Harry Cook

[JohnASE]

I'm stunned. I just heard about this from this thread. Thank you, Karate Forums. My sympathies go out to everyone involved. I've heard that Harry Cook and his wife are very nice people. I feel worse for the girl, of course, but I feel bad for them, too.

I don't think this will have a big impact on the martial art community. I don't mean to belittle anything, but I don't think it's big news. It's rare, but things like this happen. I've heard of sexual harassment and even a rape and murder before. If he weren't Harry Cook, we probably wouldn't even be talking about this. It was half a world away from most of us.

Relationships and marriages are WAY more common. I couldn't begin to tell you how many senseis I know that met their wives at the dojo, whether they were students or dojo moms. I would hope that the dojo will continue to be a place where things like this can happen.

Shizentai, thank you for sharing your experience and your prospective. I hope it helps others to deal with similar situations and/or to understand the impact something like this can have on someone's life.

[Tengu]

I knew Harry Cook for well over a decade and was a student of his and I cannot begin to state my disgust for what he has admitted he has done.

I cannot imagine how his family are feeling.

My thoughts go out to the brave young woman who has brought these charges which have hopefully put an end to any future abuses of children.

Here are the two newspaper reports issued so far:-

http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/news/news-at-a-glance/karate-instructor-in-court-1.837648?referrerPath

http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/news/news-at-a-glance/sent-for-sentence-1.839735?referrerPath

He was due to be sentenced last Friday 17th of June 2011 but due to two more people coming forwards a further eight charges being made against him and it has been postponed while further investigations are made.

[Dobbersky]

Dare I say (as a Christian I will not judge him), it shows and proves that senior graded martial artists are people too, they have similar strengths and weaknesses too.

From reading and speaking to martial artists all over the world some tend to hold their Dai Shihan/Soke/Kaicho/Kancho/Sosai/Arjan/Shifu as a type of demi-god they're not, they're just people!

People are shocked because they put him on a pedestal where he was considered without fault!

I'd still buy his book if Shotokan was my Ryu.

Osu!!!

[jae]

You'd still buy the book of a confessed paedophile... and help provide him with an income ? From someone who preached the ' tenets ' of karate whilst at the same time preying on children to satisfy his sick lusts, in my book ( sic ), it totally invalidates anything he has ever done.

He spent many years studying, training and living in Asia.... GOD knows what he got up to...

jae.

[Zaine]

You'd still buy the book of a confessed paedophile... and help provide him with an income ? From someone who preached the ' tenets ' of karate whilst at the same time preying on children to satisfy his sick lusts, in my book ( sic ), it totally invalidates anything he has ever done.

He spent many years studying, training and living in Asia.... GOD knows what he got up to...

jae.

Does his personal life affect the truth value of his argument? Don't let someone's bad personal life get in the way of learning something that could genuinely help you.

[Dobbersky]

I just want to add, an instructor no matter what age they are should treat the students, no matter what age they are, like their own children an therefore this shpuld make them think.

It should be treated the same as school teachers and it should have a code that Instructors should not date their own students or those of a Dojo within their organisation!!!

It should also be one of the questions asked when having security checks. Its not ok for a College Lecturer to date Students, so why is it ok to date Karate students, OSU

[deckerdude]

''Liam o'grady'' , the double european champion. A 4th degree BB.

The story is in The York Press about HIS rape and defilement of a 13 year old girl.

Thankfully the majority of trainers in the Martial Arts are above board.

[bassaiguy]

I knew Cook slightly - trained with him a few times, exchanged some email and historical resources when I was doing my Masters degree and purchased some of his books and one video.

Now, however, I can't watch the DVD - what if the student he is working with on the video is the girl he abused?

That is Cook's legacy, his work is forever tainted in my eyes.

[MasterPain]

I see where you guys are coming from, but from what I understand, he wrote an excellent history of the art of Shotokan, and if i had an interest in that, I'd want to read his book. If I want to improve my boxing, being a short heavy guy, I'd watch Mike Tyson. If I was into whatever it is Martha Stewart does, I'd watch her show.

[still kicking]

jae wrote:

You'd still buy the book of a confessed paedophile... and help provide him with an income ?

If whatever he wrote is so invaluable, maybe anyone who wants to read it could find it in the library. Or steal it. Ha ha, just kidding. Personally I would not spend money on this book if the author would profit from it in any way. If he wanted to show atonement, he could donate any profits from his books and DVDs to organizations that help victims/survivors of sexual abuse. If I knew that was the case, it might change my mind.