The Story About Kevin

By Christopher Caile

For years I taught karate at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Of all the students I have had, perhaps the one that has given me the greatest joy was the one I least expected. And he proved to be a great teacher as well. The story of Kevin goes right to the root of the concept of karate-do. While most people think students of karate are tough and well coordinated, it is not always so. If the practice of karate can develop and aid in personal and spiritual self-improvement, then shouldn’t karate be able to benefit more people than just those who are already strong?

I was stretching one evening just before the karate class I instructed in the University’s athletic center when a young bearded man in a wheel chair wheeled over to me and said something.

“Kaaan ah stuuuudeee Kaa raah ahhhh te?” he asked.

Later I found out that his voice and body coordination had been distorted by the effects of cerebral palsy he had since birth. At the time I had to listen several times to understand that what he was asking was whether he could study karate with us in class. I had to think for a few seconds, for I had never worked with a handicapped student much less one in a wheelchair. When I replied I said, “sure you can study, but only if you help yourself and if you fall you will have to get up yourself.” He seemed surprised. He later told me that he had tried to join many other activities but had always been turned down. He had been especially sure no one would teach him karate. But Kevin did study with us. At the beginning of every class he pulled himself out of the wheelchair and with his legs bent inward, arms waving for balance, he began. His movements were uncoordinated and often he fell, but he would get up and keep trying. Later he thanked me for not trying to help him. He explained that by treating him equally it made him feel he belonged.

Day by day the changes were almost imperceptible, but over time the change was noticeable. His balance improved along with his coordination, strength and even his speech. He began to come to class early in order to practice walking up and down the stairs within the athletic arena. Not only did this help his coordination but it strengthened his legs. Kevin explained that exercise was especially important for those with cerebral palsy because without it, as people aged the body could quickly deteriorate. At Christmas time his second year I got a holiday card from Kevin. It was perhaps the most memorable one I have ever received. In large, uneven letters, across the inside was the message: “Thank you for letting me try.”

Although Kevin is still handicapped physically, his spirit is tremendous. He also has a sharp wit and sense of humor although his speech difficulties often hide it. Two years ago, after more than eight years of practice, he traveled to our organization’s New York headquarters to test for shodan (first degree black belt). I was so proud. During the promotion he was asked to do a kata before all the other black belts in attendance, around 100. He did, and his movements although awkward and still hesitant were pretty good. Afterwards everyone got to their feet and applauded. What observers didn’t realize is how Kevin measured his own success. He later asked me, “Do you know what I tried to do hardest in my kata?” “No,” I replied. “Just not to fall down,” he said.

Kevin has taught me never to make quick judgments and never to underestimate someone. He has also taught me that each of us is very different and that each has his or her own strengths, weaknesses and goals. Karate helped him become stronger, better coordinated and helped him feel he could fit in and accomplish something he had set out to do. Now he doesn’t always have to use his wheelchair either. Often when he came to class, he left the chair at home and walked to the bus that brought him to campus. Being mostly a solo activity, Karate thus proved to be an excellent form of physical therapy. And in Kevin’s case it also helped him develop spirit and self-discipline. Perhaps it is something that more people with coordination and body control problems could benefit from.

Lest you think Kevin didn’t also learn self-defense, let me relay an incident that occurred on a downtown street in Buffalo. Someone had picked Kevin, a slight man in a wheelchair, as an easy target to rob. But when he tried to grab Kevin’s waist bag, the attacker got the surprise of his life. The victim grabbed back. While pulling the robber forward and down with one hand, Kevin’s other hand in a fist met the attacker in the face. By the time several people from a nearby store reached the pair, the attacker was on his back on the sidewalk with Kevin sitting over him, threatening to hit again.

Last year Kevin demonstrated a bo (six foot wooden stick) kata at a tournament in Ithaca, New York. Afterwards I talked to the audience about Kevin. “If you are a student of karate perhaps you know the motto, ‘If knocked down seven times, get up eight.’ It’s a motto about perseverance. But most of you don’t realize that just to be able to do the simple things like walking and standing we all take for granted, Kevin literally has fallen down thousands of time and gotten up thousands of times — something few of us here would ever be willing to try. He is an example of spirit, someone we can all learn from. So the next time you feel frustrated by something, feel the world is against you, think of Kevin and his spirit. It will make your challenge seem a lot easier.” Right after me another instructor also got up to talk about Kevin and how his efforts inspired him. “When I saw Kevin perform his kata, I started to cry,” the instructor began. But before he could continue Kevin lightened the moment. In a loud voice Kevin asked, “Was it that bad?”

About the Author Christopher Caile

Christopher Caile

Christopher Caile is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of FightingArts.com. He has been a student of the martial arts for over 65 years.

He first started in judo while in college. Then he added karate as a student of Phil Koeppel in 1959 studying Kempo and Wado-Ryu karate. He later added Shotokan Karate where he was promoted to brown belt and taught beginner classes. In 1960 while living in Finland, Caile introduced karate to that country and placed fourth in that nation’s first national judo tournament.

Wanting to further his karate studies, Caile then hitch hiked from Finland to Japan traveling through Scandinavia, Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and South and Southeast Asia — living on 25 cents a day and often sleeping outside.

Arriving in Japan (1962), Caile was introduced to Mas Oyama and his fledgling full contact Kyokushinkai Karate by Donn Draeger, the famous martial artist and historian. Donn also housed him with several other senior international judo practitioners. Donn became Caile’s martial arts mentor, coaching him in judo and introducing him to Shinto Muso-ryu under Takaji Shimizu.

Caile studied at Oyama’s honbu dojo and also at Kenji Kurosaki’s second Tokyo Kyokushinkai dojo. In his first day in class Oyama asked Caile to teach English to his chief instructor, Tadashi Nakamura. They have been friends ever since. Caile also participated in Oyama’s masterwork book, “This Is Karate.”

Caile left Japan with his black belt and designation as Branch Chief, the first in the US to have had extensive training in Japan directly under Oyama Sensei. As such, Oyama Sensei asked him to be his representative on visits to his US dojos to report on their status.

A little over a year later, Nakamura, Kusosaki and Akio Fujihira won an epic David vs. Goliath challenge match against Thailand’s professional Muay Thai Boxers in Bangkok, Thailand, thrusting Kyolushinkai and Nakamura into national prominence.

Back in the US Caile taught Kyokushinkai karate in Peoria, Il while in college and later in Washington, DC. while in graduate school. Durimg this time Shihan Nakamura had moved to New York City to head Kyokushinkai’s North American Operation.

In 1976 when Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura formed the World Seido Karate organization, Caile followed. Living then in Buffalo, NY, Caile taught Seido karate and self-defense at the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo) for over 15 years where he also frequently lectured on martial arts and Zen in courses on Japanese culture.

Caile moved to New York City in 1999 to marry Jackie Veit. He is now an 8th degree black belt, Hanshi, training in Seido Karate’s Westchester, NY Johshin Honzan (Spiritual Center) dojo. In Seido Caile is known for his teaching of and seminars on kata applications. He also produced a 14 segment video series on Pinan kata Bunkai currently available to Seido members.

Caile is also a long-time student and Shihan in Aikido. He studied in Buffalo, under Mike Hawley Shihan, and then under Wadokai Aikido’s founder, the late Roy Suenaka (uchi deshi under Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido and was Shihan under Tohei Sensei). In karate, Suenaka (8thdan) was also an in-house student of the Okinawan karate master Hohan Soken.

Having moved to New York City, Caile in 2000 founded this martial arts educational website, FightingArts.com. Twenty-five years later, in 2025, it underwent a major update and revision.

For FightingArts.com and other publications Caile wrote hundreds of articles on karate, martial arts, Japanese art, Chinese Medicine and edited a book on Zen. He also developed relationships with a cross section of leading martial arts teachers. Over the last four decades he has conducted extensive private research into karate and martial arts including private translations of the once secret Okinawan hand copied and passed on Kung Fu book, the Bubishi, as well as an early karate book by the karate master Kenwa Mabuni. He periodically returns to Japan and Okinawa to continue his studies and participate Seido karate events. In Tokyo he practiced (with Roy Suenaka Sensei) in a variety of aikido organizations with their founders – including private interviews and practices at the Aiki-kai Aikido Honbu dojo with the son and grandson of aikido’s founder, Doshu (headmaster) Kisshomaru (an old uchi-deshi friend) and his son, Moriteru Ueshiba and in Iwama with Morihiro Saito. On Okinawa he studied Goju Ryu karate under Eiichi Miyazato, 10th dan founder of Naha’s Jundokan, and also with Yoshitaka Taira (who later formed his own organization, who specialized in kata Bunkai. While there Caile also trained with Hohan Soken’s senior student, Master Fusei Kise, 10 dan as well as with the grandson of the legendary karate master Anko Itosu.

Caile’s other martial arts experience includes: Diato-ryu Aikijujitsu and Kenjitsu, kobudo, boxing, Muay Thai, MMA, Kali (empty hand, knife and bolo), study of old Okinawan Shoran-ryu & Tomari body mechanics, study of old Okinawan kata under Richard Kim, study of close quarter defense and combat, including knife and gun defenses, Kyusho Jitsu and several Chinese fighting arts including 8 Star Praying Mantis, Pak Mei (White Eyebrow), and a private family system of Kung Fu.

Caile is also a student of Zen as well as a long-term student of one branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chi Kung (Qigong). As one of two senior disciples of Chi Kung master Dr. Shen (M.D., Ph.D.) Caile was certified to teach and practice. This led to Caile’s founding of the The Chi Kung Healing Institute on Grand Island, NY. In Western NY, he also frequently held Chi Kung seminars, including at SUNY Buffalo and at the famous Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, NY. His articles on Chi Kung also appeared in the Holistic Health Journal and in several books on alternative medicine.

Caile holds a BA in International Studies from Bradley University and MA in International Relations with a specialty in South and Southeast Asia from American University in Washington, D.C. While in Buffalo, NY he also studied digital and analog electronics.

In his professional life Caile also worked in public relations and as a newspaper reporter and photographer. Earlier he worked in the field of telecommunications including Managing a Buffalo, NY sales and service branch for ITT. He then founded his own private telephone company. This was followed by creation of an electrical engineering company that designed and patented his concept for a new type of low-cost small business telephone system (which was eventually sold to Bell South). The company also did contract work for Kodak and the US space program. Simultaneously Caile designed and manufactured a unique break-apart portable pontoon boat.

Most recently Caile co-founded an internet software company. Its products include software suites with AI capability for control and management of streaming media, such as video and music, an all-in-one book publishing software product for hardcover, eBook and audio book creation and security software for buildings and government use.

For more details about Christopher Caile’s martial arts, work experience and life profile, see the About section in the footer of this site.