I was motivated to start karate training after watching Bruce Lee’s “Enter the Dragon”. I joined a Shotokan club at St Marks church hall in Leicester in 1974 at the age of 15. It turns out that sensei Conroy also trained at this club under the same instructors as myself. I trained under sensei Asano, and reached the grade of 6^th kyu. I then gave up karate having been distracted by other pursuits.  I later trained in Shaolin kung fu for a time, before attending Coventry Polytechnic where I briefly resumed my karate training under sensei Rick Jackson – though not for long enough to grade any further.

For the next 30 years I competed in many sports, but did not do any further karate training. However, I occasionally had regrets that I did not keep up my training. So eventually, at the tender age of 48, I resumed karate training with a vengeance, joining the Central Warwickshire Shotokan karate club in Leamington Spa, training under sensei Neil Byrne. After gaining my 2^nd kyu from Neil, I began training under sensei Cyril Cummins in Birmingham , who guided me through my 1^st kyu, and awarded me shodan in September 2010. I enjoy all aspects of karate training, and kumite in particular. I won the senior individual kumite  at Sensei  Cummins BHSKC National championship in 2009.

I have attended courses with senseis Dave Hazard and Terry O’Neill. 

I am now training with sensei Conroy, and am enjoying the extra dimension that he introduces in his classes.