Havard Albright might not fit everyone’s image of a martial artist. Soft spoken and affable, this high school English teacher has been a serious student of shotokan karate since his own high school days at Jesuit. He began training with Sensei
Mikami in 1984 at the old dojo on Metairie Road. Unfortunately, he had to suspend his formal training when he started college in Pittsburgh as there was no shotokan dojo closer than Philadelphia. Still, he continued to train on his own through college and after when he returned to New Orleans.
Finally, about two years ago, he felt inspired to return to formal training. He had passed the old dojo and knew it was closed. So he consulted google and found out that Sensei Mikami was still teaching at the Louisiana Karate Association‘s new dojo at 706 Phosphor Ave in Metairie. He signed up the same week. Says Havard, ” There’s an old saying that felt true to me the day I came back,’When the student is ready the teacher will appear.’ When I was ready, Mikami was there.”
I have trained with Havard and can attest to how hard he has worked and how
diligently he has trained over the past two years. So I was delighted when he was awarded his black belt at this summer’s JKA AF national camp lead by Sensei Mikami (9th dan) with guest instructor Sensei Imura Takanori (8th dan) from the JKA Headquarters in Tokyo. He certainly earned it!
Havard looks at it this way,” Earning my black belt isn’t the end of training; it’s the end of basic training. Now the real training begins.”
Coming back to karate or just starting — now is always a great time to train! Join us for class Mondays through Fridays.