Around 2001, I started to contact the remaining Kyushindo Karate clubs in Oxford, Bristol and Surrey.
There were five Bristol-based clubs formed by Diego Giardina (Ricki ). Ricki gained his black belt at Bristol Kyushindo Karate but left the UK in 1977 and formed around 30 clubs in Italy before returning to Bristol in 1997.
I visited them in Weston-super-Mare in Dec 2000 on Greg Clark’s invitation. However, on arrival, Greg asked me to help judge a Kata competition they happened to be holding but I was expecting a regular training session. I found the judging quite challenging. To me, they performed the Kata more like mainstream Japanese Karate.
I was a little bit dissapointed about visiting under ‘false pretensions’ and probably could have been a bit more diplomatic after being asked to demonstrate some Katas, as I also gave a short explanation for why what they were about to see would be different. I think I did Block & Punch, C, which were perfomed many times in the competition, and E (which wasn’t performed). I also met Ian Parfitt for the first time, from Bristol Kyushindo Judo, who popped in to observe for a while.
Ricki and his son Vince (in referees’ outfits) and Greg Clarke (who first trained at Southampton University Kyushindo club), talking. I am next to him with a left-over medal.
Regarding Oxford, I went to clubs that hadn’t joined Mayoshindo and were now led by Michael James. They were much more like the Surrey club I remember, and they still used the same syllabus. I didn’t get too involved, but I went to many of the annual seminars in the 2000s for Oxford, London and Surrey areas. Ron and Romsey club members also attended some of these annual seminars. Kyushindo Judo is also practised in Oxford in separate clubs, with a few instructors having Dan grades in both disciplines.
London Highgate club small seminar ~ 2000
Back row L-R. Chris Savage (Romsey), Tony Hulbert, Phil Clewley, Paul Clayson, Mike James (Oxford), Danny McAvoy, Paul Socket, Peter Braezenor (London)
Front Row black belts L-R
Allan Hollyoake (Romsey), Gary Strange (Oxford), Me
This is a poor-quality photo from a 2001 Redhill seminar featuring many active instructors and black belts. I have not found the original source of the photo, which was a scan of the original, which was then sent to me through an old, now closed email account.
SK=Surrey Kingswood, SB=Surrey Banstead,O=Oxford,L=London,I=Independent
Back Row L-R: Paul Paine (SK), Peter Braezenor(L),Steve Luckett, Mike James, Tony Hulbert (O), Martin Hardy(I),Danny McAvoy(L),?,?,?(L)?,Trevor Endacott(SB),?
Front Row L-R: ?,Phil Clewley(O),Bob Bennet, David Frost(SB),Paul Sockett,John Lacey-Smith(L),Sam Simmons(I),Bill Wheeler(SB),Me
Visit to Abingdon Club 2001
Various seminars between 2002 – 2007 in Oxford area and Romsey.
During 2008 the Romsey club had some interaction with the Southampton Club which had moved to Marchwood from the closed main one at Totton.
Around 2014-15, several Oxford area instructors visited Romsey, and we regularly welcomed Phil Clewley, Steve Luckett, Mark Avery, Terry Burke and Darren Neville. There were also visits by Kevin Arblaster and Mike James.
The last annual Kyushindo seminar I attended was in March 2015, in Reading.
Non-Kyushindo
A ‘UK Meet’ seminar in 2002 was a multi-style get-together organised by Robert Agar-Hutton, a 3rd Dan Kyu-Shin-Ryu Karate black belt from the Luton ‘Kyushindo’ area.
Robert is in the centre in a white gi, I am standing behind him, and James Allenby (Romsey 2000-2005) is on my left in a black gi.
I recall learning some Hsing-I, some Taichido (Aikido-based style), some Kung-Fu kicking techniques, some Karate kata combat combinations (Okinawa-Te) and another Karate style ‘mind exercises’. James did some of the other parallel sessions, so we had much more to experience.
Life Style 