Kevin Roberts

5th Dan

Chief Instructor

cut-kev-optimised My name is Kevin and I was born in Lancashire in 1958.

As many children are, I suffered years of being bullied at school. Then finally, in the summer 1974 I left school and started work. This was when the Amazing Bruce Lee Era was just starting. I went to see Enter the Dragon at the Cinema and was immediately inspired, I had to learn a martial art.

I looked around but couldn’t find any club’s in my local area; this was the time before leisure centres. I then discovered a small local Shotokan style Karate club run by a man named Trevor Dickinson hidden away in a Methodists church hall in my town.

So I started to train with him in 1974. Luckily I was flexible and with hard study progressed through the grades. His club was affiliated to the KUGB and all the clubs gradings were taken by Sensei Andy Sherry. Today Andy Sherry 8th Dan has now retired from training.

Due to distractions in my teenage years, family & work commitments Karate was one of the last things on my mind and my training was to say, irregular.

In 1983 through work I moved my family to Weston Super Mare, I was a 1st Kyu then, which is the grade just before Black Belt. After settling in, I decided to try and start up training again. I found a club in Clevedon run by Dave Innings, his club was affiliated to SEKU. After a couple of months Dave suggested that I start up a club in Weston. Not an easy thing to do. How do you instruct? Where and who do you instruct?

I settled on starting with my work mates, I suggested it to many but finally got 4 volunteers. Dennis Conway, Russell Jones, Colin Hendon & John Titchard. So we started by training twice a week at the Westlands sports hall on Winterstoke road.

Soon after establishing the club I became affiliated to SEKU, this enabled me and my club members to grade at Clevedon. I then moved the club to its present location at Hutton Moor Leisure centre which was just opening.

As a club instructor and a member of SEKU, I was invited to attend the Instructors class which attended for nearly 3 years travelling to Portsmouth every 9 weeks. These courses were run by Dave Hazard 7th Dan, an instructor of great technical knowledge. I’ll always remember that he once called me helicopter legs due to my kicking ability. I have attended what seems like hundreds of courses and made many good friends over the years.

Since then I have had the great pleasure of meeting and instructing many hundreds of students of all ages, a few have been with me for years and even gone on to become assistant instructors. Many students have also come back after long breaks.

I’m now in my 65 and have been continually training since 1984. I have benefitted from regular exercise and always look forward to taking the next training session. Karate is a huge part of my life it is hard to imagine it not being there somewhere.

Michelle Roberts

4th Dan

Club Secretary

My name is Michelle and I was born in Germany in 1969.

After having my daughter in 1992, I wanted to do some form of exercise, 1, to get rid of the baby belly, 2, to get fit and 3, to have some me time.

I had tried lots of exercise classes over the years, Pilates, Yoga, Aerobics, you name it I’ve probably tried it. Everything I tried I soon lost interest in.

My best friend then suggested we tried Karate. It was not the sort of thing I would have said was for me but thought, why not, so we gave it a try.

I soon found it was good for my stamina, fitness and also helped a lot with my Asthma. I also found that it was interesting. I was always learning something new, stretching not only my body but also my mind.

I had been training for a year or so and my friend decided that she didn’t want to train anymore and with the stresses of working shifts I also gave up.

I kept finding that I wanted to go back, but you know how it is, it’s not easy going to classes on your own. However, when my daughter was old enough to start training I took her back to the same club I had belonged to. Once she settled in I decided to bite the bullet as they say and so I started training again. It was probably the best decision I have made. It not only gave me back the exercise I needed but also gave me a connection with my Daughter. It was something that we could do together. Time that was ours and she could help me just as much as I could help her.
We both carried on training together for a few years and then as all kids do my daughter gave up. However, the good thing about Karate is that you can pick it up again at any time and recently she has come back.

I find that training regularly has its benefits like it kept me fit, flexible and feeling young. I never thought I would get my Black Belt let alone now be instructing. Helping others to learn and enjoy Karate is a really good feeling. I have now been training continually since 1999 and the best thing about it is I’m still learning.

Shaun Walsh

2nd Dan

My name is Shaun and I was born in Weston Super Mare in 1964.

I was first introduced to Martial Arts back in the 1970’s when I took up the art of Judo. I enjoyed studying Judo and trained at a club in Weston for about 2 years.

As many kids do, I wanted to try a few different types sports so in the early 1980’s I found a local Wado Ryu Karate Club. I trained with them for a while and got as far as Purple belt. I then went on and tried boxing.

Then in early 1990 decided that I wanted to go back to Karate and so I started to train at Hutton Moor with Sensei Kevin. I found that every lesson was different and this kept me interested and so I trained regularly.

In 1994 I earned the grade of Black Belt. Lots of people think that when you get your Black Belt you have achieved your goal and you have mastered Karate. In fact as I realised this was just the beginning of my training. I had achieved my ambition but this was not enough, the goal posts had moved. My training really had only just begun.

About 1995 I had the honour of being asked by Sensei Kevin to become one of his instructors. I was really pleased; this had been one of the things I had wanted to do, to pass the knowledge on. I then realised that my training started all over again. Practicing and teaching Karate is definitely two completely different things.
In 1996 I decided it was time for me to progress again. So I stepped up the training, pushing myself not only in the practice of Karate i.e. the fighting, but in also in the application side. Karate is not just about fighting it’s about learning to control yourself, how to apply yourself, see beyond the movements just like becoming a trained athlete. In the end all my efforts were rewarded and i was presented with my 2nd Dan.

Lewis Alder

3rd Dan

My name is Lewis and I was born in Cyprus in 1982.

For those that know me in and out of the club, they would find it hard to believe I was once a very shy and extremely timid individual. My parents recognised this and pushed me into Karate at a very young age. In reflection this was without question the best decision they ever made for me. I am now a parent myself and once my two boys are old enough I hope they follow in my footsteps.

My journey began in 1989 when I was first introduced to the club and Sensei Kevin Roberts; With the support of Sensei Kevin and his club instructors I gained Shodan in 1994; as a junior this was no mean feat and to-date I’m still recognised as the youngest (12yrs old) student to achieve this milestone within the club.

I was given the opportunity to become a club instructor at the tender age of just 13yrs old; I even remember teaching Sensei Michelle when she first attended the club as a white belt. Through practise and determination I earned several Youth National titles to add to my competition medal collection for Free-style Kumite and Kata.

Through dedication and hard training I gained Nidan in 1997. Karate has been without doubt a passion of mine. I’ve attained over +16years of practise within Weston Karate Club and external courses around the UK and after a significant break to start a family of my own I’m back training and instructing like I’ve never been away. Karate provides not only the physical benefits but also emotional and behavioural benefits. Control is sought, Confidence is gained, Respect is earned and Etiquette and Discipline are simply part of the syllabus. Though my own personal journey has been reinvigorated, there remains much to learn and share.

Even though life and responsibilities sometimes take precedence you are never too old to start training or pick up where you left.

In 1996 I decided it was time for me to progress again. So I stepped up the training, pushing myself not only in the practice of Karate i.e. the fighting, but in also in the application side. Karate is not just about fighting it’s about learning to control yourself, how to apply yourself, see beyond the movements just like becoming a trained athlete. In the end all my efforts were rewarded and i was presented with my 2nd Dan.

I have been with the club now for many years. I still really enjoy the challenge of teaching but as with all things you have to change, you have to adapt. Like everyone else I’m not a teenager anymore and with age comes wisdom. You learn to develop Karate to suite you, train to your ability. I’m not as young as I was but I think that I’m probably just as fit or maybe even fitter because of it. In 2022 I took up the challenge to progress to the next grade. After putting it off for many years I finally attained Sandan (3rd Dan), it was more of a challenge than I first thought, which made it more of an achievement.

Our Latest Club Instructor

Kiki Lagou 2nd Dan

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