Adam Pearce of South Australia's Adelaide Metro Dojo has established himself as a major talent in JKA Australia. Still in his early 20's, he is a very focused and determined Karateka with huge potential. As eager to train in the Dojo as he is to compete, he has shown that he is equally as keen to learn.

Known as a Kumite specialist, Adam is also very proficient in Kata. He achieved his dream of winning the first of what should be many Australasian titles in March 2003 in New Zealand, and on Sunday 26th October he again won both the Mens Open Kumite and Kata titles at the South Australian JKAA championships.

As an indication of his ability, his coaches have said that he can work out a game plan for a fight and execute it almost as planned, this is something that very few Kumite players can do. His performances are exciting and raw and win or lose (which is rare these days) he analyses matches for hours afterwards working out where he can improve.

As you will read, Adam is passionate about his Karate, but his passion doesn't stop there! He holds what must be a world record for smooching in front of an entire JKAA national championships dinner celebration audience, a record he and his girlfriend Tracy (another champion JKAA competitor) are practicing hard to break.

Adam has a very positive and tenacious way about him and he is laying the foundations to be a long-term asset in our association. We hope you enjoy the interview.

Adam, thank you for allowing us to ask some questions for the JKA Victoria website. Firstly, where were you born and what is your family background?
I was born in London. My mother's family is from India and my father is from the United Kingdom.

What do you do for a living?
I am currently studying at University to become a primary school teacher. My specialisation is Physical Education.

How did you get started in Karate?
I used to do Karate when I lived in England. I was about 5 years old. We moved to Australia in 1986 and to Whyalla in 1989. All the kids at school played football, and being a pom, I couldn’t kick one for my life. I heard that there was a Dojo in Whyalla, so in 1990 I started.

So how old were you when you started Karate in Australia?
I was nine years old.

What did you like about it?
Absolutely nothing, I hated going! My folks promised me that when I got my black belt I could get a motor bike. That was my motivation for about 4 years. Everything changed in Kiama NSW 1995. I attended the national seminar and competition and all the other South Australian participants won something except me. I was the only one who returned empty handed. I decided then that I would never let that happen again and started training as often as I could, always trying to be faster and stronger than the champions of the club.

Who was your first Instructor?
My first instructor was Colin Dennis of the Whyalla City Dojo. In about 1992 or 1993 the two Whyalla clubs merged and Sensei Bob Hedger took over. I owe a lot to the both of them, especially Sensei Bob.

What did you expect training to be like?
I can't really remember. I thought I would be taught to do techniques like Van-Damme or something!

Do you remember your first session?
No I don’t. But I do remember a fat bloke with a thong tan (this probably means that he wore thongs so much he had marks on his feet where the sun tanned his skin around the straps, Ed) who used to fart all the time (this is why Adam is now so adept at Tai-Sabaki or Body Evasion). I also recall crapping myself with the news that Takahashi Shihan was coming for gradings.

Are any of your early training partners still around?
Yeh, Ian Watson, Anya McArdle, Trent Mcardle, Heidi Voight and Neil James.

Where do you train now and who is your instructor?
I train in at the Adelaide Metro Dojo under Sensei Dion Risborg. I have been in Adelaide since March 2000.

What is your normal training routine?
We have classes Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 7-9pm. They consist of about 1 hour of Kihon, and the other hour on Kumite and Kata. Before competitions, my girlfriend Tracy Fitzgerald and I get to training about 2 hours early to work on developing our Kumite and Kata.

Are you working at improving any particular technique(s) at the moment?
I try to improve as many techniques as possible while training, but at the moment I am working on keeping my fists tight (a bad, bad habit - thanks Sensei Walter!) and moving quicker through my stances. I am also working on my kicking speed outside of the Dojo.

Do you pay attention to your diet?
Yeh, I eat a lot of protein and carbohydrates. I 'try' to keep fatty food away as much as possible.

What about supplements, have you tried any special additions to your diet?
I take a multi-vitamin every morning, Creatine Monohydrate and whey protein powders.

You do some serious weight training. Why do you do this and what do you think it does to help your Karate?
I really enjoy weight training. I have always been naturally thin, and have wanted to become a little bigger and stronger. It probably slows me down, but I try to get a balance between my weight and Karate training, so that I minimise this happening.

What other kind of other training do you do to assist with Karate?
Before competition, I do plyometric work to assist with explosive movements, and also ride my bike about 150kms a week (to and from uni) to develop endurance and prepare my legs for the endless laps of the hall kicking the pads! I also try to integrate training into my everyday activities as much as possible, in any way that I can find.

Do you teach?
Only when there is a new person wanting to join. I show them the basic blocks, punches, stances etc and prepare them for Gohon Kumite, so that they can join in the class half way through. I also teach when Sensei Dion can't make it to the Dojo.

Is your routine different from say 2 years ago?
Definitely! I always get motivation to improve some aspect of my training from the Dojo, seminars, competitions and international competitions. I consider my weak points at the time and work to remedy them.

What did it mean to you becoming the JKA Australasian champion earlier this year?
From that time at Kiama in 1995, it was all I had ever wanted. The feeling was and still is indescribable. I remember looking at the 'big guns' in my first few national championships; Walter Stark, Brad Hoffman, Michael Ettingshausen, Rui Diz, Cory Parker, Michael Shaylor, Andrew Carey, and being amazed (and I still am) at their focus, skill and amazingly awesome Karate. Walter who was so calm, yet sharp and responsive, Brad who used to scare me shitless, the strength of Michael, the natural ability of Rui, the hardness of Cory and Michael (Shaylor), and the tactically amazing Andrew. I used to dream of being like them, hoping that one day I could make it to the finals and win the Kumite. Thanks for your inspiration guys. You are still my 'Australian Idols'!

Did you prepare differently this year, either mentally or physically?
I've been trying a lot of different mental approaches over the last few years regarding my state of mind during Kumite. These have been relaxing while fighting, visualising myself winning, focusing on the opponents energy, not thinking of winning but not losing etc. I find that these do not yet come natural to me and I still have to think of them while I fight. I think I finally found a comfortable state of mind this year, which came on the second day of competition in Taupo. Physically, Tracy and I trained about 20 hrs a week leading up to the event, in and out of the Dojo.

As the man to beat, do you feel in a better position or would you rather the spotlight was not on you?
I believe that in JKAA there are many quality opponents, who are also the ones that have to be beaten to make it to the top. I am happy with either position, as I learn a lot from all of my competition experiences. There is always pressure to perform, but that makes it all more worthwhile and enjoyable!

What other sports have taken your interest?
I used to play football and basketball, which I still enjoy. I also go water-skiing in the summer, and Tracy is trying to teach me to ride her horse!

Who are the Karate people (if any) that have influenced you so far and why?
There are so many! Takahashi Shihan for the man that he is, and all that he has done for myself and JKAA, Sensei's Nishimura, Walter Stark, Lutie van den Berg, Bob Hedger, Dion Risborg and Ian Watson for their endless knowledge, support and guidance, Sensei Mark Willis for his dedication, Karate and ability to train like a demon after a hard night, Sensei Michael Ettingshausen, who I dreamed of competing against in the finals for many years, the Aussie squad for their amazing abilities and personalities, the Kiwis and their relentless Gassuku spirit, my girlfriend Tracy Fitzgerald who always bags me when I'm looking tired in the Dojo, and the late Sensei Jeff Green for the amazing man and friend that he was. (Jeff recently passed away, click here to read our tribute, Ed).

Is there someone in particular you have tried to emulate?
Often there are times when I say "I wish I had kicks like him…the speed of that person…could do that technique as effectively as they did". These always give me motivation to improve these aspects of my training. As for a specific person, there are many.

Do you come from a sporting family?
Not sporting, but physically active. My father Dave Pearce was a British Paratrooper, and I have a cousin who is a soldier in the British Royal Marines.

Do any other family members train in JKA Karate?
My two sisters, Heather and Laura Pearce are both ranked JKA Shodan and so is my step Father Chris Lowings. My Father reached 5th Kyu.

You appear very focused when competing. Do you do any kind of mental training or do you use any techniques to keep you that way?
I try to get myself into a state of mind that suits my physical abilities and maximises my potential for winning. I use this in the Dojo when doing Kihon, Kata and Kumite, so that it becomes natural when competing.

Without divulging any trade secrets, in terms of Kumite, what do you think are your weaknesses?
I have HEAPS! Having pre-conceived ideas is probably one of the aspects I would like to change most.

What do you think are your stronger points?
That I have a lot of people to learn from, and hopefully another 15 years of competition.

Do you enjoy competing?
It is one of the two greatest feelings a man can experience… (the other is visiting the beautiful state of Victoria, Ed)

Do you get nervous in the time approaching a competition?
Yeh, but I try to transform the nervous energy and adrenalin into positive energy.

How did you handle your approach to a big event?
I use a lot of positive self talk, and believe in my abilities. I also train specifically to improve competition aspects of my Karate; working on reflexes, turning quickly, go-no-sen and sen-no-sen, (these are Japanese terms for particular fighting strategies, Ed) agility and things like that. We also worked on Kihon a lot.

Who do you think of as your major rivals in Australia?
Everyone. Obviously some have better capabilities than others, but if I only focus on a select few, then my mind is weak for the others.

So far, what has been your most memorable match?
Shoto World Cup 2000, Japan. I fought a huge Belgian bloke, drew, and dislocated my finger (those bloody weak fists) continued, but got beaten.

Like most players, you've unintentionally hurt a few of your opponents. What goes through your mind when an opponent goes down?
I try not to get distracted by the situation and stay focused on my goal. I also hope he is not seriously injured, and that I don’t get Hansoku.

Are you affected by people's reputations? By that, I mean going into tournaments, do you concern yourself with what you have heard about someone?
I try not to be. Obviously if they like a certain technique I will make a mental note, but I find that if I am affected it's either in a positive or negative way (depending on the person) which has an affect on the way I fight.

Do you have trouble with certain opponents compared to others, ie big, small etc?
Sometimes I have trouble, as there are factors that I consider, like reach, speed etc. It's all good though because I get experience fighting these types of people and learn a lot about them and myself.

If you had a message for JKAA referees, what would it be?
Keep up the great work! Lets get to the international stage!

You have had a lot of success in Kata as well as in Kumite. Do you prefer one to another?
No. I like the excitement and adrenalin rush of Kumite and dynamics and beauty of Kata. Both are equally important to me.

What is your favourite Kata and why?
I like Sochin because of the soft and strong sequences. Other favourites include Unsu, Empi and Kanku-dai.

Everybody has things their body is well-suited for in Karate and vice-versa, what have you found particularly hard in general training and is there anything you find not so hard?
I find that I often forget the small things I want to work on, like my fists and turning on my heels, and I start concentrating on going harder and faster. I'm then reminded about these small points and get angry with myself. I also have a few ongoing injuries that often give me trouble, and I have to back off or something will go again. These are some of the most frustrating aspects of Karate for me. Over the years, techniques, body position and other such things come natural to people, so I guess a few things are natural for me now. I just have to keep trying to improve them.

I know it is early days, but what do you think would be a good age to retire from competition Karate?
Whenever Takahashi Shihan tells me to! I'd like to compete for as long as possible but I also want to be skilled at judging as well. Maybe retire at around 40.

What about judging or coaching, would you be interested in either of these some day?
Absolutely. I've had experience judging in competitions before and I loved it. I found that I learned a lot about Karate through the analysis and judgement of peoples techniques. As for coaching, it would be a dream to coach the National Squad some day.

What do you want to do in the future in Karate?
I want to be able to perfect my technique, run my own Dojo, represent Australia as many times as possible, learn as much about Karate as I can, especially Bunkai and technical points and of course, win the Shoto World Cup. I would also like to be on the JKAA National Committee one day and live and train in Japan. Being a teacher, I intend to implement a course devised for schools by Sensei Dion at my school. There are many things that I want to do, but in time, hopefully I can accomplish most of them.

Have you thought about doing Karate for a living?
Many times. I have had numerous talks with different Sensei's and their ideas about it. It is definitely something I would love to do. I shall look into it once I have finished my degree.

JKAA has produced some good kumite players but as yet, no world champions. Do you think you can change this and realistically how far away do you think you are from having a good go at it?
The big picture in my training is to perfect my Karate. But I also train with the intention of becoming a world champion, which provides me with the motivation to perfect my Karate. It's kind of like a big circle. Realistically, I want to be one of the top four competitors in the world for the rest of my competition career.

What do you think it will take for the Australian JKA team to win a world title?
I think that there are many Karateka in Australia that have a good chance of becoming world champion. Technically, we are equal, if not better, to some of the best countries in the world. I am absolutely certain that the National Squad will be a force to reckon with at the next Shoto Cup and others to come. We have the skill and many talented instructors and coaches to show the world that JKA Australia is the greatest Karate nation, and will produce many world champions. I know myself that the atmosphere at the World Championships is awesome yet nerve-racking. We just need to believe in our abilities.

What do you think JKA Karate can offer people looking for a new sport or activity?
JKA is an art form, a way of life. That is what makes it great, it can be adapted to any person, and benefit them in whatever way they want to be benefited. It has its connections with sport, for those looking for it, and introduces all of its participants to a whole new way of life and living. JKA Australia and New Zealand is the only organisation I know of that is one big family. It's great, as everyone knows, to get together at seminars and catch up with your good mates. Once a person develops these relationships, both nationally and internationally, they never ever regret being a member of JKA.

Without sounding cliché, it seems that the youth culture of today is very assertive and often violent (music, movies etc) given this, do you think JKA Karate is attractive to younger people?
Unfortunately that's true. Being, I believe, the strongest and most traditional Karate and martial art, we often get people coming to our Dojo who just want to learn to beat people up. They are not training with the true spirit of Karate-do, and hence do not have the patience nor the will to learn the foundations of etiquette and character development that JKA Karate is renowned for. This behaviour will always be a part of some people, and their reason for training. On the other hand, we have had parents who have looked at various styles and claimed that they will not have their child or children train anywhere else. It depends on the individual and their purpose for training.

The average person's idea of Karate is often quite different to reality. If the subject comes up, do you like to talk to people and explain what you do?
Give me a couple of drinks and I'll babble for ages! Nah, seriously, I love Karate. I share this with others if they are genuinely interested.

Does the Dojo Kun and general Karate etiquette mean anything to you?
It is the essence of a happy and successful life.

Do you think Karate training has something for everyone?
Off course! Whatever a person's reason for training, they can accomplish it if they are true to themselves and their goals. It is one of the great things about Karate.

No doubt you've been frustrated by injuries, what do you think is the best approach to training with an injury?
Firstly, recovery is most important. Seek professional advice. To train at your absolute best, your body must be at it's absolute best. If the injury is present while training, inform your instructor, or take it easy.

You've trained in Japan, what were your impressions?
Absolutely awesome! I'm hanging to get back there and train again. I want to thank all who gave me the opportunity to do this. OSS!

Any lingering memories?
The Aoyama Gasshuku. We trained 6 hours a day for about 4 days, and it was unreal. Good hard Karate. The spirit from the Aussies, Kiwis and Japanese was truly magnificent. "COME ON AUSSIES!! COME ON KIWIS!!" It would have to be seen to be believed. I am so proud to be a part of that training. Other memories include the extensive Kumite training, giving myself ice burn (I'm not the brightest spark) the chicken drinking game, beer vending machines, endless green tea, sea urchins, throwing jelly fish at each other, and everyone visiting the Eiheji Temple with the worst hang over! Also, developing more great friendships, these were some of the greatest moments of my life.

Did your Karate improve after visiting Japan?
I hope so. I learnt a lot about myself from that trip.

Have you ever trained with another Karate group or style?
I cant remember what they style of Karate was that I did (as a 5 year old) in England. I have trained a few times with members of the Australian AKF Karate team, and competed in their state titles.

Have you tried any other Martial Arts?
I attended one lesson of Fudoshin, as a friend was doing it and he persuaded me to come and have a look. Nothing else that I can remember.

Have you ever used unusual training methods such as music, special equipment etc?
I use ankle and wrist weights to improve the strength and speed of the muscles associated with kicking and punching. Tracy also has a "Slam man" which we use for Kumite training. Other than that, it's the common mits and pads that are used. I also had a makiwara, and try to skip a lot.

Do you think your Karate will change much in the future?
I hope so. I want to keep improving all aspects of my training, especially some of the main things I want to work on, like bad habits. I also hope to be more technically literate. The experiences that are yet to come always provide new avenues for learning.

If your Karate life was a clock and midnight was the time when you became a real master, what would be the time on the clock for you now?
I don’t really know. I don’t believe that one can master ALL of Karate, as the learning is an endless process. I believe that if the time I became a master was an old man, then I am still a twinkle in my father's eye.

Do you ever get bored with Karate?
No. Throughout the different levels and aspects of training there are always things that I need to improve.

What do you do in your spare time? Any other big interests outside of the Dojo?
I don’t have any spare time! With my study and training, I'm pretty much flat out. I love listening to music (Dream Theater, Symphony X, Blind Guardian, Angra) mostly progressive metal.

In your opinion, what is the most important thing about Karate training?
The ultimate aim; The Perfection of Character.

What do you think the future holds for JKA in Australia?
Big, big things. The standard is continually improving. We have an exceptional Chief Instructor, Takahashi Shihan, and instructors with more knowledge and dedication than you can poke a stick at. I believe the size of our country is an asset to our organisation. The more we can spread JKA Karate, the stronger we will become. Our evolution will be exceptional.

Adam, thanks very much for taking the time to answer our questions finally, more than anything, what has JKA Karate training given you?
Like many other Karateka I know, JKA Karate is my life. I would be hollow if I were without it. The amazing relationships that I have developed across different nations with numerous Karateka is a gift that can never be bought. The knowledge I have gained of Karate and life is priceless. I am forever indebted to those who have taught, supported and helped me with my Karate career. Without you, I would not have experienced the greatest moments of my life. Also, a big thank-you to JKA Victoria for allowing me the honour of this interview. See you all on the next trip…OSS!

Adam can be contacted on adamravipearce@hotmail.com

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Reproduced with the kind permission of Adam Pearce.
Copyright © Japan Karate Association of Australia (Victoria) Limited 2003