Sensei Beck Thompson, Nidan
(side thrust kick)
I started karate in the 1980s, training in Wado-Ryu at Cranleigh Karate Club under Sensei Gary Swift. Karate was a huge part of my life as a child, and I trained 4 times a week, helping out with teaching as I got older. I was preparing for my Shodan grading and then college got in the way, and I stopped training at around 16.
I missed karate and trained with various Wado clubs around London in my twenties but didn’t stick with any of them. Then I had a longer break from karate until January 2020, when I switched to Shotokan and joined SKIF. I only had 3 months of in-person training before lockdown, but trained on Zoom with Sensei Clive throughout that time.
In February 2022 I graded to Shodan, and Nidan in July 2024. I now train at Kobukan and jointly run Heiwa Milford Karate Club with Sensei Adam and Senpai Deb.
Sensei Adam Correia, Nidan
I started training in Shotokan Karate in 1987, under Sensei Jujhar Gill in Hounslow, West London. I gained my 1st Dan in 1994 and 2nd Dan in 1996, and competed in several kata and kumite tournaments around the UK, including representing Hounslow borough at the London Youth Games in 1994, ‘95 and ‘96. I began training as a coach and in 1999 qualified as a FEKO national tournament referee and judge. I then stopped training as I moved away to begin a career in science and engineering.
A temporary pause became 20+ years away, but I eventually returned to training at the Heiwa club in Surrey, encouraged by my son’s progress through the grades. Having re-discovered some long-dormant skills, I was registered as a 1st Dan within SKKIF in March 2024, and in March 2025 was graded to 2nd Dan by Kyoshi Roger Carpenter. I now assist Sensei Beck Thompson in teaching at Heiwa, as well as training at Kobukan each week.
Sensei Lily, Sandan
I started karate young, very young. Learning Heian katas at the same time I learned to read. When I was 10 years old, I first met Soke. In my memory little green belt me is staring at him with open mouth. A few years later, I followed my sensei and joined SKIF Belgium. I trained with Pim Sensei for decades. Sometimes I’d barely make it to training. Some years I would train 6 times a week and would do every competition I could. When I studied in Glasgow, I joined a JKA club for a year. It made me see the benefits of training with different instructors. .I did competitions, started training as referee and took my Shodan. Those were the days.Life and work caught up with me. My old knee injury (curtesy of badly misinterpreting Chinte) worsened and I tore of my cruciate ligament, but I postponed my surgery so I could train with Soke, fearing it may be the last time. I pushed for my karate during my recovery and I regained full use of my knee even if my old knee injury kept plaguing me. Life lead me around again through Amsterdam to Windsor where I joined Clive sensei and Kobukan. Despite my knee injury (and a matching hip injury staying with me I’ve taken my Nidan and Sandan since I came here. I still try to train as much as possible, join other clubs or courses when I can. And in 2024 I finally made my dream come through by going to Tokyo.My current goal is participating to the next SKIF world championship in Turkey. I’m hard at working improving my Gojushio-sho.
Senpai Deb, 2nd Kyu
In my early twenties I briefly trained with the Shaolin Kung Fu club at King’s College London. I gained my first two belts; however, I stopped training when the friend I’d initially joined with decided to give up. I wasn’t keen to attend classes alone. In 2021, my daughter’s Shotokan karate instructor mentioned that she also taught adults, so at the tender age of 43, I jumped at the chance to resume my martial arts journey. I have since graded to second kyu, as well as attending numerous courses with top SKIF instructors, both in the UK and abroad. I particularly enjoy the mindful aspects of karate training, finding that concentrating on executing or improving specific techniques or forms in class encourages me to be ‘in the moment’ rather than worrying about external concerns. I also enjoy the sense of working towards specific goals, as well as the fitness benefits, fun and friendships karate has brought into my life. Alongside karate training, I enjoy distance running and Pilates.
Sensei Phil King, Sandan
I started training in karate around 1980 at the Village Hall in Eynsham. I moved on to train at the Charlbury Karate Club, this was a KUGB Club. I went on a course and trained with Terry O’Neil. Tomita Sensei graded me for red belt. My next teacher was a guy called Norman who was a 2nd Dan. He invited Bob Rhodes to come and teach. I later trained with many of the KUGB regulars at time and took my kyu gradings with Billy Higgins and Bob Poynton,. We also visited Steve Cattle’s Club. I trained at Crystal Palace with Enoeda Sensei in 1989, 1990 and 1991. I moved to Bicester and joined the SSKA, training with them for a few years before joining SKIF. I trained with John and Brenda Wise, Fudokai, in Northolt and graded Nidan in 2007. They closed their dojo to retire to Spain so I joined Sensei Kevin Leigh’s SKIF Club in Watford. I took my 3rd Dan there in 2011. In 2014, I joined Kobukan in Windsor and I’m currently training with Sensei Clive Young and Sensei Anne-Marie Box. I’m looking forward to taking my Yondan in November 2025.
Sensei Terry O’Sullivan, Yondan
I began my karate journey at the Phoenix Karate Club in Tehran in 1977. I had use of a gym in the military compound and trained every lunchtime using the training manuals of Nakayama Sensei (JKA). Training twice a week at the karate club, it seemed no time at all that I was taking my 6th kyu grading. Our Club entered the Tehran National Championships and I was picked as a reserve. The Tehran Academy Karate Team were short of a competitor and as I was a reserve, my Sensei agreed to let me compete for the Academy Team. Their trainer gave me some advice on punching techniques not knowing that as an amateur boxer, I had already competed in over 40 boxing matches. My Club , Phoenix, were knocked out in the first round but I went through to the finals with the Academy Team. We narrowly lost but gave a good account of ourselves. By late 1978, there were riots and demonstrations against the Shah. I packed most of my belongings, including my karate kit but left all my tools and my skiing equipment. I thought I was going to return as I had been offered a second contract. However, the Shah was deposed, and I was never able to return.
Late in 1979, I found a really good karate club in Wimborne near Bournemouth, run by Glenn Hall 6th Dan and with the Chief Instructor Sensei Kawasoe, KUGB. I graded to 2nd kyu and in 1980, I competed at Crystal Palace but was disqualified in the first round for excessive contact (we had different rules in Tehran!) I stopped training for about 10 years due to work, family commitments etc, and eventually started back in 1993 with Doug McGlashan, 3rd Dan at his SKIF club at Chase Manhattan Bank in Bournemouth. Doug was also a very good fighter but preferred to let me lead when the competitions were due, we had a successful couple of years in 1997 & 1998. Personally, I competed well in the following: 1997 SKKIF National Championships, competing in 4 events, Gold, 1st Team Kata, 3 x Bronze, 3rd place Kumite, 3rd place Vets Kumite, 3rd Team Kumite. 1997 SKKIF 6th World Karate Championship Milan, quarter finalist kumite: 1998 National Championships, I competed in 5 events , 5 medals, winning a Gold, 1st Vet Kata, 2 x Silver, 2nd Individual Kata, 2nd Vet Kumite, 2 x Bronze, 3rd Individual Kumite, 3rd Team Kumite. SKKIF 8th European Championships, Sheffield, Bronze medal for Kumite.
The Bournemouth Club closed in 1999, and I took another long break from karate until 2006 when I started training again. I was training on my own initially, it was some nine months plus before I felt confident enough to turn up at Windsor un-announced one night to train, Sensei Clive Young 6th Dan and the club members made me feel so welcome it was like I had never been away. I started going up there at least twice a month, attending the Black Belt sessions. I was feeling confident enough and fit enough to take my 3rd Dan examination at Watford in November 2010. Tony Atherden 6th Dan Renshi was getting a team for the 11 SKIF Championships in Sydney contacted me early 2012. I agreed to go and competed in the Masters kumite. I won the Gold Medal; it turns out I had fought two Japanese from SKI Japan and a Japanese Canadian SKI to reach the finals. 2nd place was Kaneko Akihiro from Japan SKIF, Joint 3rd place was Chau Tran Chanh Canada SKIF and Taketou Nabekura Japan SKIF. I competed in the SKKIF National Championships in Watford on the 6th June 2014. There were no ‘old boys’ to fight so I entered the age group 35 + and below 75kg event, I was 62kg and only managed to get to the second round. I decided then, aged 67, that perhaps I should retire from competitions. I passed my 4th Dan at Windsor in October 2014 under the watchful eye of Kancho Nobuaki Kanazawa and despite some quite debilitating health problems, I continue to train aged 77.
Terry has written a detailed account of his 30+ years of karate training and competing. Click on the link if you would like to read more…..
Sensei Sharon Agius, Yondan
I first started karate in Shotokan and Wado-Ryu (club politics!) in 1988, but after a break restarted in Shotokan with Newcastle University Jin Sei Kai club in 1992. I achieved 1st dan there under Sensei Paul Perry in 1997. Although I have continually trained in Karate since, primarily in Shotokan, I have experienced a variety of styles and clubs, not all in the UK, over the years. This includes Shotokan training in Vancouver, Wado Ryu training in Fukuoka, Japan and Seido training in Auckland while living in those areas. Confusing that it can be at times to swap between styles, it is also an excellent way to appreciate differences and similarities between martial arts (I had also spent probably too much time at university joining in with other clubs too such as Muay Thai boxing, Jiu Jitsu and Taekwondo rather than studying!) Shotokan has stayed as my preferred choice as I enjoy traditional approaches gaining knowledge in fundamentals of Karate movement and basic technique to a high standard, as I have found in SKKIF.
I gained my 2nd Dan under Sensei Nick Adamou (IASK) in 2003, 3rd Dan with Kancho Kanazawa (SKKIF) in 2010 and 4th Dan with Kancho Kanazawa (SKKIF) in 2016.