Sensei Kenny Kuch

Kenneth W. Kuch
9/7/1949 - 2/25/2010

Four years ago tomorrow my dear friend and karate Sensei Kenny Kuch passed away at a too-young age of 61 years.  

Today I'll honor his spirit by sharing a poem I wrote and read to him on his 55^th birthday at the end of a hard dojo workout.

Sensei Kenny Kuch was a tough guy of sorts and one to not show his soft and tender side.  To this day I swear I saw a tear in his eye as I gave him a copy of this poem after reading it to him.  I’ll never know for sure and, quite frankly, it really doesn’t matter.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KUCH SENSEI

　

Happy Birthday Kuch Sensei, it's another year,

Hope you have a great day, full of cheer,

We appreciate and admire your Gosoku-ryu,

And a unique way of instruction only you can do,

Training always begins with dojo kun,

We meditate knowing warm-ups will be soon,

Then you guide us with some basic kihon,

Perfecting our techniques as if they were your own,

Often after kihon we'll have kata training,

The intensity will have us sweating as if it was raining,

Your instruction always includes kumite,

Hard & fast techniques in the Gosoku-ryu way,

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, day in and day out,

Always present to instruct us, we never have doubt,

Our training with you has made us well prepared,

To seek perfection of character and never be scared,

You are a karateka guided by principle,

Your years of training have made you invincible.

We'll continue training, until we are smooth and old,

Maybe a little slower, but still strong and bold,

For your 55th birthday, we wish you well,

An invite to your 56th would sure be swell.

We'd like to thank you for letting us be your friend,

It’s something that we will be right to the very end.

A young Kenny Kuch center with International Karate Association (IKA) legend Val Mijailovic left and Dr. Tom Grubbs right after a hard dojo workout at the IKA Hollywood/Sunset dojo circa 1983-1985.  

Yes today I'm fondly remembering my departed dear friend Sensei Kenny Kuch.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum