Seiken Ryu
Instructors
Role of Honour
Policies
 
 
 
 

Instructors

  Soke   Kancho  
         
Peter Atkinson Alison Bishop John Brierley Oliver Brierley Chris D Carr
Paul Dernley Scott Dernley Carl Fisher Tom Fisher Shelayne Gibson
Steve Hunter Julie Moran Pete Nicholls Val Nicholls Steve Reed
Jake Turner Adam Wanless John Rimmer Yvonne Haymonds Wayne Bond
Simon Raynor Jamie Fenwick Esther Beales Lucy Redshaw  

 
 
 
Pete Nicholls

Pete Nicholls, 2nd Dan, is a father of four, born in sunny Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands but has lived in the UK for over 20 years. Petes background is in transport and logistics, exporting flowers from Guernsey and computers and their parts from the UK. Pete runs a number of classes for Seiken Ryu, throughout Northumberland and Tyne & Wear.


 
 
 
Val Nicholls

Val Nicholls, 3rd Dan, is a working Mum of two boys and married to Pete. She works full time managing student accommodation, has a masters degree in business management and studies both Karate and Aiki Jujitsu in her spare time. Val holds Seiken Ryu karate coaching and refereeing certificates., was a trustee of Kidsown out of school club for several years and has been a karate instructor for five years. Val teaches at Rowlands Gill on Fridays at 5.30.


 
 
 
Peter Atkinson

Peter Atkinson, 3rd Dan, Biography to follow

 


 
 
 
karate cartoon

Alison Bishop, 3rd Dan, Biography to follow


 
 
 
John Brierley

John Brierley, 3rd Dan, John has been training in Karate for over thirty years. He originally practiced Shotokan in two different associations in the Portsmouth area where he had the privilege of occasionally training with Keinosuke Enoeda Sensei. John changed to the Shukokai style in 2004, training with Steve and Chris Yates and is now a proud advocate of the style. John is a retired Secondary Headteacher and although he still teaches part-time for the Durham Home and Hospital Support Service he has sufficient time available to provide karate courses for schools and the health service as well as assisting at the Esh club and running his own clubs at Durham Carville, Lanchester, Ushaw Moor and Wolsingham.


 
 
 
Oliver Brierley

Oliver Brierley, 3rd Dan, Oliver started training in Karate 13 years ago, originally in the Shotokan style with Sensei Clive Jackson, then later with Go-kan-ryu with Sensei Ian Stubbs before becoming a practitioner of the Shukokai style under Sensei Chris Yates and Sensei Steve Yates. Oliver holds a 1st Dan black belt in Yama arashi ryu Aiki Ju-Jitsu, which he has trained in for several years under Sensei Steve Yates. He has also trained in a number of other martial arts included: MMA/ Jeet Kun Do Concepts, Aikido, Judo, Ken-Jitsu, Jo-Jitsu and Reality Based Self Protection. Oliver holds a Foundation Degree in Sports Science and Exercise Development from the University of Sunderland. Oliver runs three clubs in County Durham (Consett, Esh and Lanchester) as well as providing karate training in the Rowlands Gill After School Club and 2 young dragons classes.


 
 
 
Chris D Carr

Chris D Carr, 3rd Dan, Working in the Aerospace Industry as an Independent Quality Auditor, Chris came to Seiken Ryu in May 2004 and has lived and breathed karate since then, training 6 days per week. Chris is a CRB certified karate instructor up to level two coaching standard and refereeing level one. Chris has officiated in club competitions, refereeing both Kata and Kumite since 2007. Chris instructs across the region with his main club being Gosforth (Regent Farm First School). He has begun training in Aiki Ju Jitsu to further his understanding and broaden his knowledge of martial arts.


 
 
 
Paul Dernley

Paul Dernley, 4th Dan, Paul first took up Shukokai Karate as a nine year old boy.  He continues to train and has been an instructor for the past six years at his clubs in the North West, where he has trained some of his own students to Dan grade.  Paul who works in local government used to participate in the competition circuit in both kata and kumite but the arrival of his little girl has naturally limited his time in this area of karate.


 
 
 
Scott Dernley

Scott Dernley, 3rd Dan, Scott began training with Soke in 1997.  He works in I.T. and in his leisure time, and for fitness he combines his karate with running entering local events to raise money for charity.  Scott assists his brother Paul by instructing at their clubs.  His preference in competition is kumite and he has collected several trophies.


 
 
 
Carl Fisher

Carl Fisher, 3rd Dan, Biography to follow


 
 
 
Tom Fisher

Tom Fisher, 2nd Dan, Biography to follow


 
 
 
karate cartoon

Steve Hunter, 3rd Dan, Biography to follow


 
 
 

Julie Moran, 3rd Dan, Martial arts runs in the family for Julie with her husband Andy being a 2nd Dan in Ju Jitsu and both daughters holding high grades in Karate.  Julie has been training  continuously since 1996 and assists Sensei Bishop by instructing at her clubs in Lancashire.  Julie also teaches self defence in the local schools and after school clubs.


 
 
 
Steve Reed

Steve Reed, 3rd Dan, is an I.T. Project Manager responsible for delivering Government funded applications to the DWP. Steve became interested in martial arts in the late 80's when he took up judo for two years, unfortunately do to work and other pressures he did not return to martial arts until 2001 when he took up karate with Seiken Ryu. He has studied continuously since then and was granted his Dan grade by Kancho and Soke in March 2005. Steve set up his own club at Stamfordham shortly afterwards and this is still going strong today. Steve is a fully qualified, CRB certified karate instructor and officiates at all of the Seiken Ryu competitions. In March 2009 Steve was very proud to obtain his 3rd Dan. He is now broadening his martial arts knowledge by studying Aiki Ju Jitsu as a complement to his karate.


 
 
 
karate cartoon

Adam Wanless, 2nd Dan, Biography to follow


 
 
 
karate cartoon Jake Turner, 2nd Dan, Biography to follow

 
 
 
Shelayne Gibson Shelayne Gibson, 3rd Dan, Biography to follow

 
 
 
   
John_Rimmer John Rimmer, 2nd Dan provides Diagnostic Ultrasound systems to both the NHS and Private sector in the North of England.
John started training in Shukokai Karate in 2006, having spent several months watching his son Daniel progressing through the grades. Having trained continuously since, John was awarded his 1st Dan in 2009.
Daniel also 2nd Dan assists John with his established club in Burnopfield.
John holds both level one and level two coaching certificates and has officiated at a number of our club competitions.
.

   

karate cartoon Yvonne Haymonds, 2nd Dan.  Biography to follow
Wayne Bond Wayne Bond, 1st Dan.
is the only instructor with two names as by day in his job as a breakfast show DJ on TFM Radio and guesting on Metro Radio he is know as Wayne Allen.
Wayne trained as a teenager in Karate getting to an Orange belt in Shotokan, but like some teenagers he left and moved on to other things. It was not until his friend and fellow instructor  Sensei Yvonne Haymond, 2nd Dan, introduced Wayne to the SRKA that Wayne quickly embraced the club and went on to get his Black Belt in November 2010. He has also completed his Level 2 Instructor course with Kancho Yates.
 
While he works towards his 2nd Dan, he trains with both Kancho Yates and Soke, and attends the monthly Dan sessions and fits in any extra training sessions when he can.

karate cartoon Simon Raynor, 1st Dan. Biography to follow.

 
karate cartoon  Jamie Fenwick, 1st Dan Jamie started his training with the Seiken Ryu Young Dragons class in Haltwhistle at the age of 6, progressing through the grades until he obtained his 1st Dan two years later. Jamie is now teaching Assistant to Instructor Jake Turner at Haltwhistle and attends other classes throughout Northumberland on a weekly basis. 

Esther Beales  Esther Beales, 2nd Dan Esther has the honour of being our youngest ever 2nd Dan at 9 years and 34 days. She is also currently a 1st kyu in Kokasai ju jitsu and will be taking her adult Dan grade later this year.  Esther assists Kancho Yates, Sensei Reed and Sensei Atkinson at some of their classes and hopes when she's older to teach with her sisters and brothers in the North West as full time instructors. 

Esther has also won a certificate of merit for Tynedale young girl sports player of the year twice and appeared on BBC television Sports kids 2010 with her sister Anna.

   
karate cartoon Lucy Redshaw, 2nd Dan, has been training with Seiken Ryu since 2005. Since then she has gained in interest and received her 1st Dan in November 2009, the following November she was awarded her 2nd Dan. Lucy has been teaching at Consett since about 2010 and gained her level two coaching certificate in August 2011. She hopes to continue to train with Seiken Ryu for many years to come and is hoping to achieve her 3rd Dan before she goes to University
 
 
 
Shukokai karate in the North of England