UK Karate 8th and 7th dans who started karate in the Sixites

UK Karate dan grades who started karate in the Sixites (or before)

Some may remember this from the now defunct e-budo forum but, all art is theft...

Just a bit of fun really, it's about creating a list of senior UK practitioners that are still training today - in Dan grade order...

The criteria is a senior British Karate-ka, still actively training/teaching that is now ranked 7th dan (or above) - who started training in 1965 or before...

I'll start it off...

9th Dan - Andy Sherry, Shotokan, 1959

 

There are a couple of others from the KUGB.

7th Dan - Terry O'Neill, Shotokan, 1963 (or thereabouts)
7th Dan - Bob Poynton, Shotokan, 1965
7th Dan - Billy Higgins, Shotokan, 1965

Outside of shotokan, does Steve Arneil count as he's not British by birth, but has been resident since the 1960s?

In which case

10th Dan - Steve Arneil, Kyokushinkai, 1961 (in kyokushinkai karate)

 

OK so,

10th Dan - Steve Arneil, Kyokushin, 1961
9th Dan - Andy Sherry, Shotokan, 1959
7th Dan - Terry O'Neill, Shotokan, 1963
7th Dan - Bob Poynton, Shotokan, 1965
7th Dan - Billy Higgins, Shotokan, 1965

Good start

 

If we can be flexible on the 1965 point, there's also...

7th Dan - Bob Rhodes, Shotokan, 1966
7th Dan - Dave Hazard, Shotokan, 1969

 

And to add some Wado guys in there...

10th Dan - Steve Arneil, Kyokushin, 1961
9th Dan - Andy Sherry, Shotokan, 1959
8th Dan - Philip Kear, Wado -ryu, 1964
7th Dan - Terry O'Neill, Shotokan, 1963
7th Dan - Reg Kear, Wado-ryu, 1964
7th Dan - Robert Kear, Wado-ryu, 1964
7th Dan - Bob Poynton, Shotokan, 1965
7th Dan - Billy Higgins, Shotokan, 1965

 

There are a lot of great Karate-ka that came through the system after that, but the early sixites were a sort of "super-time" for UK karate - so 1965 is the cut off.

Gary

 

If we are being a little flexible with the dates then we can add:

8th Dan Doug James Wado Ryu 1967

And from the legendary Chowa Karate Academy:

5th Dan Peter Jackson Shotokai 1965

5th Dan Colin Reeve Shotokai 1965

(Shotokai having 5th Dan as the highest Dan grade achievable)

 

With some flexibility...

Mitsuke Harada 5th Dan Shotokai (if you know the history of karate you'll know why I'm including him), 1943
Terry Wingrove 8th Dan, 1950s
Mick Randall 9th Dan Shotokan, 1964
John Van Weenan 8th Dan Shotokan (early 60s - pre 65)
Mick Nursey 7th Dan Shotokan, 1967
Paul Perry, 7th Dan Shotokan, date unknown (early/mid 60s)
Roger Hall 7th Dan Shotokan, date unknown (early/mid 60s - Wado first then Shotokan in late 60s)

 

Doug James doesn't count as he started in 1967.

Gary

 

9th Dan Peter Consterdine - Shukokai

 

John,

Is Harada a British National? If he is we'll add him.

I've updated the list and in the process also added another 2 Wado guys namely Walter Seaton and Peter Spanton

10th Dan - Steve Arneil, Kyokushin, 1961
9th Dan - Andy Sherry, Shotokan, 1959
9th Dan - Mick Randal, Shotokan, 1964
8th Dan - Terry Wingrove, 1950
8th Dan - John Van Weenan Shotokan (early 60s - pre 65)
8th Dan - Philip Kear, Wado -ryu, 1964
8th Dan - Peter Spanton, Wado - Ryu 1965
7th Dan – Walter Seaton, Yoseikan 1959 then Wado-ryu 1964
7th Dan - Terry O'Neill, Shotokan, 1963
7th Dan - Reg Kear, Wado-ryu, 1964
7th Dan - Robert Kear, Wado-ryu, 1964
7th Dan - Bob Poynton, Shotokan, 1965
7th Dan - Billy Higgins, Shotokan, 1965
7th Dan - Paul Perry, Shotokan, date unknown (early/mid 60s)
7th Dan - Roger Hall Shotokan, date unknown (early/mid 60s - Wado first then Shotokan in late 60s)
5th Dan Peter Jackson Shotokai 1965 (Allowed as 5th Dan is the highest grade in Shotokai)
5th Dan Colin Reeve Shotokai 1965 (Allowed as 5th Dan is the highest grade in Shotokai)

Gary

 

Do you know what year he started?

Gary

 

Why the '65 cutoff date rather than just going 1960s or earlier?

 

Just out of interest - you are sorting the list by rank, are the requirements for each dan across all the different orgs the same?

 

1963.

Some of the early Karateka started Judo pre 65 and the switched to Karate in 67/68 when it came within reasonable travelling distance. Back then you were lucky to have a Dojo in your county, compared to the situation now where every town has several clubs.

 

When this thread was first started on the now defunct E-budo forum I think 65 was chosen as a cut off because the latter half of the 60's saw a large take up of Karate and well, the list would be as long as your arm.

I think also, it was more an exercise in seeing how many of the very first British karateka are still active today.

Gary

 

No and in a way - that is interesting to see also!

Gary

 

OK updated as follows:

10th Dan - Steve Arneil, Kyokushin, 1961
9th Dan - Andy Sherry, Shotokan, 1959
9th Dan - Peter Constantine, Shukokai 1963
9th Dan - Mick Randal, Shotokan, 1964
8th Dan - Terry Wingrove, 1950
8th Dan - John Van Weenan Shotokan (early 60s - pre 65)
8th Dan - Philip Kear, Wado -ryu, 1964
8th Dan - Peter Spanton, Wado - Ryu 1965
7th Dan – Walter Seaton, Yoseikan 1959 then Wado-ryu 1964
7th Dan - Terry O'Neill, Shotokan, 1963
7th Dan - Reg Kear, Wado-ryu, 1964
7th Dan - Robert Kear, Wado-ryu, 1964
7th Dan - Bob Poynton, Shotokan, 1965
7th Dan - Billy Higgins, Shotokan, 1965
7th Dan - Paul Perry, Shotokan, date unknown (early/mid 60s)
7th Dan - Roger Hall Shotokan, date unknown (early/mid 60s - Wado first then Shotokan in late 60s)
5th Dan Peter Jackson Shotokai 1965 (Allowed as 5th Dan is the highest grade in Shotokai)
5th Dan Colin Reeve Shotokai 1965 (Allowed as 5th Dan is the highest grade in Shotokai)

 

Oops! Yes, 1964. Wado was his first style IIR, but Shukokai is his senior grade