CHIEF INSTRUCTOR SENSEI PHIL SHIRE 7th DAN

Sensei Shire started his karate career in the 1970’s and has trained with most of the great Shotokan masters including Sensei’s Kanazawa, Mikami, Enoeda, Kase, Nishiyama, etc and latterly Sensei Paul Perry 9th Dan. Sensei Shire has been involved in various styles of karate for many years and also has a black belt in kyokushinkai and teaches Tai Chi. He has instructed at two other clubs in England, Sensei Shire has also taught all over the United States, Europe, the Eastern Bloc and in Africa. His main areas of expertise are karate applications, body movement and the history of karate. Sensei Shire has also taught many physically and mentally disabled children and adults with significant success and has links with various disabled support organisations.

Sensei Phil Shire, has over forty years’ teaching experience. He has fought for England in competition, and has many regional and national championships to his name. He also won the Suffolk Coastal Coach of the Year award in 2012 (Olympic Year) and has received many other teaching awards. Sensei Shire was awarded Seventh Dan in 2015.

Our Instructors:

Martin Reynolds        (6^th Dan)

Joe Walsh                 (5^th Dan)

Richard Bloomfield   (4^th Dan)

Matthew Ford           (1st Dan)

 MARTIN REYNOLDS, 6^th DAN

I am now into my 41st year studying karate and still enjoy the training. Yes, the body is not so flexible but there is still so much to learn and practice.

My formal training started late 1979 and I achieved my first black belt in 1984. Early on in my training, my focus was on competitions but for the last 30 years I have been more interested in the functional side of the sport. To assist me in this training I have cross trained in other styles but more importantly I have trained with other likeminded self-defence instructors.

I still attend many seminars to further my knowledge, and I currently cross train in Escrima (Fillipino martial art) for a new challenge.

Outside karate I like to cycle and go to the gym and I currently teach in Bourne South Lincolnshire.

JOE WALSH, 5^th DAN

Joe first started martial arts training in November1964 the disciplines he has studied from then to present are judo, Wado-Ryu karate, Taekwondo and ju-jitsu. Joe found his metier in Shotokan practising in Ipswich for over 6 years until Sensei Phil Shire founded the Sizewell club in February 1987. He feels proud of being one of the founder members of this organisation. When Joe began training at Sizewell club he was 1st kyu and with dedication and passion climbed the ladder of Dan grades, latterly passing 5th Dan. Now approaching seventy and despite a battle with health Joe has shown his dedication to his karate and his club by taking over as Lead Instructor from Sensei Shire and the administration of the club. Joe's vast range of experience of different styles and dedication to his Art, combined with a depth of patience make him particularly effective as a teacher.

RICHARD BLOOMFIELD, 4^th DAN

Richard started at Sizewell Karate Club in Leiston Suffolk nearly 20 years ago. Still at Sizewell he is now one of three club instructors. Over the years He has been privileged to train with some great instructors Sensei Phil Shire, Sensei Martin Reynolds, the late Sensei Paul Perry,Sensei Barry Shearer and the Great Sensei Hirokazu Kanazawa. Richard has visited and trained with various clubs around England and Scotland over the years; the different interpretation of shotokan around the country has given Richard a varied and deep understanding of different ways to interpret the same style. He is a committed and dedicated teacher, energetic and imaginative, with a particular interest in freestyle and kumite.

MATTHEW FORD 1^st DAN

I started karate in 1993 under Phil Shire at the kids club in Leiston. After about 10 years I achieved my black belt and during this time I was able to train with many other accomplished black belts enriching my experience and knowledge. Although we are not a competition based club I was more than able to hold my own in various competitions that I took part in both locally and in Watford.

As someone who has had to battle with severe dyslexia, karate has given me the strength and confidence in life to fight on, buying a frozen foods company at 19 and assisting a friend with his pub chain aged just 21.

In 2008 I was involved in a life threatening Road Traffic Accident (RTA) which left me with life changing injuries. I feel that my past in karate had put me in a much better position to survive the accident and having it as something to return to, it's helped massively in my recovery.

While karate has been a massive help in my life I am now able to use the many life lessons in my karate allowing me to understand each move to a whole new level. This has given me a much better ability to teach karate as I have to try and see things from a much broader range of angles than I ever could have without.

As part of my recovery I have also been exploring other forms of karate training and Jiu-jitsu. Whilst each have their own merits and have improved my knowledge and understanding they cannot compete with what the Sizewell club has given me over the past 28 years.