UK Karate 8th and 7th dans who started karate in the Sixites

Can I countmy sensei? From UK a 7th dan, still trains and teaches. He is close to 70 yearsoldnow (born1944)

Sensei David Bell, Shotokan (not sure when he started though)

 

Yes, expats are allowed - can you find out his starting date?

 

Oh yah - I googled him and looked it up - yeah he started in the 1960's and 1970's along with the 4 other 7th dan senseis of our association.

Old newspaper article from when they became 6th dans:

http://www.newfoundlandkarateassociation.org/articles.html

Net research was how I found out Enoeda was one of his teachers. I confirmed it when i asked him one day

 

I think that's a load of rubbish. As with today, only a minority of people continued with their training, and the real explosion didn't come until the 70s, so any date in the 60s should be acceptable.

 

I enjoyed an a glass of Don Julio 1942 recently, it is surprising what good ingredients and enough aging in Oak barrels will do to create a finished product that is comparable with Whiskey and Brandy.

 

I love you too.

Keep your knickers on John, it's just a bit of fun... Jeez!

 

Are you saying I should use the smilies more often?

 

8th Dan Chris Thompson 1969 Wado

 

At the moment anyway, we are trying to keep it to those who started in 1965 or before.

Gary

 

Not sure if this meets the criteria:

George Andrews, 1960 boxing, refused karate in 1965 due to age, 1967 Mushindo, 8th Dan Goju Ryu.

 

Not sure if counts, my old TKD place is still labeled under Korean Karate iirc something from an old residual politics thing where they were better off falling under the Karate Banner rather than the TKD banner. So they're still a part of the English Karate Federation, but its a TKD syllabus they teach...

But I looked up my old instructor, who is an 8th dan, but didn't start until 1967, but HIS instructor Mick Blackwell is an 8th dan and in 1967 was a Brown Belt, so I imagine must have begun training prior to '65...

But not sure if counts =p

 

What about Bernard Creton?
Got his Kyokushin BB in 1970 (after 3 years of training) but did shotokan before that (so may have started training in 1965 or thereabouts?).
Currently a 9th dan in Denmark I think.

 

I think Gary's focusing on British subjects who are still in the country.

 

I thought Harada is now a UK National, he certainly got an MBE from the queen which I think means he holds UK citizenship....?

and does that mean Masao Kawazoe counts?

 

I think we will limit it to British Nationals born in the UK for the moment.

I see no reason why Nationals that are no longer resident in the UK can't be included (Kear brothers for example who now live in Austrailia) as long as they started their Karate training in the UK and they are still practicing.

Gary

 

That rules out Steve Arneil too then, as a South African. Seems a little harsh since he's lived here since the 60s, founded the British Karate Kyokushinkai, coached the British all-styles karate team etc

 

That's a fair point Moosey.

I've removed him from the list:

9th Dan - Andy Sherry, Shotokan, 1959
9th Dan - Peter Constantine, Shukokai 1963
9th Dan - Mick Randal, Shotokan, 1964
8th Dan - Terry Wingrove, 1950
8th Dan - John Van Weenan Shotokan (early 60s - pre 65)
8th Dan - Philip Kear, Wado -ryu, 1964
8th Dan - Peter Spanton, Wado - Ryu 1965
7th Dan – Walter Seaton, Yoseikan 1959 then Wado-ryu 1964
7th Dan - Terry O'Neill, Shotokan, 1963
7th Dan - Reg Kear, Wado-ryu, 1964
7th Dan - Robert Kear, Wado-ryu, 1964
7th Dan - Bob Poynton, Shotokan, 1965
7th Dan - Billy Higgins, Shotokan, 1965
7th Dan - Paul Perry, Shotokan, date unknown (early/mid 60s)
7th Dan - Roger Hall Shotokan, date unknown (early/mid 60s - Wado first then Shotokan in late 60s)
5th Dan Peter Jackson Shotokai 1965 (Allowed as 5th Dan is the highest grade in Shotokai)
5th Dan Colin Reeve Shotokai 1965 (Allowed as 5th Dan is the highest grade in Shotokai)

 

I can't really grasp the point of a list which does recognize people who've emirated away from the UK but fails to include those that have devoted decades to helping British martial arts while living in these Isles.

 

It's not that tough!

It's about the Brits, that started off here in these Isles [edit] in 1965 or before - and are still training, no matter where they are.

 

You sure E budo is defunct? It seems active still. Anyway.

I trained in the early nineties under the late but oh so great Steve Cattle. Think he started Karate in mid sixties but not sure on exact year. He also never reached 7 th dan. But no matter. No list of great British Karateka is complete without his name on it.