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Instructor Profiles



Andy Allwood 5th Dan
DOB 25.3.64 
When and where did you start karate? May 1983 in Bolton 
Why did you start karate? For fitness and self defence 
First instructor Tom Scott
Date of 1st Dan & Examiner / Association 25.4.87 Shinji-Ru Karate Association
Date of 2nd Dan & Examiner / Association 16.12.89 Shinji-Ru Karate Association
Date of 3rd Dan & Examiner / Association 17.10.93 BFASKO
Date of 4th Dan & Examiner / Association 10.9.98 BTKA
Date of 5th Dan & Examiner / Association 15.10.05 Peter Allen / AMA Technical Committee
First started teaching 1987 at Darwen Leisure Centre
Relevant experiences  Many including courses with Ticky Donovan, Bill Wallace, Alfie Lewis, Harry Cook, Gary Spiers, Greg Francis and Steve Quinn
Biggest influences Tom Scott, Peter Allen (AMA National Manager)
Competition honours Many, including AMA North West Open Heavyweight Champion, BTKA Heavyweight Champion
Other qualifications First-Aider, CRB Cleared, AMA Club Coaching certificate
Any other relevant info 15 years in the security industry has given me a practical insight into the efficacy of my techniques
Favourite aspects of karate I particularly enjoy practical self defence techniques and their derivation from bunkai
Favourite food Many
Favourite book / author History books
Desert Island disc "Comfortably Numb", Pink Floyd; or "More than a Feeling", Boston
Favourite film/ movie genre/ director Many
Other external interests Cycling
 


Lorraine Allwood 2nd Dan
DOB 22.8.71
When and where did you start karate? September 1994 at my husband's club
Why did you start karate? To learn to defend myself after being assaulted
First instructor Andy Allwood
Date of 1st Dan & Examiner / Association 19.9.98 Dave Ritchie, Greg Francis; BTKA 
Date of 2nd Dan & Examiner / Association 28.3.01 Andy Allwood; AMA
First started teaching 1998
Relevant experiences Various courses including: Ian Cole, Ticky Donovan, Keiji Tomiyama, Greg Francis, Steve Quinn, Helen Raye
Biggest influences My husband! Greg Francis, Helen Raye, Steve Quinn
Competition honours Many in Kumite and Kata
Other qualifications Colour technician and hairdresser; British Sign language and sign-supported English. ***Recently qualified CACDP Deaf Studies and Level 3 Sign Language***
Favourite aspect of karate I enjoy kata most. Next goal is into weapons work
Favourite food Chinese, Italian
Favourite book / author Martina Cole, Jackie Collins
Desert Island disc I listen to most music!
Favourite film / movie genre / director "Ghost" or any "Carry-On" film
Other external interests Used to be freelance art/designer. Still do sketching when our young kids allow!
 



Martyn Skipper 4th Dan
DOB 10.6.63.
When and where did you start karate? Biggin Hill Henka-Ryu in December 1976
Why did you start karate? Because my schoolmate Mick Whitelock was doing Taekwondo, and it seemed cool
First instructors Glenn Wylie, Dave Roberts
Date of 1st Dan & Examiner / Association Glenn Wylie, Frank Kelly 13.6.81 (AKA)
Date of 2nd Dan & Examiner / Association Ben Oltmans 9.8.96 (IBF)
Date of 3rd Dan & Examiner / Association Peter Schoenewille 6.8.88 (IBF)
Date of 4th Dan & Examiner / Association Peter Allen, Kevin Hamilton-Stewart, Tom Hibbert MBE 10.3.07. (AMA)
First started teaching From about orange belt! although I inherited Biggin Hill Henka-Ryu around 1983
Relevant experiences Was a regular student and instructor on the IBF Summer Camp from the mid 80s for eleven consecutive years. When I flew the nest to go to university I trained all over the country, with, amongst others: Chris Kent and Alan Gibson (Wado, Brighton); Joe Tierney (Shukokai, Bolton); Master Thamm (WuShuKwan, Brighton); Paul McGee (Shotokan, Bolton) and John Boyle (Goju, Manchester), but I attended scores of courses in loads of different disciplines in this time. Notable were: Mitsusuke Harada, Terry O'Neill, Dave Hazard, Billy Higgins, Frank Brennan, Mike Lambert, Ernie Molyneux, Chew Choo Soot, Lim Kee Yan, Alfie Lewis, Steve Brookes, Julian Mead, Steve Cattle, Bob Rhodes, Aiden Trimble, Kisho Inoue, Steve Morris, George Andrews, Charles Gidley, Terry Pottage, Keiji Tomiyama, but loads of others too.
Biggest influences On coaching, undoubtedly Geof Gleeson and Martin Clarke. From a karate point of view, the Goju guys especially Morio Higaonna, Steve Morris and Harry Cook certainly made a mark, but I learnt a great deal from my IBF peers, Steve Merrett, Simon Ford-Powell and (now professor} Richard Bailey..
Competition honours IBF National Kata Champion In 1987. UK Champion in "Shiai Jutsu" at U65 kg, and 3rd in Open Weight (one of the first examples of the now ubiquitous "Total Fight" / NHB genre). In 2005 I was runner up in the EKGB English Kumite Championships in the Masters category. In 2006 I was bronze medallist in the same event.
2006 AMA North West Open Kumite Champion at U65kg.
Other qualifications 1st Dan Ju Jutsu under Trev Roberts, 1st Dan Taiho Jutsu under Steve Sweetlove, 3rd Dan Shotokan under Paul McGee. St John First Aid Certificate, CRB Cleared, IBF Level 3 Coach, AMA Club Coach
Any other relevant info Writer on matters karate. ("Combat" Hall-of-Fame 2003). Currently P.R.O. for AMA and formerly for EKGB
Favourite technique(s) / aspects of karate I like the technique that gets in!
Favourite food Anything really fresh and natural, like fresh-caught fish, but I love Thai cooking, and sashimi.
Favourite book / author "Judo Inside Out" by Geof Gleeson, "Chocolat" by Joanne Harris or "Catch 22" by Joseph Heller.
Desert Island disc What a daft question. Right now probably "No Woman, No Cry" by Marley, or "Pretty Vacant" by the Pistols, but it changes by the hour. I'd ask Kirsty for an iPOD!
Favourite film / movie genre / director "Young Frankenstein" or "A Clockwork Orange"
Other external interests I like cooking, drinking, keeping fit, and try to keep abreast of the arts (in my spare time!). Currently taking a break from horseriding lessons. I have an ambition to write a book (don't we all?) and recently attended a non-fiction writing residential weekend. I am a Parent Governor at Edgworth School, and a member of Victoria Hall Am Dram Society, recently playing the parts of the King in a production of "Sleeping Beauty", and Ashley, a philandering husband, in our spring production "Murder Weekend" by Bettine Manktelow. In the 2008 Panto, "Dick Whittington" I play Alderman Fitzwarren.



Nick  (Nicholas when I’m in trouble) 
Heatlie-Jackson 2nd Dan
DOB 14th August 1961
A long, long, time ago in a galaxy far, far
away !
When and where did you start karate October
1987 at Darwen Leisure Centre
Why did you start karate For fitness and
self defence
First instructor A young 1st Dan you
might know as Andy Allwood. At the very first
night that the club opened with a demo, my wife
Caroline and myself signed up, and we are very
proud to be able to say that, even after a
break, we are still friends and associated with
the club.
Date of 1st Dan & Examiner / Association 
1st March 1992, Tom Scott 4th dan Shinji-ru
Karate Association /  Instructor  Andy Allwood
Date of 2nd Dan & Examiner / Association 
27th November 1994, Dave Ritchie /
Andy Allwood, British Tori Kai Karate
Association
First started teaching Andy asked me to assist
when I reached 3rd Kyu, probably 1989
Relevant experiences Started training with
Andy as one of his first students in October
1987 when the club was with Shinji-ru  then
with other associations but Andy was always
there to guide us all in the right direction.
Biggest influences Andy Allwood, Tom Scott,
Dave Ritchie, Greg Francis and the Jiyu Kigen
Ryu Sunday crew .
Competition honours 1988-Shinji-Ru up to 4th
kyu kata 2nd
1988-Shinji-Ru up to 4th kyu kumite 3rd
1989-Shinji-Ru up to 4th kyu kata 3nd
1994 BTKA nationals senior kumite 3rd
1994 BTKA nationals Senior team event 3rd
1995 BTKA nationals Senior lightweight kumite
3rd 
1995 BTKA nationals Senior team event 3rd
Other qualifications 30 years as a hairdresser
(still don’t understand women)
Blackburn Area Road Safety Association Gold
Star Driver Award
Any other relevant info Attended various
courses with the likes of Alfie Lewis, Keiji
Tomiyama, Greg Francis, Tom Scott and Dave
Ritchie.
Favourite technique(s) / aspects of karate 
Anything that scores, Nasty street techniques,
the self control and the respect for other
people and Karateka that Karate gives you .
Favourite food Indian, Chinese, Mexican,
Italian, Kebabs, Bury Black puddings, just
about anything - I’m a human dustbin.
Favourite book/ author Tolkien / anything,
John Steinbeck / of mice and men,  Jim Fogg
Desert Island disc Too many, but anything
by  Bowie, Meatloaf, Pink Floyd, Lancashire
Hotpots, Elgar, Verdi, Giacomo Puccini or
Strauss
Favourite film/ movie genre/ director 
Feel-good movies (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,
Grease) Sad movies (Forrest Gump, Ghost)
Men’s films (Magnificent Seven, The Great
Escape, Dam Busters).
Other external interests Fishing, Motor sport,
Motor cycles, Rugby union, Wine and Real Ale,
Eating out, Autism, Yorkshire Coast and The
Lake District.
 



Gary Marsden 1st Dan
(Full profile to follow)