Rob Willis (4th Dan)
The senior resident instructor, and founder of the West Lancs Karate
Academy, Rob Willis began training in Martial Arts in January 1979, studying
Ju-Jitsu under Ken Chisholm at Southport.
By the end of the year Rob had switched to Shotokan Karate under former
British Champion, Sensei Steve Cattle. Rob passed 1st Dan with the KUGB
under Sensei Enoeda at Crystal Palace in 1986 and progressed to 2nd Dan,
passing under Steve Cattle with the ESA in 1993, before attaining 3rd
Dan in 1996 and eventually 4th Dan in 2001.
Rob has travelled the length and breadth of Britain, and into Europe, to gain access to training under some of the worlds top Shotokan Instructors, including from Japan, Sensei Kase, Sensei Enoeda, Sensei Kawasoe, Sensei Shirai, Sensei Kanazawa, Sensei Murakami, Sensei Ohta, Sensei Yahara, and from other styles Sensei Morio Higaonna (Okinawan Goju Ryu) and Sensei Keiji Tomiyama (Shito Ryu). Rob has also benefited from regularly training under some of the top European and British Instructors, including Sensei Derek Ridgway (7th Dan), Sensei Julian Meade (7th Dan) and Sensei Dirk Heene (7th Dan)
Rob entered his first tournament in 1981 and took his first medal placing in 1984. Since then he has taken numerous placings in Regional, National and Open events, finally retiring after the ESA Nationals in October 2005, where he still managed to take two podium wins. In 2004 he was invited to join the Shotokan Ryu Kase Ha European Instructors Academy and the ESA Technical Committee. A Grading Examiner and Referee, Rob is also an EKGB and NCF qualified Coach, with formal teaching qualifications. Further to his traditional karate background Rob is also a former Police Self-Defence Instructor and author of two self-defence books.
Adam Lennon (4th Dan)
A hugely experienced Martial Artist, Adam Lennon began studying Shotokan
Karate in 1974, aged 14 at Slough Shotokan under Chris Wood and John Anderson
of the KUGB. Adam passed 1st Dan in 1978 at Crystal Palace under a grading
panel headed by Sensei Enoeda. In 1979 he began to train under Dave Hazzard
and Sensei Kawasoe before passing 2nd Dan in 1982. In 1983 Adam went to
the USA and taught at the JKA dojo in Colorado for a year before returning
to the UK and grading to 3rd Dan in 1985, again at Crystal Palace under
the senior grading panel headed by Sensei Enoeda and Sensei Kase.
In 1985 Adam took over the slough dojo and also began to cross train in Muay Thai at the cobra gym in London. On moving to Southport in 1989 Adam struggled to find a karate dojo and studied Ju Jitsu under Jeff Bullock for two years before finding the local ESA club at Southport in 1994, where he and Rob Willis first began to train together. By 2002 Adam had trained with most of the senior Japanese and European Sensei and started to train and teach at the West Lancs Academy, also helping the club team to a podium placing at the 2003 ESA National Championships. In 2004 Adam passed 4th Dan.
Hayley Willis (2nd Dan)
A home grown student of the West Lancs Academy, Hayley began training
in 2000 and through dedication and commitment passed 1st Dan in the summer
of 2003 under Sensei Dirk Heene. Hayley has trained under the senior instructors
of the ESA and WKSA but has also benefited from training under Sensei
Derek Ridgway and Sensei Keiji Tomiyama of the Kofukan Shito Ryu and Sensi
Nobuaki Kanazawa. Her competition successes extend to placings in open,
regional and national events, including the 2002 BKA Ladies Open Kyu Grade
Kata Champion.
In 2006 Hayley took another kumite trophy at the ESA National Championships before retiring from competition to focus on her 2nd Dan grading, which she passed in the summer of 2007.
John Coles (2nd Dan)
John Coles began training in Karate in 1991, studying Wado Ryu before moving a year later to Shotokan, training under Sensei Steve Cattle and the seniors at the Southport ESA dojo. John passed 1st Dan in 1997 and moved to the West Lancs Academy as it opened, since progressing to 2nd Dan in 2001. John has benefited from training under some of the worlds top instructors, including Sense Kase, Sensei Kanazawa, Sensei Murakami and Sensei Higaonna.
Paul Wright (1st Dan)
Paul Wright began karate training at Southport in 1981 under Sensei Steve Cattle before moving to Liverpool and training under Sensei Terry O Neill at the Samurai dojo in the city centre, where he progressed to 1st kyu. A return to Southport in 1987 saw Paul train in Goju Ryu for a year under Sensei Pete McDowell at the Miyagi dojo formed by the late Sensei Gary Spiers. After a break from training Paul returned to karate at the West Lancs Academy in 2000 and finally graded to Shodan under Sensei Dirk Heene in 2002.
Steve Trussell (1st Dan)
Steve is West Lancs resident Squad Coach, having won numerous trophies in his competition career, including fighting to win the club the twin crowns of Northern Open Champions and North West Open Champions in 2006.
Steve started his karate career with another of Steve Cattle’s students, Sensei Kenny Hampson in Liverpool. A short break in karate training allowed Steve to train in Ju-Jitsu before returning in 2003 to the West Lancs’ sister club in Crosby, the North Liverpool Academy. Steve has remained totally committed ever since, training whenever possible and as often as possible, eventually passing shodan with the E.S.A. in 2005. Steve has been a consistent member of the West Lancs squad, winning no fewer than 4 first place titles, more than earning his role as squad coach.
Alex Wright (1st Dan)
Alex is a home grown student of the West Lancs Academy. Starting training in 2000 and attaining 1st Dan in 2005. Alex is the club’s Junior Academy Coach and was voted Sefton Sports Council’s Junior Sports Personality of the Year in 2005 for her outstanding work with the club. In 2006 she took a podium win in the ladies kata at the ESA National Championships and a year later was crowned West Lancs Senior Kata Champion, Along with taking the club’s Senior member of the Year award.
DAN GRADES
The West Lancs Academy has a number of resident and guest Dan grades, who assist with the teaching and between them have a vast wealth of knowledge, experience and ability.
Paul Allison (4th Dan)
A resident guest Instructor, Paul joined the club in 2004 and with him brings over 20 years karate experience. A student of Sensei Alistair Mitchell and Sensei Kasuya, Paul has competed at International level and was a part of the squad to visit Japan in 1993 to compete and train at the W.S.K.F Gasshuku.
Ian Challinor (2nd Dan)
originally began his karate training at the end of the 1980’s with Sensei Steve Cattle in Liverpool and Sensei Peter Worrall. He moved to the North East and then began training with the K.U.G.B. and Sensei John Thompson for over ten years before returning to the North West and resuming his training at West Lancs. Ian fought in the squad to take the 2006 North West Open title and passed his 2nd Dan in the summer of 2007.
Gerry Stockley (1st Dan)
began training in Karate in 1976 under Jimmy Poynton of the KUGB in Formby and Sensei Steve Cattle at Southport. His training lapsed in the early eighties and, despite a brief reintroduction to karate through Goju Ryu with Sensei Pete McDowall, it wasn’t until the formation of the West Lancs Academy that he returned to the art in earnest. Joining the club in 2000 he progressed to 1st Dan in 2004.
