ABOUT US
Both our instructors are DBS checked and fully qualified. We are proud to be affiliated with, and regulated by the BKA and EKF. The club also has several current and aspiring yudansha (black belts) on hand to help out.
SENSEI MARTIN SKIDMORE
CHIEF INSTRUCTOR
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Sensei Martin has been training in martial arts since he started shotokan karate in 1979. Since then, he has acquired experience in judo, aikido, akibujutsu, shinkendo and kyudo.
He's been devoted to teaching juniors for 40 years, including his own children to shodan (1st dan). His favourite discipline is kata. Martin has trained under the late, great Sensei's Nakayama and Enoeda. Karate: 1984 Shodan, 1998 Nidan, 2010 Sandan, 2015 Yondan, 2023 Godan Kenjutsu: 2010 Shodan, 2011 Nidan, 2012 Sandan, 2013 Yondan |
SENSEI DAVID HAYWARD
INSTRUCTOR
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Sensei David has been training with Sensei Martin ever since he started shotokan karate in May 1992, teaching since 2004, and in 2010 he was officially made assistant instructor of Kyokujitsu-Kai.
He has cross-trained in several martial arts with a particular emphasis on jujitsu, and has travelled widely to train with many specialist instructors. David has studied bunkai since 2001 and is particularly interested in both the practical combative and self-defence applications of karate. Karate: 2001 Shodan, 2011 Nidan, 2015 Sandan, 2023 Yondan Kenjutsu: 2010 Shodan, 2011 Nidan |
Our History
Karate
Gichin Funakoshi 船越 義珍 (1868-1957) the "father of modern karate". He was one of the masters of karate who introduced it to the Japanese mainland in 1922 before founding shotokan karate in 1928.
Masatoshi Nakayama 中山 正敏 (1913-1987) was an internationally renowned shotokan karate master. He was the first ever shotokan karate master to obtain kudan (9th dan) whilst alive, and helped form the Japanese Karate Association (JKA) in 1949.
Keinosuke Enoeda 榎枝 慶之輔 (1935-2003) was a formidable shotokan karate master known as Tora ("Tiger" in Japanese). He trained under Nakayama Sensei and in 1965 moved to the UK as part of the JKA's policy to introduce karate internationally. He was a Chief Instructor of the Karate Union of Great Britain (KUGB). Both Sensei Martin and Sensei David regularly trained under students of Enoeda Sensei, including Andy Sherry (8th dan) and Bob Poynton (7th dan). Sensei Martin also trained with Enoeda Sensei over a 25-year period.
Kenjutsu
Ōmori Rokusaemon Masamitsu 大森 六郎左衛門 正光 (c.1546-1621) Edo-period creator of Ōmori-ryū, an iaijutsu style from which many sword schools derive kata and other practices from, itself derived from studies undertaken at several schools.
Obata Toshishiro 小幡 利城 (1948-) actor, choreographer and lifelong martial artist, Toshishiro founded the Shinkendo system of samurai swordsmanship, primarily drawing from his years of experience in Toyama-ryū, itself a system created by practitioners of Ōmori-ryū
Kyokujitsu-Kai 旭会 roughly translates to the 'Rising Sun Club', the name of our martial arts dojo. We'd love you to be a part of the next chapter of our history!
Karate
Gichin Funakoshi 船越 義珍 (1868-1957) the "father of modern karate". He was one of the masters of karate who introduced it to the Japanese mainland in 1922 before founding shotokan karate in 1928.
Masatoshi Nakayama 中山 正敏 (1913-1987) was an internationally renowned shotokan karate master. He was the first ever shotokan karate master to obtain kudan (9th dan) whilst alive, and helped form the Japanese Karate Association (JKA) in 1949.
Keinosuke Enoeda 榎枝 慶之輔 (1935-2003) was a formidable shotokan karate master known as Tora ("Tiger" in Japanese). He trained under Nakayama Sensei and in 1965 moved to the UK as part of the JKA's policy to introduce karate internationally. He was a Chief Instructor of the Karate Union of Great Britain (KUGB). Both Sensei Martin and Sensei David regularly trained under students of Enoeda Sensei, including Andy Sherry (8th dan) and Bob Poynton (7th dan). Sensei Martin also trained with Enoeda Sensei over a 25-year period.
Kenjutsu
Ōmori Rokusaemon Masamitsu 大森 六郎左衛門 正光 (c.1546-1621) Edo-period creator of Ōmori-ryū, an iaijutsu style from which many sword schools derive kata and other practices from, itself derived from studies undertaken at several schools.
Obata Toshishiro 小幡 利城 (1948-) actor, choreographer and lifelong martial artist, Toshishiro founded the Shinkendo system of samurai swordsmanship, primarily drawing from his years of experience in Toyama-ryū, itself a system created by practitioners of Ōmori-ryū
Kyokujitsu-Kai 旭会 roughly translates to the 'Rising Sun Club', the name of our martial arts dojo. We'd love you to be a part of the next chapter of our history!
Our students represent a range of age and ability, but we all strive to improve every week.