harang Warriors; China had the Mushen Naren and even the US having Green Beret and Seal groups. The training that was synonymous with the Ninja though began almost at birth, so one was born into a ninja clan. The training was intense and unwavering in its purpose, to survive. And yes near superhuman abilities was possible when coupled with the unused portions of the brain thru mental and spiritual exercises.
The days of this type of fortitude and dedication as a warrior are long gone, but we can still practice to honor its tradition.
Martialforce.com: On a different subject, how did you get involved in Magic?
DAVID RICHARDSON: I was fascinated with magic like any child at the age of 11. But it wasn’t until my Mother gave me a magic set for Christmas that the fascination turned into something else. Magic became a bonafide self-expression for me and needless to say it did not help with the ladies, lol. I pretty much became a geek but I took pride in being different, unique.
Martialforce.com: Earlier you used the term (Student of life) can you give us your meaning to these words?
DAVID RICHARDSON: Life to me is just one big college course. I look at everything, everyone and every experience as an opportunity to learn. Bruce Lee talked about emptying your cup, meaning how are you going to learn new things if the space in your cup is already cluttered? Some martial artist strive to be called Master this and Grandmaster that. These titles were traditionally bestowed upon you by your students, not meant to be a self-proclaimed title. Im a Student of Life, I seek knowledge.
Martialforce.com: What in your experience defines a good martial Arts practitioner?
DAVID RICHARDSON: Someone who keeps an open mind and learns to adapt to any given situation. He or she trains for real life situations and is of service to mankind. He is humble with good character and moral turpitude. He understands that the worse enemy he will ever have to face in life is himself, the Ego. He strives to be a well rounded individual, training Mind, Body and Spirit. His chosen Art lives and speaks thru him/ her. I must train harder.
Martialforce.com: What is your opinion on the controversy surrounding ninjutsu?
DAVID RICHARDSON: There is controversy in everything, this is good this is evil, this is real this is not; what ever endeavor in life you will find this. The popularity of Ninjutsu was at its heights during the 80's, In the 70's it was Kung Fu, in the 60's Judo, in the 90's Jujitsu and now 2000 it is MMA. Of course this is basically all about evolution, but to comment on Ninjutsu there has been much within its own ranks.
There was many folks who jumped on the bandwagon during 80's to capitalize on the Ninjutsu-Boom. These characters took advantage of the popularity of Ninjutsu for profit. Meanwhile the essence, true and authentic art existed centuries before that. The two most popular ryus, Iga and Koga, were just logistically on the opposite sides of a mountain in Japan. (keep in mind there were many more than these two) One group claiming to be the only living and authentic Ryu. My travels to Japan would prove that to be false. Even within the Ranks of one Ryu you have instructors who discredit one another. So you see unfortunately controversy is quite universal. I say, "The Way is in the Training" Musashi (The Book of Five Rings).
Martialforce.com: What are the characteristics of a good instructor?
DAVID RICHARDSON: He or she is able to allow themselves to be a perfect conduit for the art, allowing students to receive, understand and express the same art. He knows that students learn differently from one another whether it be visual, audio or tactile, and the instructor intuitively adapts to this in his teaching. He serves as a living example on and off the mat, constantly mindful that he is still a teacher even outside of the dojo.
Martialforce.com: Do you have any long or short-term plans in regards to teaching or any aspect of your training?
DAVID RICHARDSON: Yes I hope to start teaching again soon but at this point in my life im enjoying being a student again. Aikido and Kenjutsu are of interest to me so I may pursue them as well.
Martialforce.com: Do you have any plans to do any videos or possibly write a book in regards to your experiences and life?
DAVID RICHARDSON: I began writing my autobiography years ago but got side tracked. Perhaps soon I will continue. Or give the material to you,...hint, lol.
Martialforce.com: If you had to summarize what Martial Arts training has given you in your life, what would that be?
DAVID RICHARDSON: My Training has taken me around the world; it’s provided a confidence and foundation in my life I can always fall back on. The training is a constant reminder that I have a responsibility to my fellow man and to myself to be the best I can be, to help others. My awareness level borders to the extreme, quoting Musashi, "Perceive the thing that cannot be seen". Being a martial artist is more than just physicality’s, these mental and spiritual aspects are what im concentrating on, not forgetting my physical training of course. I realize im on a quest, with the awakening providing an understanding and enlightenment to the world around me; It’s a great feeling.
Martialforce.com: Do you have any words of inspiration that you can give the children or anyone reading this that have given up on life?
DAVID RICHARDSON: Take the first step; every journey begins with that first step. Your destiny is what you make it, take charge of it. Believe in yourself and strive for excellence. The sky is the limit and your life is what you make it. Seek knowledge and truth. THANK YOU.
Martialforce.com: Thank you for accepting my invitation to interview you and we here at Martialforce.com wish you continued success in life.
DAVID RICHARDSON: Thank you sir, for this opportunity to express my thoughts.