Karate journey kick-starts after 50-year break for 72-year-old Chaguanas man

Clifford Mendez, 72, executes a front kick after receiving his brown belt in karate from the SKIF TT karate school, based in La Joya Complex, on December 20. - Photos by Lincoln Holder

After a 50-year break from karate, Clifford Mendez, of Chaguanas, has taken a decisive step back onto the mat, this time with his sights firmly set on a black belt.

On December 20, Mendez was formally presented with his brown belt and certificate by the Shotokan Karate do International Federation (SKIF TT), a karate organisation with strong ties to Japan.

The presentation took place at the La Joya Complex, Eastern Main Road in St Joseph.

The achievement marks a significant milestone in a journey that began in his teens, paused at age 22, and courageously resumed at 72.

"This is 50 years in the making. I have never, not one year, thought about not starting back. Sometimes, as you get older, you wish you had done this or that. That is my wish, and I am doing it right now," Mendez said.

With brown belts now training alongside black belts, he added that he has been placed in a "totally different category."

Mendez returned to training just over four months ago.

Clifford Mendez, 72, receives his certificate and brown belt in karate from sensei Ian Sammy from the SKIF TT karate school based in La Joya Complex, St Joseph, on December 20.

Before reconnecting with SKIF TT, he explored other organisations, but distance and other factors made it difficult.

Determined not to give up, he searched for instructors willing to train him at home several times a week to "bring him up to scratch."

That search led him to Sensei Ian Sammy, chief instructor and president of SKIF TT, who organised trainers to do the home training.

"When I started training, I felt like quitting right away," Mendez recalled. "It was tougher than I thought, and the trainer was not sparing anything. I told him not to spare anything and give me what he had. I don't want to get a belt for getting a belt because of my age. I want to know that I earned it, and that I am very much capable."

After about four months of home training, he transitioned to the La Joya dojo, where he said he immediately felt welcomed.

"I felt so comfortable and so at home with everyone there. I realised too that I was up to standard. I was on par with them," he said.

Soon after, he was told he qualified to sit the brown belt examination on December 17 - an exam he passed.

A father of ten, Mendez has led a life of service and learning beyond the dojo.

He studied print technology at George Brown College in Canada, served on the John Donaldson College advisory board (now the University of TT) and was previously PRO of the Caribbean Students Association.

Karate also runs in his family. He recalled that his sister, Claudia Mendez, trained with another karate organisation and earned her own brown belt.

"She was with TASK, and she had a brown belt too. People used to call her the kata queen," he said.

Although he considered restarting karate during the pandemic, concerns about covid19 delayed his return.

This year, however, he committed fully.

"I trained three days a week, sometimes four, and I pushed through my pains and aches. Sensei (Sammy) always tells me to take it easy, to take it at my own speed," he said.

"The motivation and push come from my sensei, his words. He says it so philosophically that I have no choice but to keep on track. I know I will get my black belt because I have the support, and SKIF is family-oriented. The members look out for one another."

Training among much younger peers can be mentally intimidating, Mendez acknowledged.

"You just have to pass that mental thinking and jump into it. Just do it," he advised.

Mendez also stressed that karate training should never be used to provoke aggression, recalling how he often walked away from confrontations in his youth.

Back then, as a purple belt, he competed against black belts in tournaments.

His karate journey began when he was about 18.

SKIF TT's website says the organisation offers training to people from four to 94 years old.

Sammy told Newsday that Mendez is among its oldest members, adding that a 62-year-old student is preparing for a black belt next year.

"You do not get people at Mendez's age joining. You do not get them with that type of determination," Sammy said, adding that many believe karate is only for "young people."

He explained that while karate was historically designed for adults, programmes have evolved to include children, with training adapted to different ages and abilities.

Beyond physical fitness, Sammy said, the organisation emphasises self-protection, discipline and respect.

"Mr Mendez’s goal is to get to a black belt, and I told him we will take him there. We have to understand that as we get older, we have different limitations. He has two more levels of brown belt, which he can earn within a year. After brown is the black," Sammy said.

"Someone with a first-degree black belt, shotokan, who wants to go for a second-degree black belt has to train for two more years. It is not just a matter of taking the exam."

Sammy added that students see Mendez as a mentor, drawing inspiration from his work ethic and determination, proof that it is never too late to return to a lifelong passion and finish what was started decades ago.