Paul’s Sporting History.
My martial arts career started on the 15th April 1963 at the age of 6 training in Judo at the village hall in Heysham, this was the club were I failed my first grading at the age of 7 because my belt was tied incorrectly, imagine that happening now?

I trained there for a few years until the hall was damaged by fire and the club was disbanded. In 1970 I started Karate in the hall at ‘Our Ladies High School’, which I did until 1973. It was around this time I got interested in weight training and started training at John Storton’s club in Heysham, which was in a room below were the Red Rose Karate used to train. I enjoyed this as well and did well in competitions.

In 1977 I did Kung Fu at a club in the basement of a boarding house in Morecambe, this went on until the instructor got arrested and we think eventually deported.
It was around this time that I also did a lot of clay pigeon  and target rifle shooting both of which I represented my County and Country. I went on to become a qualified firearms instructor and used to coach adults and juniors at county level.
In the early 80s I started doing Karate again I tried various styles including time at the Black Tiger.
I also did Batto Jutsu, which is a sword fighting style made famous by Toshishiro Obata. Eventually I joined the NASSKC which is a Wado-ryu organisation and trained at a club in Morecambe. I trained there until I got my 1st Kyu I didn’t  do my 1st dan for various reasons for 11 years, one being meeting sensei Andy Manwaring and joining the Bushido Kempo Ju-Jitsu club, from then I have done many things

In 1991 I qualified as a referee with the NASSKC
In 1998 I qualified as a National referee with the JJIF
In 1999 I qualified as a continental referee with the JJIF
I am also Secretary for the IABC.
Over the years I have been lucky enough to go on trips teaching in 8 countries’ including Russia 5 times the Philippines twice, Israel, Egypt, USA etc. doing demonstrations and instruction.
My main interests at the moment are continuing my training in Kempo Ju-Jitsu and studying JuJitsu prior to the 1880s.

It has been a long hard revolution but I have enjoyed it and I have made many friends along the way. I say revolution because a journey has an end but the path through martial arts has no end it rolls on and on.