Five decades after he first stepped onto a mat, Alexandria’s Tom McTaggart admits he still gets the same buzz as he did when he tried karate for the first time.
Despite two hip replacements that have earned him the nickname ‘bionic man’ in his family, the 65-year-old remains as passionate as ever about the martial art - and still pulls on his gi twice a week to teach karate in the Vale.
The five-time Scottish and one-time European champion has taught more than 3000 karate students over the past 50 years as the art has soared in popularity.
That’s a remarkable change from the early days of karate - where a bemused boss blocked Tom from competing for Scotland because he had never heard of the sport.
Looking back at the time, Tom told the Lennox: “Karate wasn’t a well-known thing when I started. It was very much behind the scenes.
“I remember getting my first cap for Scotland and asking my gaffer for time off. He didn’t know what karate was and he wouldn’t give me time off to represent Scotland!
“That’s just the way it was. I remember him looking at me and saying ‘what’s karate’?
“I’ve been self-employed ever since.
“When I first got involved it was because of Bruce Lee. It grew arms and legs in the 1980s. There was a real growth in martial arts; Taekwondo, Muay Thai, MMA.
“I certainly wouldn’t have imagined I’d still be involved 50 years later though.
“I still have the same passion as the day I started. I was training last week after being away on holiday for a fortnight, and it was absolutely great to be back.
“It never left me, even after two hip replacements and a fused ankle. I still have that same love for it.”
Tom taught six days a week for 35 years and achieved his black belt first Dan in 1978, his second in 1981 and third three years later. After nine years off for competitions, he returned to gradings - receiving his fourth Dan in 1993 and his fifth in 1999. All whilst juggling karate with full-time employment in the building trade.
And he admits he’s still considering going for a sixth Dan.
Tom continued: “People come and earn their black belt which can take up to five years and then they leave.
“But when you get to black belt first Dan then you have a minimum amount of time to your second Dan, a minimum time of three years to your third Dan, the same until your fourth, fifth and sixth.
“I got my fifth Dan in 1999 and I believe I was the youngest in Scotland at the time.
“I’ve never gone forward for my sixth Dan, which I’d love to do. I may still do it. But it gets a bit harder as you get older.
“You lose a bit of speed, but your knowledge is at a level that you don’t need the speed. I’m a very dangerous man within a metre. But outside that metre anyone could just run away - I’m not going to catch them!”
However, Tom doesn’t believe his age, two hip replacements and ankle issues would prevent him from achieving sixth Dan.
He explained: “It’s all about understanding your body and changing as you change, as I have done with my two hip replacements. There are many things I can’t do, but you can accommodate for that. Shotokan Karate, which I practice, is made for life.
“The Japanese masters are still training at 70 and 80 years of age. My own instructor, Sensei Kawasoe, is 10 years older than me.”
Throughout, his karate career Tom earned a host of Scottish caps and last fought for his country when he was 45. He won the Scottish championship five years in a row and was named European champion in 1984, and runner-up a year later.
He has travelled to more than 20 internationals as a competitor and trainer of the Scottish team and has made lasting friendships as far afield as the USA, Norway, Spain and Italy.
However, he believes his biggest achievement is closer to home.
He said: “My biggest achievement is taking a blind student to his purple belt.
“We’re still friends to this day. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.
“He was a young boy who had never run for a bus, never tied his shoelace. He came down and we helped him.
“I worked side-by-side with him as his wingman which was very special. It shows karate is for everybody.
“He’d never taken part in any sport in his life. As a child, he was excluded from PE. It was a challenge for me of course, but it was incredibly rewarding.”
