I'd wanted to practice Karate for as long as I can remember, (probably due to the fact that I was so much smaller than the other kids!) and began training at Aberdare Karate Club as soon as I was old enough. I took my first class (under Sensei Mike O'Brien) in Jan '74 and have never looked back since. The main 'Aberdare' influences on me were my first instructor Keith More, who had excellent technique, but was also a 'nice guy' (until you had to face him!) and Pete Menzies, who was not a great deal bigger than me, but had such spirit it was almost impossible to stop him.
I took my Shodan under Sensei Enoeda in 1978 and my Nidan in 1983. In 1987 I travelled to Japan to train at the Honbu dojo (and learned a great deal about myself in the very short time I was there!), returning to take my Sandan grading at Sensei Enodea's course. In 1991 I was awarded my Yondan grading by Sensei Enoeda with my Godan grading being taken at the KUGB's Special Dan grading under Senseis Enoeda and Sherry in 1998.
In 2006 I was awarded by Rokudan (6th Dan) grading at the KUGB’s Special Dan Grading under Senseis Sherry, Poynton and Naylor.
In 1993 I was elected to the post of KUGB Welsh Regional Secretary, a post I held until my retirement in 2007.
In 1998 I was elected as Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Sports Council's Governing Body for Karate in Wales (Welsh Karate Federation), a post I held until my resignation two years later due to personal commitments.
In 2007, saddened by the political state of karate in Wales and in my organisation in particular, I resigned from all posts and but continued to spend my time teaching Aberdare and practising my karate.
At the end of 2008 I had the opportunity to open a club in Wenvoe, just around the corner from my home.This was great, not least because it meant my children could attend my class and my wife could return to training (she is a 3rd Dan).It was a wrench to leave Aberdare after thirty years of teaching there, but the forty mile round trip twice a week was becoming difficult to manage and the chance to get all the family together was too good to miss.I’m looking forward to having the same level of success with Wenvoe club that I enjoyed with Aberdare.
Competition Experience
Although I was part of the Welsh All-Styles Squad for some years as a low grade, I became part of the KUGB Welsh Squad in 1980. I got my first chance as part of the KUGB Welsh Team in 1985 and was a member of the team continuously, competing in both Kata and Kumite at each European Championships until my retirement from International competition at the end of 1997.
In 1994 I was invited to take part in British Kata Squad training (which, although educational, was taxing in the extreme!) and remained part of the squad until my retirement in 1999.
In September 2001 I was fortunate enough to be the senior Welsh coach for the KUGB Welsh team entry into the World Shotokan Karate Association Championships in Prague and was a coach at the European Shotokan Karate Association Championships in Austria that year.I was Assistant KUGB Welsh coach from 2000 until my retirement in 2007.
