Karate do Shotokai
Teaching the way of Master Mitsusuke Harada
Teaching the way of Master Mitsusuke Harada
The current instructors at the London club are detailed below. Please note that all current instructors hold valid first aid qualifications and are appropiately covered to teach.
Please note that instructors in KDS London are not paid to teach karate, and pay the same club membership fee as charged to all members.
Nick began his training in 1985 at the University of Durham. He graduated from Durham in 1988 and undertook a DPhil at the University of Sussex during which time, along with Giles and others, he was one of the founding members of the Imperial College KDS karate club. On finishing his DPhil Nick held research posts at various places in the UK and abroad where he remained active in the martial arts before moving back to London in 1994. Nick was awarded his 3rd Dan black belt in January 2008.
Nick became the senior instructor at the Imperial College club in 2004.
Phil began his training in 1996 at the University of Southampton. After graduation he had his first stint practicing in London before starting a club in Canterbury in 1999 with a local 4th Dan Black Belt. After a job change in 2005 the Canterbury club could no longer operate at which time he returned to the London club where he received his 2nd dan in 2010.
Will Black is one of the many ex-Durham members within the club. Having moved to London Will no not only trains regularly with the main London club, but is also running the new club located at Queen Mary University in East London.
Vicky has been a member of the London club for many years, having moved to the area from Durham where her training within the KDS began. She received her 1st dan at the start of 2011, and since has been looking into getting a regular practice at King's College, London.
Owen moved to London towards the end of 2011 having previously received his 1st dan at the Southampton University club.
Peter Wraight started training at Southampton University in 1999. Following a move to Cambridge in 2003, he traveled down to train with the Imperial club for a couple of years before helping found the Cambridge club in 2005. Having relocated once more, he returned to the London club full time at the beginning of 2008 to receive his 2nd dan at the end of 2010.
Steve began this martial art career at the age of eight with the practice of Judo. By the age of nineteen he had achieved the grade of 2nd dan black belt under the BJA & BJC. During these years he trained under Dave Starbrook, Nick Player, Mutsuhau Otani Sensei and on one occasion with the great Kenshiro Abbe Sensei.
In 1972, at the age of nineteen, Steve began Karate-Do Shotokai with Norbert West who introduced him to Bill Barnes. Steve spent the next 20 years training with Bill before moving to the Slough club and practicing with Ziggy Boban. Steve started and ran his own club in Luton for around ten years. He is currently a senior instructor at the University of Herts KDS club.
For the last few year Steve has been visiting the London club weekly and passing on the knowledge that he has gained in the 36 years of dedicated Karate-Do practice.
In August 2008 Harada Sensei awarded Steve the grade of 3rd Dan black belt.