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.
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 was awarded in January 2008.
Steve Trussell (2nd 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.
In his first season as squad coach Steve pulled in another 5 trophies for the club, including 2 first places, despite only selecting a small squad for two events. He himself was a part of the winning team to be crowned, under his coaching, the 2008 North West Open Team Kata Champions.
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.
RESIDENT 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.
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.
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.
Charlotte Van Gordon (2nd Dan)
Another former student of Liverpool Karate Club and Sensei Kenny Hampson, Charlotte joined West Lancs in 2006 and has since firmly established herself as a club senior. With over ten years karate experience she regularly competes and has proved successful in both kata and kumite, including being a part of the West Lancs winning 2008 North West Team Kata squad.
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.
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.
Darren Watkins (1st Dan)
Darren Watkins began Karate training in Brighton in 1994, then aged 16, under Sensei Robert Costelloe of the Japan Karate Do Ryobu-Kai. He took his shodan with the Ryobu-Kai's Chief Instructor, Sensei Kiyoshi Yamazaki, in May 1998. Relocating to Southport in 2002 Darren began training at West Lancs and has since become more and more involved in the club and hopes through the club, and the E.S.A, to further progress his karate.
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