Interview by Clement Rosen, Trevor Day School Student

Karate Zine: Exclusive Interview with Karate Instructor, Howard Latting, a 6th degree black belt with the World Martial Arts Association

Your interviewer, Clement Rosen, of “Karate Zine”, spoke to Howard after a Taekwondo class on Friday, January 6, 2006.

CR: “So, what got you interested in karate?”

HL: “I saw a Taekwondo demonstration when I was going around looking at possible high schools that I would attend, and I was so inspired by it, I knew the instant I saw it that that’s what I wanted to do. It was the reason that I enrolled in my high school. because I wanted to practice Taekwondo.”

CR: “Who was your instructor?”

HL: “My Instructor from the first day was always Dr. Michael Dealy. We had a moderator at the club, Kenneth Alwon, and I think you know Kenny as well. He’s a 6th degree black belt. And, he was there teaching the class during weekdays, and Dr. Dealy was there every Friday and we made a quick friendship, and I traveled with him all in the tri-state area practicing Taekwondo with him.”

CR: “What level was Dealy then?”

HL: “He was a 4th degree black belt. That was 1979.”

CR: “Did you like karate at first, or, why not?”

HL: “I loved it instantly. I knew that was what I wanted to do. I loved it because it was so engrossing, because it was so total. It was something I was looking for all my life. I was looking for something to train not just one of my talents, but all of them together.”

CR: “How did you feel when you got your yellow belt. Do you remember?”

HL: “I do. I took my yellow belt test in the same location where the headmaster [Michael Dealy] still teaches his Monday evening classes. And, it was a Sunday afternoon and my parents had to get me down there special, and I was all alone when I took my test. And, I passed my yellow belt test with highest scores and I got to do my sparring with the black belts. And, one of the black belts, who I just took my 6th degree black belt test with, came up to me afterwards and shook my hand and said, ‘You know I can tell, just by watching you today, that you are a lifer. You are somebody that will be practicing Taekwondo your whole life.’ ”

CR: “That turned out to be true. Do you have a country house, a different house?”

HL: “I do! Yes, it is a place that I share with my parents, my family. And, it’s in the Berkshire mountains, just outside of Massachusetts, a little south of Albany.”

CR: “Sort of like the [Dr. Dealy’s] retreat to the mountains?”

HL: “The retreat to the mountains that Dr. Dealy started … his first official camp was 1980 and I’ve been to all the camps since then. But the pilot camp was in 1979 when I first started. And, that place is unlike any place I’ve ever been to. It’s the oldest known forest on the planet. The cabins and everything are very rustic. It feels like a second home to me, because I’ve going there now for 26 years.”

CR: “So, who do you look up to?”

HL: “I look up to many people. I look up to Dr. Dealy. He’s been my friend and mentor my entire life. I also look up to Dr. Charles Fasano. Charlie is one of my closest friends. We went to high school and college together, and we’ve shared many life experiences together, and many marathons and done lots of different things together. I look up to all the 6th degree black belts. These are some of my oldest friends. Some people count themselves lucky if they have only one or two friends that they’ve had for over 25 years, and I have over a dozen!”

CR: “Do you have any future plans? What are they?

HL: “I plan to grow my school. I plan to take Taekwondo not just into the afterschool program, but eventually to have a location where people can come and train with me, not just in their school programs but in my school as well. And to increase the number of black belt students that I have, bring them to an understanding, a greater awareness of what Taekwondo can do for them in their lives. I m planning on doing this for another 20 years professionally. I’ll be doing it right up until I grow old, but probably for another 20 years I’d like to do this teaching. I’d like to travel. I’ve been to London and Paris. I’d like to see Italy.”

CR: “Well, how did you guess my next question? It was, if you could go to a certain place on earth, where would it be?”

HL: “I’ve always said that I’d like to see the Asias. I’d like to see the place where the Taekwondo was created with my teacher. So, if he ever decides to go there, I’d like to travel there with him, just like he did with his teacher.”

CR: “Do you have a T.V. And, if so, what’s your favorite show?

HL: “I do have a T.V., but I tend to watch movies instead of television. When I do watch television, I like to watch the History Channel and Arts and Entertainment, but my absolute favorite show has always been CBS Sunday Morning. It’s been my quiet corner of the week.”

CR: “What are the highlights of your karate career? Please give me at least three.”

HL: “I would say that number one on my list would have to be my 6th degree black belt test that just occurred, because it is such a life transforming experience. It’s hard to describe to people who haven’t reached that, doing something so intensely for 25 years, a quarter of a century.

But, after that I would say that it would have to be my travelling with my teacher and promoting Taekwondo around the country.

And, one of my peak experiences was when I earned my 3rd degree black belt test, and that was quite something.

Also, finishing the marathon, the New York City marathon. I’ve run 15 New York City marathons, and that was because of my teacher too!”

CR: “Cool! So, you got your 6th degree.”

HL: “I just earned my 6th degree black belt in the summer of 2005.”

CR: “Did you have any frightening encounters? Please tell me about one of them.”

HL: “Well, I’ve done many things in my life in my life besides teaching Taekwondo. One of them — I was working at a mental health residence — some of the patients there could get violent and they could attack the counselors that were working there. So, I would teach self-defence to the counselors. And, I had to make a distinction between what we were doing and the self-defence you practice, say, if you were attacked by a criminal, because not only did you have to worry about your own safety, but you had to worry about the safety of the patient too. You had to learn to take care of both yourself and the other person.

CR: “So, if it was a criminal, you’d just go whooshsh, or try to get away.”

HL: “Yes, that could have been pretty scary. I’ve been on the train once where a person came on and pulled out a big knife, but he wasn’t alert. Something was wrong with him, and I was able to escort him off the train without him getting hurt. Another time, I saw some young boys scaring an old man with a knife. They were flicking the switchblade knife in his face and scaring him. I just walked over and smiled at them, picked up the old man and moved him into the next train car with me, and they were very confused and they didn’t attack. So, yeah, I’ve been through a lot of experiences.”

CR: “So, if someone is doing something to another person, you just kindly get the person out of their way.”

HL: “I think that an advanced martial artist is kind of embarrassed to say that he actually had to hit somebody, because that’s kind of like low level. That’s the simplest thing you can do. It’s much harder to dominate the situation with what you intend to happen, take care of yourself and others, and also the other person too, because they’re kind of sick.”

CR: “Have you ever hit someone?”

HL: “Have I ever hit somebody? After I’ve studied Taekwondo? I never really had to. One time when I was a purple belt I was attacked by some children, but I was only 14 years old and the boy came running at me and I just threw a side kick and knocked him down and his friends pulled him away, and I ran home. But that was a long, long time ago.”

CR: “That was very interesting. What do you think is the most important quality of a karate student/master?”

HL: “I have to say the most important quality would be their character, because I’ve met a lot of people who are very strong in their bodies. They have a lot of outer strength, but the inner strength, their character, is something that is much harder to develop, and it makes you much stronger, not only as a person, but as a citizen, and as a member of a family. So, I think it’s more important – your inner strength.”

CR: “I remember in my life issues class I was talking about what character was in a discussion.

HL: “Yes.”

CR: “Have you seen any karate movies? If so, who is your favorite karate actor?”

HL: “I’ve seen all the karate movies at one time or another, either with students, or, when I was younger, by myself, and they all have some value to them. When I was younger, I enjoyed the Bruce Lee movies the most because I admired his explosiveness. He was very explosive.”

CR: “I did some research on Bruce Lee for my Zine project.”