MARTIAL ARTS

 BACKGROUND

 OF THE

 FOUNDER &

 CHIEF

 INSTRUCTOR

 Master Fowler 

7th Dan 

I I I I I I I

My sunrise - 7th June 1956

Changing times!

During my formative years as a martial artist, safeguarding was virtually unheard of, children's martial arts classes were virtually unheard of, other than Judo which I did as a child, protective equipment was virtually unheard of together with it being of a very poor quality, and it's use was either actively discouraged, or not allowed at all! Classes consisted of mostly men, very few women and no children attended any of the classes that I attended at that period in time.

 Training was very physical, violent and relentless, in my mind, not for the feint hearted, you had to "really want it", and have the "spirit", to get through it! Rightly or wrongly, I think it was those conditions that, in one way or another, produced a totally different kind of martial artist.......food for thought?

One thing I do know for sure, and that is that if I were to run my classes the way they used to be run in my formative years.....they would be empty!

 January 1980 - Began my martial arts journey in Za-Zen Zen-Shin-Ryu Karate, under John Alexanda, Roger-Thia-Jones, and Mike Knight. I won numerous competitions whilst I was a member of this group.

1981 - Began Taekwondo under Master Ian Morrison, then Ian Wheeler, and Mick Clark.

1982 - Additional training with Ron Jones, Shotokan Karate.

1983-BTCB British National Taekwondo Championships Peterborough-4^th place-Heavy Weight division.

1983-Chungs Academy Taekwondo Championships Plymouth-3^rd place-Heavy Weight division.

1983-BTCB British Taekwondo National Selection Championships-Manchester-4^th place-Heavy Weight division.

1983-Shins Open National Taekwondo Championships-Runcorn-2^nd place-Light/Heavy Weight division.

1984-Trained with British squad (BTCB).

1984-Awarded 1^st Dan with the BTCB in London under Master Kim Yong Ho

1985 - Trained with Paul Evans, Shotokan Karate.

1985-Founded Dover School Of Taekwondo at Dover YMCA.

1985-Awarded 1^st Dan with British Jidokwan under Master Ian Morrison.

1985 to 1987- Members of the BTCB.

1986-BTCB British Olympic Taekwondo Team Selection Championships-Manchester-3^rd place-Heavy Weight division.

1986 - One months training in South Korea under Ro-Wook-San, national team captain, national heavyweight champion of 1986 and Korean Special Forces "Korean Tiger" 

1987 - Trained with Hanshi Bernard Creton, Jitsu Kai Karate.

1988 - Awarded 2^nd Dan  under Master Ian Morrison, British Jidokwon.

1989 - Visited and trained in Thai Boxing-Thailand.

1989 - Coach to Dover Kickboxing Club.

1990 - Trained in Judo under Mick Davies-Dover.

1991-MAC Coaching Award.

1991 - Joined Amateur Martial Arts Association.

1994 - Awarded 3^rd Dan with the BTCB, graded by Grandmaster Park Soo-Nam in London. Kukkiwon certificated.

1995 - trained and graded to 3rd Kyu in Kyokushinkai Karate under the late Sensei Barry Bergen.

1995 - attended, and completed, Hanshi Steve Arneil’s Kyokushinkai  summer training camp.

1999 - Moved dojang to the Gym Club Dover.

2000 - Joined NAKMAS, National Association of Karate and Martial Arts Schools.

2000 - Senior Instructor with NAKMAS.

2000 - NAKMAS Level 1 Coaching Award

2000 - Became NVQ qualified Assessor and Verifier,D32 & D33.

2000 – awarded 4^th Dan with NAKMAS.

2000 – NAKMAS Level 2 Coaching Award

2001 – Appointed Technical Executive Officer to NAKMAS committee.

2001 – Moved Dojang to Astor School on 4^th July.

2001 – Appointed as NAKMAS Vice Chairman.

2003 - 2013 NAKMAS deputy chairman  First term

2005 – Awarded 5^th Dan - NAKMAS

2011 – Awarded 6^th Dan - NAKMAS 

2018 - Awarded 7th Dan - NAKMAS

2023 - Re-Appointed NAKMAS Deputy Chairman - 2nd term

2024 - 44 years on and I'm sill as hungry, still searching but struggling with the way the world is changing....... 

"Parting the clouds, seeking the Way"  Gichin Funakoshi

    People wonder why I do this?

I wonder why they don't!