Sensei Kip Barker
Hanshi, 10th Dan
"The Quiet Master"
Iha Sensei once told Kip Barker that if he had just a handful of students who could both understand and physically integrate the techniques he taught, then he would have been a successful teacher. While many of Sensei’s students have tirelessly devoted themselves to faithfully understanding and developing his approach to karate, Kip’s technical prowess and relationship with Sensei position him not only as Iha’s senior student but also a close friend.​
A native of Lansing, Michigan, Kip began karate in 1972 as a way to stay in shape during the winter under the tutelage of Tony Ferrano, who himself was associated with Tadashi Yamashita, a popular Shorin-ryu teacher and actor. Kip took naturally to martial arts and decided to stay on at the dojo. In the summer of 1974, Iha Sensei arrived in Lansing and began teaching at Ferrano’s dojo. The contrast in martial skill was stark between the two men. “Ther was no comparison. Iha’s form and power were extremely refined,” Kip recounts. Recognizing the tremendous technical abilities that Iha possessed, Kip became his student directly as, not long after his arrival, Iha Sensei had opened his own dojo through the help of Harold Armour.
Over the decades Iha Sensei and Kip worked out together weekly either at their homes or the dojo. It was during these sessions that Kip’s attitude toward Sense’s karate was both formed and sharpened. Kip recalls, “I could never keep up with him. He always was a step ahead of me. He almost never missed a beat or was off balance. And his punch was unstoppable. If he wanted to hit you, he hit you!” Kip’s focus, determination, and eagerness to learn quickly began to develop within him the timing and outpower for which he is widely known. But it wasn’t only through time with Sensei that Kip’s abilities were honed. Rather, hours of weekly solo training, rooted in a strict regimen of kata, makiwara, and bag work, cemented Sensei’s distinctive style within him. “There has hardly been a day that I haven’t practiced, trying to copy what Sensei is teaching me.”
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In addition to being an exceptional karate-ka, Kip is also a highly respected instructor and mentor. His Saturday morning classes with Sensei were for many years the highlight of the training schedule and typified something of a golden age at the dojo. With a down-to-earth folksy manner, he emphasizes proper basics, analysis of kata, and an attitude of humility. “If you think you are good, you’re already beginning to stop growing. Every day I try to get a little bit better, to be a little more like Iha.” Kip imparts this attitude of ‘striving dissatisfaction’ to each of those who seek out his instruction. Echoing Iha Sensei’s own philosophy, Kip remarks, “Never think that your belt [rank] is what matters. It’s only how hard you practice.” He is genuinely modest about his abilities, thinking he is always “on the road and not quite there yet”.
Even though Kip is Sensei’s only 10th dan, and idolized by many, he doesn’t consider it something to brag about or put too much stock in. “Sensei once told me that he wasn’t a master, because a master never makes a mistake. If he thought that way, how can I be any different? You’re only as good as you are today. You’ll get better if you keep practicing and never get satisfied.” Kip’s lifelong journey in the martial arts as the closest of students to Sensei reflects a profound commitment to discipline, self-improvement, and the transmission of the traditional martial values that Iha Sensei tirelessly promoted.