Instructor profiles

Sensei Phillip Gandy 7th Dan - Chief Instructor

I started karate in January of 1972 at the late age of 20yrs. I had tried judo for a short while but it lacked what I really needed at the time- discipline! A friend of mine told me that a Japanese gentleman had just started teaching karate in Weybridge, just a few miles from Cobham where I lived. Sensei Tomita was to become my Instructor/ grading examiner for the next seven years. As a routine I would train at the Weybridge dojo twice a week under Sensei Kevin Hickey and twice a week with Sensei Tomita at his Earls Court... »

Sensei Roger Beresford 4th Dan- Senior Instructor

Key Grading Dates: Started training March 1984 9th Kyu 28th June 1984 Sensei Poynton 1st Dan 12th December 1987 Enoeda Sensei 2nd Dan 9th March 1991 Enoeda Sensei 3rd Dan 8th April 1997 Enoeda Sensei 4th dan 1st October 2011 Sherry sensei Training Details General Soon after starting Karate at Chesterfield SKC, my Instructor, Sensei Gandy, encouraged me to train at other local KUGB clubs. I regularly trained under Senseis Sharpe, Mather and Oliver at Killamarsh, Sheffield and Nottingham clubs respectively. In addition, I have trained regularly with all the senior KUGB British and resident Japanese Instructors. I have twice... »

Sensei Winston McLeish 4th Dan - Senior Instructor

I was born in Chesterfield on the 11th of August 1967. I have always had a keen interest in sport from an early age. Taking part in football and boxing as a school boy. In 1988 I started training in Shotokan Karate at the Satori karate club in Chesterfield as I wanted to learn self defence. In 1995, I left the Satori club for the Chesterfield Shotokan Karate Club in pursuit of a more traditional and disciplined self defense based karate under Sensei Gandy.6th Dan. Training sessions under Sensei Gandy are always an event as you never know what to... »

Sensei Mary Langen 3rd Dan - Senior Instructor

I have always been a sporty person. I enjoy a range of different sports namely: Tennis, Netball, Rounders and swimming. I started Karate in 2008 at the age of 13 years, I needed to improve my confidence, also both my elder brothers had already started karate at the C.S.K.C. so I decided to go along and watch them. Through training hard at CSKC and with the excellent instructing from the senseis at many KUGB courses I was able to pass all my kyu gradings under sensei Frank Brennan and finally I achieved my black belt in September 2011 under Senseis... »

Sensei Duncan McLellan 3rd Dan - Senior Instructor.

I have been involved in sports from an early age and since leaving school I spent 3 years boxing, 7 years body building and 9 years playing rugby achieving high standards in all three disciplines. I began karate at the CSKC in 2004 while still playing rugby, however, it was only in 2009 that I decided to concentrate all my efforts on karate. I have competed in many KUGB competitions and have attended numerous training courses with some of the best instructors, namely: Senseis Andy Sherry, Bob rhodes, Billy Higgins, Frank Brennan, Garry Harford, Nick Heald and Matt Price. I... »

Sensei Jack Harper- 2nd Dan Club Black Belt

Inspired by the film Enter the Dragon I started practising Shotokan karate and Judo at the age of 12 years. The scarcity of karate clubs and good Instructors at the time inspired me to explore other martial arts and I soaked up anything that emerged on my horizon namely, Kung Fu ,Iai do, Aikido, Taekwondo, Hapkido and Muay tai. I achieved 3rd Kyu Brown belt in Shotokan karate whilst at college, unfortunately the club folded. I continued independent training for another few years until along came the Olympic taekwondo. I jumped on board and one year later passed my 1st... »

Olek Bendinger- 2nd Dan Black Belt

I joined the CSKC in March 2015 when I was 5 years old. I began training in the "young tigers" group under Sensei Roger Beresford 4th Dan. In the beginning training was hard as I needed to learn new skills and techniques that I had never done before. I also had to learn discipline and etiquette in the dojo. With Time I gained confidence and started to enjoy the training which involved warm up games, punching, kicking and blocking. In November 2015 I passed my first grading exam under Sensei Frank Brennan 8th Dan, who would be my grading examiner... »

Simon Fowler 2nd Dan Black Belt

I started my karate training in Shotokan Karate with the K.U.G.B. in 1987 whilst a student in Wolverhampton. My instructor was Sensei Randolf Hutton.4th Dan After 2 years of regular training 3 times a week, I achieved 1st Kyu Brown Belt. However, after leaving college, starting work and due to family commitments, I stopped training. Even though I had stopped my karate studies, I still kept with me the attitude of perseverance and hard work that had been instilled into me during my karate training ; valuable lessons for life ! During the interim years, I kept fit with fell... »

Sensei Kati Wood- 2nd Dan Club Instructor

I have been fascinated by martial arts since childhood, which I blame squarely on watching too much Dragon ball Z and Fist Of The North Star at an impressionable age! I began my karate journey in 2004 at the Lancaster University SKC, when I was ambushed during Freshers Fair by two gi-clad students who asked me if I'd ever thought of trying karate. I signed up without a moment's hesitation. I recommenced training in 2012 at the Lancaster Red Rose SKC, and achieved my 1st Dan in October 2018 and my instructor qualification in August 2022. I have been fortunate... »

Sensei Taylor McLeish 2nd Dan - Club Instructor

I was born in Chesterfield in May 2001. I started karate in 2010, but was not sure about doing Karate. This was because I participated in many other sports such as, Football, Tennis, Table-Tennis, Kick Boxing and Rugby. After many sessions of watching my Dad train in Karate, I got bored of just watching, and realised I might achieve something out of this martial art. When I finally decided to take up a martial art, after 2 weeks of doing karate, I realised that it would help me defend my self. Karate didn’t just help me in defending my self... »

Sensei Alex Boyce 2nd Dan - Club Instructor

I started karate at 9 years old through a month of "taster" courses at my primary school from Instuctor Sensei Roger Beresford 4th Dan. I have always been interested in sport, especially football and swimming. I enjoyed the karate lessons so much that I decided tot take it a step further by enrolling in to the C.S.K.C. The club was very welcoming and friendly. I started to develop and progress through the Kyu grades under Sensei Beresford 4th Dan. I attended many extra lessons in the Central Region under the eye of Sensei Frank Brennan 8th Dan. In December 2015... »

Sensei Andrew Langen 1st Dan club Instructor

From an early age I have been keen on sports - Football, Tennis, Ice hockey and indoor climbing. I started karate in 2007. My elder brother was already a member of the C.S.K.C . so I went along and watched a few training sessions. Sensei Gandy's well structured lessons and the discipline really appealed to me so I joined soon after. Through the excellent instruction I was getting from the Senseis ( Gandy,Beresford and McLeish) and by also training on many of the K.U.G.B. courses I was able to progress through the grades until finally achieving my black belt in... »

Max Bentley- 1st Dan Black Belt

I started karate training in 2016 when I was 9 years old. I attended the local mixed martial arts club. The club taught karate, a mix of martial arts and gymnastics and also a variety of weapons training including Bo, sword and my favourite, Kamas. I gained selection on to my club's kata team and started competing in 2018. I won medals for Kata and freestyle weapons categories. In 2019 I won three world titles and one silver medal at the WMKF world championships in Sicily. The gold medals were for team kata, freestyle weapons and extreme weapons and Japanese... »

Sam Simonite- 1st Dan Black Belt

I was born in Luton on the 13th of August 2010. I began getting Interested in Karate at a young age. However, I lacked the confidence to actually start. Finally in 2019 I worked up the courage to start taking lessons. I joined the Zanchin Black Belt Academy in Letchworth, Hertfordshire. For the next four years I trained under Instructor Sensei Sandra Ingham 4th Dan. Sensei Ingham helped me to become more confident and she also helped me improve my karate techniques. However, I lacked in confidence when it came to practicing Kumite Drills I was concerned about getting hurt.... »

Curtis McLeish 1st Dan - Black Belt

I was born in Chesterfield in April 1998. I have always been very keen on sports activities especially Football, Kick Boxing, Athletics and table- tennis. I began karate at the C.S.K.C in 2009 whilst still doing other sports. I attended several Football Academies but I soon realised that it was karate that I wanted to put all my efforts in to. I was really keen to improve and achieve good things in karate. In my first grading I managed to double grade under Sensei Frank Brennan and continued to pass all my kyu grades under him and also Sensei J.... »

Leo Harper 1st Dan Black Belt

It all started for me when I was 7 years old, I wanted to get into a martial art, I’ve always been an active person who likes to do sports and activities and Karate would be another great activity to do for my physical and mental health and also to learn discipline. My dad, Jack Harper a KUGB 2nd Dan, was the one to help me start, and in the beginning, I started training with the English Shotokan Academy. My dad was always there helping and training with me. In the English Shotokan Karate organisation, I managed to grade and... »

Anna Marshall 1st Dan Black Belt

I started Karate at the age of 7 years in 2011. I began training during the first year of the new "Young Tigers" Programme under Sensei Roger Beresford 4th Dan. I have always enjoyed various sports and wanted to do some form of martial arts. As I progressed the discipline from karate helped me to develop a resilient mindsetfor both training and school work. The vast experience of the club members has always been invaluable to me. With their support and the excellent quality of the training that I received at C.S.K.C. I was able to pass all my Kyu... »

Simran Kaur Sohal 1st Dan Black Belt

I joined CSKC in September 2015 when I was just 5 years old.I began training in the "Young Tigers" sessions with my elder brother Ruben under Sensei Roger Beresford 4th Dan. At the time I was one of the youngest in the club and although scary at first, after a few weeks I gained more confidence and started to enjoy the training which involved warm up games,punching,kicking and blocking. In March 2016 I went for my first grading,in Nottingham, under Sensei Frank Brennan 8th Dan. He would become my grading examiner for the next three years. Having never been to... »

“The ultimate aim of the art of karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants” - Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan Karate

Sensei Keinosuke Enoeda, 9th Dan

Sensei Phillip Gandy, 6th Dan

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