My karate journey began in April 2005.  My mum was 1st Kyu at the time and I had seen how she had been completely absorbed into Karate and had achieved a great deal, not only in Karate terms, but personally as well.  I was looking for a new challenge and as anyone who knows her will agree, when my mum starts talking Karate it’s easier just to go along and try it out!

I had met Sensei McClagish before I started Karate and I already had a respect for his professionalism, calm attitude and, quite literally at times, head on approach to dealing with difficult situations. I had also seen firsthand that he enjoys taking on a new challenge!

I joined Clapham Club and I have to admit that it did take a while to catch the Karate bug.  I had a year out in 2006 due to work commitments, but when I returned I was able to commit more time to my training and I became hooked.  I was very lucky to be surrounded by excellent instructors and students alike.

I enjoy all aspects of Karate and I have found that what it teaches you goes far beyond a Dojo.  When I started I did not appreciate how much academic learning was involved in Karate, but I find myself now reading a lot of material not only about perfecting technique, but also how we perceive different situations and people.  I now realise that Karate is a lot more than ‘wax on wax off’ and there are endless possibilities to what you can do and learn.

I enjoy entering competitions and attending courses from any style of martial art.  I enjoy seeing a new perspective on things we thought we knew.  I have been lucky enough to train with Kancho Kanazawa and I was amazed at the effortlessness of his technique and the power he generates.  I, like most others, can only dream of emulating him, but I have seen what I wish to aspire to!