Wir kennen uns bereits seit Anfang der Achtziger Jahre. Wir hatten so manches Glas Bier zusammen in London und in Hamburg geleert, so manche 'Schlacht' gemeinsam geschlagen, u.a. bereits 1984 gemeinsam auf einem der ersten Escrima-Turniere in London gekämpft, hatten so manche Geschichte zusammen erlebt, so manchen Londoner Pub miteinander unsicher gemacht.
Was Butch, Steve und ich mal zusammen auf St.Pauli erlebten (so in Richtung 'drei Musketiere'...), behielten wir bis heute für uns, weil wir sonst vor Lachen keine Luft mehr kriegten...
Und als ich 1995 meine Hochzeitsreise nach London machte, war es Butchi, der uns bereits am Flughafen erwartete und uns u.a. einen ganzen Tag lang in einem original Londoner Taxi - seinem Taxi - durch ganz London chauffierte...
Mehr als unser halbes Leben waren wir einander als alte Trainingskollegen und Freunde verbunden. Butch, jemand auf den man IMMER zählen konnte.
Das letzte Bier...es war viel zu lange her.
Und nun ganz plötzlich, kann man nur noch auf ihn, aber nie mehr mit ihm anstoßen.
Seine Kinder und seine Frau sind nun allein,
sein Taxi fährt nicht mehr.
Butch - einer der ganz Alten des Escrimas in Europa, der die allerersten Anfänge hier mitbekam - jemand (und schon gar nicht irgend jemand!), der leidenschaftlich die alte Schwertkunst recherchierte, sich innig mit ihr verbunden fühlte, unterrichtet nicht mehr, hat sein Buch geschlossen - für immer!
Wir, die ihn kannten und mit ihm lachten, manchen Trainingsschweiß gemeinsam vergossen haben und manche Nacht gemeinsam durchzechten, werden ihn niemals vergessen.
Butch, du warst ein Pfundskerl! Wenn es irgend sowas wie ein Walhallah geben sollte, dann gehörst du dort hin.
In alter Freundschaft
Bernd
Hi All,
Below is our sad statement to many people via email and our web-site - to inform everyone who knew John Dovey. We took the liberty of naming people who may want to send their condolences. Please contact us if anyone wants something amended.
Steve Tappin and Stephen Kinvig
John Dovey to his friends
1959 - 2006 Rest in Peace
It is with great sadness that Stephen Kinvig and Steve Tappin wish to inform all our friends and members that John Dovey passed away Friday 5th May. We send his wife Josie, and children Leanne, John and Jack and his family our love and condolences and wish them the best for the future as John would want this.
It´s at times like this that you always appreciate someone and wished you had done more when people were alive and said things that can no longer be said and now we try to tell our friends, members and students about John and his silent input to Escrima and other systems.
John started Escrima around 1976-77 at the same time as Stephen Kinvig and Steve Tappin started training. Steve Tappin knew John from School and lived close to him and Steve�s wife Sharon worked with John so this is a friendship that has much history. Stephen Kinvig stayed close and shared many good times with John from 1976 up until the Wednesday before we heard this sad news.
We were all part of the PMAS created by Brian Jones, Bill Newman and Rene Latosa and this art over years branched out in different directions. We therefore send Josie - Brian, Bill and Rene�s love to the family too.
John trained and taught Escrima for most of his life and entered with us in the first Escrima tournaments in Europe in the late 70�s and early 80's. John also competed in WEKAF competitions and was an official in Europe in EWTO and Escrima Concepts Competitions.
John helped Steve with John and Jonathan Waller form the Guild � John travelled to research and copy medieval manuscripts (when they were hard to get) and played an important part in taking research to an active development. John did much behind the scenes in the early development of Escrima and the Guild.
We wish to pass on the condolences of John and Jonathan Waller and all members of the Guild to John�s family.
John and Steve went to stage fight direction courses and both stated that this was fun with nice people but not for them and yet somehow they ended up directing the stage fights at the Hackney Empire. Steve was asked to help a friend and in turn Steve asked John for help and between them they helped a very good play with the stars Steven Faithful and Escrima member and Alex � the Hawk (from the show Gladiators).
This side of John was little known as was his varied interests in history and of all martial arts. John was a hardworking family man and recently took great interest in the Environment � something we talked about when we walked our dogs and found we liked to walk in similar environments and hoped they stayed protected. John always kept in contact with his friends he always sent his jokes by text to make us laugh or cringe and now we will miss them but we will be reminded of him every time our text goes.
His family have their own memories of John to reflect on and we hope that they take some small comfort that he had many friends who will not forget him and that he contributed too many people�s fun and success � he touched many people directly and indirectly and we hope this gives some small comfort to his family.
Anyone who wishes to contact John's family or leave a message please contact Steve on steve.tappin@btopenworld.com and we will pass on your messages.
Below is a list of people some of who we have yet to contact who I am sure wish to send their love to Josie and family:
Paul Leslie, John Morgan, Robbie Crane, Stephen Faithful, John Sullivan �Scully�, Franco and Sandy Sidoli, Paul and Danny Newman, Shaun Bolwell, Nic Osei and all EC and Alliance members
Alliance and EC European Members - Allan Jensen, Lars Lind, Henning Daverne, Morten Ibsen and all their members, all the members from Germany, Rome, Holland all too many to name.
Jay Dobrin Head of BIFF and all his members
Overseas friends Germany � Bernd Schubert and all his members, Sweden - Peter Ollson and all his members
Terry Brown English Martial Arts
Bobby Breen Eskrima
John Harvey Eskrima
Pat O�Malley Eskrima
Roger Lankford Lancaster Armouries
Nic Charalambous Goshin Ju Jitsu
