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 Dan grading whilst also establishing my own club.
At its peak the club had 200 members and was successful in many international competitions.
In 2004 I achieved 3rd Dan grade in taekwondo and also qualified as an international referee and a grading examiner. it was then that I decided to retire from all martial art activities.
In 2014 I decided that there was unfinished business in that I wanted to achieve the ultimate goal- a KUGB Shotokan Black Belt. I joined Cayton SKC in Scarborough. In the autumn of 2019, I passed my 2nd Dan black belt under grading examiner Sensei Andy Sherry 9th Dan.
The path to black belt isn't always easy but determination and a clear vision are a recipe for success.
The best motivator for me was the prospect of defeating the greatest opponent, myself.
In 2020 I joined the Chesterfield SKC. I now train with a fantastic group of like-minded people.
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