Special Tribute to Kancho William (Bill) Fenton, 10th Dan.
Bill Fenton was born on 21st October, 1927 in London UK and, as a young man, served in the UK army.
Bill arrived in Australia in his early twenties. He went to work on farms in Darwin for a short time and then moved to Adelaide, South Australia. He studied at night school in Adelaide to become a boilermaker and welder. Bill then got a job as a first class welder at T O’Conner and Sons, a position he held until he retired.
Bill’s nickname was “Chook.” He acquired this name from his friends because he loved to eat chicken. He would eat chicken every day. When asked what he was planning to have for tea, Bill would always say, “Chook!”
Bill trained under Sensei Moss Hollis in Adelaide in the very early 1960’s. Under Moss Hollis, he finally obtained his black belt in Judo in 1968. This was a very rare achievement back then. So Bill, like Moss, was an early pioneer of martial arts in Australia. He trained hard and later became a leader in his own right, earning the title of Kancho.
Kancho Bill ran two dojos in Adelaide, one at Largs Bay and the other in Port Adelaide. As interest in martial arts began to take off, Kancho Bill had a massive following.
He lived in Port Adelaide and also trained in Judo with the Japanese sailors when the ships arrived at the port.
Kancho Bill’s students regularly competed in Judo competitions, both locally and also at Port Augusta.
In the 1970’s, the Judo and Jujitsu dojos were united. They had competitions amongst themselves.
In the words of Kancho Bill’s long-term student, Steve Miranda, “I can remember having competitions against the MIWIO School of Jiu-Jitstu headed by Shihan Reg Hancock. Judo and Jiu-Jitsu were very similar in style back then.”
PHOTO: Kancho Bill Fenton, as a 70 year old, preparing to throw his student, Steve Miranda, circa 1997. This photograph was taken for the Messenger Newspaper which carried the story announcing that the Charles Sturt Council had awarded him “Treasured Citizen” status
Steve continued, “Judo is a style of Jiu-Jitsu and it is spelt in a number of ways – jujitsu, jiu-jitsu, jujutsu etc.” Kancho Bill never retired from teaching judo and taught at Professor Steve Miranda’s Judo/Jujitsu schools in his later years. He continued right up until he passed away at 77 years of age.
Steve went on to say, “SOMA President Barrie Revell and Kancho Bill both trained under Sensei Moss Hollis and knew each other well. Kancho Bill was in the judo class and Barrie was in the karate class.”
Kancho Bill Fenton passed away on 15 September, 2005. His legacy lives on through his most senior student Professor Steve Miranda, now himself a 10th Dan, who leads a massive organisation based in Adelaide and extends throughout many states of Australia.
PHOTO: From the archives of Professor Steve Miranda, showing the esteem that a student can have for his Sensei.
