RICHARD’S STORY

Richard Haye is a professional martial artist based in Kristiansand, Norway, where he runs a thriving school of nearly 500 students and mentors three other schools across the country.

Born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1970, Richard moved with his family to Norway in 1982. Two years later, inspired by The Karate Kid, he began training in Shorin Ryu Karate.

“I was such a slow student that my instructor suggested I focus on my other hobby… chess!”

Despite that early feedback, Richard attended every class for the next eight years, eventually earning his first-degree black belt in 1992.

Having grown up watching Bruce Lee movies in the pre-internet era, Richard found Lee’s books and ideas almost mystical.

“The JKD philosophy made me want to become the best martial artist I could be.”

Alongside his karate training, he traveled extensively across Europe to attend seminars and cross-train in other disciplines. This exploration led him to Kali and the Filipino martial arts. In 1998, after meeting instructor Jeff Espinous and attending his seminars, Richard founded one of the first Kali schools in Norway.

A few years later, he met Sifu Richard Bustillo—one of Bruce Lee’s original students—and became his student from 2003 until Bustillo’s passing in 2017. Bustillo encouraged him to broaden his horizons by studying Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ).

At first, Richard resisted. Conditioned by years in karate, he saw ground fighting as inferior—until a humbling encounter changed his mind.

“A sixteen-year-old girl, a two-stripe white belt, offered to roll with me. Despite my multiple black belts and twenty-five years of training, I had nothing for her.”

That moment shattered his assumptions and exposed a gap in his martial arts knowledge. He could ignore it—or face it. He chose the latter.

At forty years old, starting over was both intimidating and exhilarating. With no BJJ schools in Kristiansand, he gathered a few students and began an improvised “ground version of Fight Club.” After a few weeks, realizing their limitations, he discovered Roy Dean’s Blue Belt Requirements and reached out to Professor Marcello Yogui, the highest-ranked instructor in Scandinavia. Yogui welcomed the group under his guidance, awarding Richard his blue and purple belts.

“Teaching alone without a curriculum was tough, so I used all of Mr. Dean’s videos. Being a Japanese martial artist as well, he spoke a language I could relate to.”

In 2015, Richard contacted Roy Dean directly, arranging a seminar the following year. Over the next few years, Roy visited the Kristiansand academy regularly, forging a strong connection with both Richard and his students.

By 2018, after much reflection, the school officially became part of the Roy Dean Academy. Though the decision was not easy, it proved deeply rewarding. Under Professor Dean’s mentorship, Richard’s growth accelerated.

In 2019, at forty-nine years old—nine and a half years after purchasing Blue Belt Requirements—he tested for and earned his brown belt.

In 2024, Richard achieved one of the greatest milestones of his martial arts journey: his black belt under Professor Dean.

“I started as a kid with less than average skill, but through curiosity, perseverance, and great teachers, I’m living my dream of self-improvement through martial arts.”

Richard often reminds his students:

“The grades and titles I’ve earned are not meant to impress you, but to inspire you—to show that you can achieve whatever you set your mind to, no matter what others say.”