In Memorium: Ten Carr (September 2005, Zimbabwe)

We are very sad to have heard of the passing of Ten Carr in September 2005. He was a great teacher and disciple of the martial arts.

Angus trained with Ten in 1993/4. It was during this time when he was training, Sankukai 4 nights a week, Kyokoshinkai 2 nights a week, that there was a free day on a Saturday. This prompted him to look for somewhere to train and learn. All paths pointed towards Ten Carr’s class on a Saturday afternoon. Numerous martial arts teachers recommended him as complementary to Karate as he taught a martial form of Tai Chi/Wu Shu. Ten had also trained in Judo and Aikido.

Ten Carr’s class was always conducted in the open regardless of the weather. He did not believe in training in a hall and wanted to be close to nature. Such was the nature of the man known as Ten. Although Angus was primarily a Karateka he learn’t a great deal from Ten and this was his introduction to the internal martial arts. Angus still actively incorporates Ki (Chi Gong) exercises into the class where breathing and relaxation techniques are practiced after the initial warm up consisting of traditional Karate exercise such as pushups, situps, squats and stretching. Ten’s class consisted of a variety of formats and one was never sure what to expect from this class. Some days it would be very focussed on Chi Gong and meditation/breathing techniques. Other days you would arrive to find an obstacle course of logs upon which traditional stance and technique would be practiced. There was no charge for attending his class. There was a box within which one could discretely place a contribution. He felt this as fairer as it would not restrict his teaching to those who could afford it.

Above all else though, Angus will remember Ten for his “philosophical ramblings”, many of which were questioned, but several of which were accepted and learnt from. However, Angus believes, the more controversial were designed to be exactly that and not necessarily to be accepted. These took place after the class when everyone sat down for a cup of tea. Some of the most notable sayings/teachings were involved with promoting open thinking and included statements such as:
- “If you sit on a wet rock you will get piles” – Ten would go onto explain that if this was what you believed then it would happen. He would explain that we are taught to think and programmed from birth in how to do things. He placed a particular emphasis on the tv’s influence on our thinking. He wished us to question the conventional and not just take what was said as fact but develop our own “wisdom” based on what we are taught seen through a completely analytical eye.

I am deeply saddened by the passing of the great teacher and would love to have had just one more session & discussion. However, his teachings live on with his students all over the world.