There are some men whose lives are marked by a singular devotion.
Such a man is Greg Mellor, whose devotion to the martial arts has spanned more than sixty years.
He began, as all journeys do, in the humblest of ways, under the watchful eye of Ray Greenway and the guidance of Benny Allen. He trained with anybody who would teach him something new. He was always searching. Eventually, he was looking for the philosophy behind the martial arts so he turned to the masterful wisdom of Richard Kim, whose teachings went deep into Greg’s soul, shaping his heart as much as his style.
Richard Kim taught as you grow physically your character needs to grow with it.
Sixty years passed, teaching and studying karate. Ten years with the soft, flowing rhythms of Tai Chi.
Today, Greg finds himself drawn to Ju Jitsu, a new challenge, a new horizon.
On my last visit to Canada, I had the privilege of spending hours with him and Pasquale Ammendolia, conversing not just of the martial arts, but of the spirit behind the art. Greg, though a man of few words, spoke with a depth and clarity that held me in rapt attention. His knowledge was vast, and yet there was no pride in it, only the quiet humility of a true teacher. He sought not praise but understanding.
When he visited Japan, he was ever the student, seeking out the masters like Yamaguchi, he soaked up their teachings like a sponge. The trip was a confirmation he could hold his own with anyone on the dojo floor.
In 1974 I was working on a Kinesiology paper at McMaster University and asked Greg to demonstrate the perfect round house, side kick and front kick. I snapped the pictures and wanted to share them along with others.
And what, you may ask, does sixty years of such dedication bring? It brings not wealth, not fame, but something far more rare: a depth of understanding, a heart full of wisdom, and the rarest gift of all—a desire to pass it on. It is a gift I treasure deeply, and I look forward to every opportunity to learn from him anew.
Greg asked me to teach him what I believed in. He, true to form, is still searching for more knowledge.