Benjamin LAMBERT
Interview professor URKDE
-1/Nom, First name, Age, Profession ?
LAMBERT Benjamin, 42 years, Youth service manager
-2/How did you get into Uechi-Ryu karate? ?
By chance. Always passionate about martial arts (Bruce Lee's films, Vandamme…), I started with aikido. I stopped when I got to high school. Then I met my teacher at the time (Jean Smith) because I had his children at the leisure center. It matched well, I tried, I stayed 😊.
-3/Do you have a favorite kata and especially why? ?
Seiryu. It's a short kata, dynamic which starts very strong in my opinion.
-4/Advice for continuing in the practice of Uechi-Ryu ?
Eating other things, and get back to basics. Open your horizons without spreading yourself too thin.
-5/What does practicing karate bring? ?
I think it’s a good HUMAN education tool.. I see this especially in children., who need not only a framework but also to see that they can achieve it, no matter where they come from. But this is also valid for adults.
It’s also quite therapeutic during life’s tough times..
-6/Where and how do you see yourself in 10 years ?
Ahh… in the sun I hope! But I don't know if I'll still teach. I am with the public all year round as part of my work as well, and I admit that it is very energy consuming.
-7Why do you teach ? As I said above, It’s a great educational tool for me.. And I also think that there was something for me of “taking over, to transmit… ". And it has always been a good complement and a logical extension of my profession, see young people in a different setting. Animation helps me in teaching karate, and vice versa.
-8/What did you like? ? What made you love martial arts? ? What pushed you and continues to push you to continue ?
The rich history of these disciplines, I think it shaped part of the man I am, the teacher you have is also very important I believe in staying in a dojo. It goes a little beyond simple practice.
-9/A strength and a weakness ? How do you work on them ?
The love I have for this “universe”. And a weakness... the lack of personal time... and therefore of personal practice... so I go around in circles a bit...
-10/What do you want to continue to progress? ?
That’s a good question… Which I’m asking myself right now… I think I’d just like to start practicing again for myself, and take a short break from teaching. And do other things that “have nothing to do” to feed me other things (escalade, archery, I don't know…)
Thank you Ben for sharing this !