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Asked how a karateka can have such well-rounded ability, Sensei Jim Sklavos emphasises the importance of improving the basic techniques or kihon that are the building blocks of any good martial artist. This no-frills philosophy has made him an eminent figure in the tournament scene and a respected instructor at the Australian Kyokushin Karate Association’s Coogee dojo.
For Sensei Sklavos, building a foundation was a priority when arriving in Australia from Greece in 1987. With a keen interest in martial arts, starting karate was a priority despite the obstacles of settling into a new country. Joining Hanshi John Taylor’s Bondi Junction Kyokushin dojo would prove to be a defining moment in his life and would set him on a course that even he could not imagine.
In fact, it was the professional guidance of Hanshi Taylor that revealed to Sklavos the opportunities available to him through Kyokushin. “Karate gave me the opportunity to learn about goal-setting, discipline, self-motivation and respect,“ says Sklavos.
For Sklavos, the transformation was due to his dedication and his attention to detail, and was to launch him into a most successful phase of his career.
Having successfully completed two electrical engineering degrees at the University of Technology in Sydney, he was well on the way to building his life in Australia. His commitment to training and a technical proficiency saw his progression in Kyokushin follow the same trajectory and he graded to Shodan (Black-belt) in 1993, Nidan (2nd Dan) in 1996 and Sandan (3rd Dan) in 2000.
In fact, it was to be a period where Sklavos’ martial arts prowess would be brought to the fore, and his skills as a full-contact fighter with his fluent and technical style made him one of the top lightweights in the country. Sklavos’s adaptability to both full-contact and non-contact fighting made him a rarity in martial arts circles, as the different competition formats demanded he be fast, precise and powerful with his technique.
With these skills in hand, Sklavos dominated in both fields, earning himself titles in non-contact events, while his power and speed made him a force to be reckoned with in the full-contact arena. In over 30 State and national titles, Sklavos placed in the top three in all but one — a record that was to catch the eye of selectors for the 1997 All Japan Open Championships.
Traditionally featuring over 200 competitors and running over the course of two days, this open-weight event is considered one of karate’s hardest competitions. The format stands as testament to the fighting spirit competitors must draw upon, as they may face opponents up to 50kg heavier. Having already laid it on the line at a national level, the opportunity only whetted Sklavos’s competitive appetite, and at only 63kg he put in a blistering performance to place in the top 32.
“That tournament was tough,” Sklavos affirms, but the strength he gained from the experience set in motion an idea for his next challenge, which he would tackle two years later in 1998.
With little rest after his return from Japan, Sklavos embarked on a year-long training regime, reaching peak physical fitness for what is considered one of the ultimate challenges in Kyokushin karate: the 50-man kumite.
This feat, designed to test the strength and mental tenacity of the toughest, has the willing contestant fight 50 consecutive bouts against Black-belts. It’s a challenge so far completed by only 20 people worldwide and the challengers have been few and far between, but in June 1999 Sklavos put it on the line against some tough opponents, including Mark Tyson, John Hallford and Michael Maizey. In two hours, and under the watchful eye of Hanshi John Taylor, Shihan Gary Viccars and Shihan Tony Bowden, Sklavos became the sixth person in Australia to successfully complete it. “The satisfaction was awesome,” says Sklavos. “I felt incredible as a major task had been completed.”
With the same unassailable spirit that had brought him so far since his arrival in Australia, Sklavos aimed at the approaching National tournament later that year. However, during the tournament Sklavos received a strong blow to the forearm, shattering his bones.
“A week in hospital and many months of recovery only made me all the more keen to get fit and compete again,” he remembers. “My comeback was in the 2001 national tournament, and having advanced to the quarterfinals, bad luck struck again. I found myself in hospital once again with exactly the same break in my forearm.” The news was devastating for Sklavos, who was well on his way to being selected for the 2002 World Tournament.
As always, his training under Hanshi Taylor was a constant leveller for Sklavos, who cites his instructor’s own perseverance in his training as being a valuable lesson for him. “Hanshi Taylor has always been there for me, not just for karate, but for advice and to guide me through obstacles I encountered along the way. When Hanshi told me that the 2006 World Cup was being held in Sydney, it was enough to push the right button — it was time to go for it, just for the last time.”
Competing in the Kyokushin full-contact scene is a commitment not to be taken lightly, and Sklavos had borne the brunt of other fighters’ devastating power. “I was training 20-to-30 hours per week, two-to-three sessions per day, with 11-day cycles of nine days on and two days off.”
The hard training paid off, with the Kyokushin stalwart finishing in the world’s top 16.
That year also opened a new phase in his life, with his marriage to wife Eva. “Eva is a very supportive and talented person whose motivation and ethics have assisted us in achieving our goals,” he notes. Eva, herself a Gold-belt in Wing Chun kung fu and a Blue-belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, has since started her own journey in Kyokushin.
As all cycles of nature evolve, so too did Sklavos’s Kyokushin ambitions. He had long held a desire to open his own dojo, and that dream came to fruition in 2007, with the opening of his Coogee Dojo. His motto is: “Be confident in yourself, keep your goal in focus and you can then achieve it.”
With his students taking out places in non-contact and full-contact competition, they are well placed to be some of the future champions. When asked what the secret is to having success on the mat as a fighter and also as a dojo operator, Sklavos reiterates the importance of laying good foundations, a lesson he learned long ago as a newcomer to this country in finding his place on a personal, sporting and professional level. “To have a successful dojo,” he muses, “you need to dedicate your time to that, the growth of your students and your development as an instructor. My focus is now entirely on Coogee Dojo. The foundations are laid and we are consistently building on that.”
The humbly natured Sklavos credits his remarkable journey to the support and leadership he has received from Hanshi John Taylor and the AKKA. And it’s not lightly that he measures the contributions of others to the life he has built here. “We are extremely fortunate to be part of such a strong group with great foundations, great leadership and great direction for the future,” he says.
His mentor and instructor from his childhood, Hanshi Taylor remains a constant in Sklavos’s life. “My personal thanks and appreciation for Hanshi Taylor’s efforts can’t be described in words, especially when he has played such a vital role in my life.” Sklavos now seeks to honour him by paying the same favour forward, as he guides his Coogee dojo into the future. “Looking forward, there is no end for the karate life,” he muses. “Just as my goals changed or evolved in the beginning, they will also do the same from now on.”
Now ranked 4th Dan, Sklavos has journeyed from student to fighter, to instructor. In a way he’s come full-circle, as it’s well known that an instructor must also remain a student if he is to reach his full potential.
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