I was born in Folkestone in October 1959. My first experience of the martial arts was a Judo class at twelve years of age. I went because the instructor was a friend of my father's. I got thrown on the floor a lot and I never went back.
When I was eighteen I went to study in Rochester. On one particular day I needed to see the college caretaker, so I went down to his office. He called me in and asked me to watch whilst his assistant held up a lighted match and he punched it out - stopping his punch about four inches away from the flame. He told me about a karate school he was running, doing a style called Goshin Ryu. I went along and started training. I was quite fit to start with because I was doing a lot of running. I took my first grading after three months and double-graded.
I was asked if I wanted to enter a competition, and told it was non-contact. On the day the weather was very hot, so the fighting took place out-doors on the grass behind the village hall which was the dojo.
One of the black belts took me to one side to get me warmed up, and promptly hit me full in the face with a shotei (palm-heel) technique, which made my eyes water. With my eyes still watering I went up against a green belt who was almost twice my weight. I got punched in the head twice which gave me concussion and he was disqualified. I was somewhat disillusioned.
Meanwhile, back in Folkestone, my younger brother had started training in a style called 'Kyokushinkai'. He was very impressed with the style and the way things were run. When he heard about my tournament experience he was amazed. He couldn't believe there were no doctors present at the event, and that the bout hadn't been stopped after the initial excessive contact.
He told me about Kyokushinkai and I went along to watch a 'full-contact' tournament in Leicester. I wasn't prepared for what I saw, and at first I was shocked at the apparent brutality in the fighting.
Two years passed.
I was back at art college, and the students' union arranged for a karate instructor to come to the college once a week, and anyone who was interested could go along. I went along and I was the only student there. The instructor was a Nidan in Kyokushinkai. His name was Paul. I was amazed at his technical ability and the power in his punches and kicks, but what impressed me most was his attitude towards me: the respect he showed me when we trained and the way he allowed me to learn when we sparred. He never abused his position of superiority.
He ran a club in nearby Rainham on Sunday mornings, so I started to go there for extra training. The club however was folding up, and so I joined the nearest Kyokushinkai club I could find which was in Gravesend. The instructor there was Sensei Norman King.
I was training there twice a week, and practising every night in my one-room accommodation.
When I finished college I got a job in Teddington, so I moved to Hanworth. I was 8th kyu blue belt then, but Gravesend was now too far to travel, so I joined the Thames dojo in Battersea. The instructor there was Shihan Jeff Wyebrow.
I trained there for seven years. I also tried other karate styles but I felt - and still feel - Kyokushinkai is the best spirited and most demanding of all the karate styles I have trained in. I no longer try out other styles. Kyokushinkai is 'my' style, and has been for nearly twenty years.When Shihan Wyebrow withdrew from the BKK to start his own karate style I joined the Cranford Kyokushinkai, and this has been my base club for the last eight years. I train at other clubs with top instructors like Shihan Da Costa - 5th dan, and Hanshi Steve Arniel - 8th dan.
I obtained my 1st dan in 1994, and my 2nd dan in 1999.
I consider myself to be very fortunate in that I have been able to train under some of the best Kyokushinkai instructors in the world.
As an instructor I am able to pass on what I have learned over the years from these people - which I consider a great honour.
There is always something to learn, and sometimes I feel as though I am only just beginning myself to understand what 'Kyokushinkai' means.
The literal translation of the word karate is 'empty hand', but karate is much more than just this. I am a small part of the continuing circle, but however small a part I play, I am proud to be a part of the circle.