A Bermudian martial arts expert celebrated a milestone when he officiated as an instructor at the home of karate in Japan.

Sensei Bob Smith has been attending the World Budosai karate festival hosted by the International Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate-Do Federation in Okinawa, Japan, since 1991.

However in July, he was asked to attend as an instructor, a feat which came as his greatest achievement since he started his karate training in New York in 1967.

He said it was the first time a Bermudian had been asked to teach at the event, which ran from July 23 to July 27 this year.

Mr Smith, who is the chief instructor at the Academy of Martial Arts, which he founded in Bermuda in 1980, said the forum in Okinawa brought together 750 participants from 45 countries.

He said: “Every four years, I would travel to Okinawa for instructor training because my instructor is there.

“But this year, it was the first time I had been asked to teach and that made it a real milestone for me because all the years I have attending as a participant.”

He said the this year’s event, which is hosted annually at the Okinawa Budokan, was “massive”, although he was hampered by a previous hip operation.

He said: “It affected me just a bit because I was teaching and so I was directing more so than having to demonstrate.”

Asked how he was selected to teach at the festival, he said that the officials in charge of the karate organisation chose instructors from around the world as head instructors.

He added:“ So I guess I made the cut this year because they had instructors from a number of countries such as India, Australia, Sweden, Spain and so forth but it was amazing.”

Mr Smith, an eighth degree black belt, said in the daily routines at the festival, participants were separated according to rank.

He explained: “We had of group of white belts, brown belts, black belts and so forth.

“Then there are degrees in black belts, so we had first degree, then second and third and above and the instructors rotated every hour with the groups.”

He said the rotation ensured each instructor was given an opportunity to teach each colour-coded group.

Mr Smith was accompanied to Okinawa by a contingent of Bermuda black belt-ranked students.

He said: “There is really a large population of martial artists here in Bermuda and even though the festival was open to everybody, a lot of my students couldn’t make it because of other commitments.

“Those that did go, thoroughly enjoyed it because there was so much to do.”

At the conclusion of the festival, the participants usually display their talents at a social event.

Mr Smith said that over the years he had become known in Okinawa for his singing at the social.

This year he sang a song by the group Boys II Men, which he said was well received.

He added: “Karaoke is a huge thing in Japan and so is their culture. There is so much to see.

“Okinawa is the birthplace of karate, it has become one of their major tourist attractions and they actually have travel agents who would set you up with instructors of your choice.”

He said he was impressed by Japan since the country was “very organised” and “strict in their ways”.

Meanwhile, Mr Smith said next June, the International Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate Federation would host its first Caribbean cruise and he was invited to teach karate at the event.

“That is going to be an interesting thing because it's the first time it is ever being done,” he added.

•The Academy of Martial Arts teaches karate to adults and children and hosts corporate self- defence seminars, individual self defence and corporate axe throwing events. For more information, call 505-6038 or e-mail Sensei Smith at bob@martialarts.bm