YudanshaThe Bristol and Portishead branch of DKK has a number of experienced and committed Yudansha (black belts) who have helped shape it into the supportive club it is today.
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Sandan (3rd Dan Black Belt)
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Caroline Clark
Shodan 2000, Nidan 2003, Sandan 2013 "Goju-ryu is not a rigid syllabus with a set number of techniques to learn. Instead it's the application of fundamental principals which can't be mastered overnight. Each time you train you realise there is so much more to learn. This is one of the benefits of training with someone as gifted as Sensei Lewis." |
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Tim Clark
Shodan 2000, Nidan 2003, Sandan 2013 "For me karate is a very personal and private corner stone in my life, challenging me physically, mentally and at times emotionally. However, it has also enabled me to forge very powerful friendships through shared experiences, for which I am truly grateful." |
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Rob 'Smiley' Newton
Shodan 2005, Nidan 2008, Sandan 2015 "Who would have thought that a timid little lad like me would ever end up with a dan grade in a martial art? Certainly I'd never have seen it coming - and yet, here I am! This is a testament to the adaptability of Goju Ryu as a system, to the supportiveness of Daigaku Karate Kai as an association, and to the skill and patience of Shihan Lewis as an instructor - and not just Shihan Lewis, but all those who gave (and continue to give) help and encouragement along the way." |
Nidan (2nd Dan Black Belt)
James Dingwall
Shodan 2006, Nidan 2009 |
Simon Mackown
Shodan 2008, Nidan 2011 "My first Goju session was at Summer School 2001 and I was hooked from the start. The defining moment was witnessing Mark Salomone and Genevieve Charles complete the 30 man kumite and earn their nidan grade. While at the time I did not believe that I would ever be capable of such an achievement, I decided there and then that Goju was the system for me. Karate has since become an integral part of what defines who I am both physically and mentally." |
Katharine Winstanley
Shodan 2009, Nidan 2012 "I joined DKK when I moved to Bristol in 2002. The breadth of the system means that there is always something new to learn. However, the core underlying principles are always present." |
Andy Bremerkamp
Shodan 2010, Nidan 2013 “Goju Ryu Karate training under Sensei’s Dan and Gavin is awesome! The fighting system is traditional in its core and basics, but is still open to ideas from other martial arts, traditional or modern. It has given me the hardest physical and mental challenges I have faced and continues to make me want to improve and work on my understanding and knowledge.” |
Elin Haug
Shodan 2007, Nidan 2014 "When I started training all those years ago, I never imagined what a big part of my life karate would be, and how much influence it has had on the commitments I have made and choices I have taken, and still do. Although not training regularly with the club any more, I still feel a part of DKK, and treasure every moment when I get to train in such an inspiring environment." |
Rob Curtis
Shodan 2008, Nidan 2014 "I have found training in Goju to be both empowering and humbling. No matter what you know, there are always fundamentals to work on, always more to learn. This challenge is what keeps Goju fresh for me, it’s a physical, mental, and emotional pursuit. DKK provides a supportive environment with high standards to pursue your own path." |
Darren Heywood
Shodan 2010, Nidan 2014 "DKK has become a important and influential part of my life. Through hard physical training Karate has taught me that whatever challenges we face, both in and out of the dojo, nothing is too difficult or unachievable. It has given me the confidence to face my demons, to overcome fears and continue to push boundaries to achieve my goals and ambitions." |
Phillipa Lovegrove
Shodan 2012, Nidan 2015 "Having started training later than most (aged 30), with no previous Martial Arts experience, I think myself extremely fortunate that DKK Goju Ryu was the first club I came to. Initially it appealed for it's comprehensive approach to self defence, but I have gained so much more. The ongoing study, physical challenges, and opportunity to present the results of your endeavours through grading, all develop the mind, body and sprirt." |
Dan Solomon
Shodan 2014, Nidan 2016 "I never chose Karate, Karate chose me. Okinawan Goju Ryu is a hard and soft style, blending striking and grappling, which for me makes it a practical and real martial art. Each time I go to the Dojo it’s a challenge for me to face my demons and prove my spirit. The hard and the soft have a different meaning to me now, than when I first started. They say that the journey never ends, and once you reach blackbelt that is when you truly start to learn Karate. From whitebelt to blackbelt is a very important journey, it has changed me from a boy into a man." |
Matt Savigear
Shodan 2012, Nidan 2017 "What I love most about karate is its depth and resulting longevity - when you come to start your training, you soon realise that you will never "finish". You may stop or give up, but as long as you continue there will be more to observe, learn and improve. Whether you are a white belt or dan grade you can take away something new, however small, every time you practice." |
Shodan (1st Dan Black Belt)
Gina Reinge
Shodan 2011 "I started DKK karate with a rather sceptical head on having trained for several years in Thai Boxing. My understanding of karate was endless katas in lines. How wrong could I have been. DKK is such a complete system challenging me physically, mentally and emotionally, it encompasses everything needed in a fighting system and has helped me with many physical and mental challenges in my life along the way." 
Danny Williams
Shodan 2014 “The belt around my waist, and the certificate hanging on my wall represent to me, the shining highlight of a lifetime of physical pursuits, where, on the day I was tested in June 2014, every lesson of my 40 years of a life in sport came together for a successful melding of body, mind and spirit, and gave me a feeling like never before!” |
Lawrence Long
Shodan 2012 
Mike Jenkins
Shodan 2015 |
Yudansha Alumni
Bristol Yudansha currently living, working and training elsewhere in the world.
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Elin Haug
Paul Hill Muataz Al-Barwani Ben Sturgeon Torbjoern Roenning Nick Coleman Elin Haug Tom Garner Toby Nicols Luke Gamble Nick Hughes Steve Redman Kayvan Shokrullahi Georgia Pashias Priya Suktankhar Jules Wallace Mizuki Murai |
Nidan 2014
Shodan 1998 Shodan 2000 Shodan 2004 Shodan 2005 Shodan 2007 Shodan 2007 Shodan 2009 Shodan Ho 1998 Shodan Ho 1999 Shodan Ho 1999 Shodan Ho 1999 Shodan Ho 1999 Shodan Ho 2004 Shodan Ho 2006 Shodan Ho 2008 Shodan Ho 2010 |
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