Martyn Skipper

AMA Public Relations Officer / Press Officer
Karate Instructor Yondan (4th Dan)

My karate career began in 1976, aged 13, under Glenn Wylie, he a student of Mike Dinsdale and Dickie Wu. The style was called Henka-Ryu and we were affiliated to the AKA. I received my shodan under Glenn in 1981, and almost immediately left for university in Brighton. I trained with Chris Kent in Wado / Kickboxing, and Master Thamm in WuShuKwan, although even then I was training with lots of different instructors around the country.

After graduation I affiliated to the IBF and spent many happy years with them, achieving nidan and sandan, as well as shodans in ju Jitsu under Trev Roberts, and Taiho Jutsu (police restraint techniques) under Steve Sweetlove. I competed with the IBF across Europe in Semi-Contact / Kickboxing, and in Kata, but still sought tuition from a wide range of martial arts teachers.

In 1987 I moved to the North West and, as the IBF were not present there, joined Joe Tierney’s Shorai group, practicing Shukokai, in Bolton. I had seen Joe competing on the WUKO circuit some years earlier and had been impressed. I was privileged to be selected for Shorai’s squad in the EKC national champs and have remained good friends with Joe since.When Joe began to gravitate towards the WKC / freestyle world, I joined Paul McGee, practising Shotokan. A crash course in the Shotokan Katas led to my Sandan being ratified by Paul in an exam endorsed by the BSK (British Shotokan Kyogi, under Charles Gidley).

A series of career changes saw me continue my training in the middle, and east of England under a variety of coaches, but the lure of the North West saw me return to my adopted home in 1999. I found a kindred spirit in Andy Allwood, then a yondan Shukokai with the AMA, and have been with the AMA ever since, being promoted to Shukokai Yondan in 2008 after two unsuccessful attempts. (Andy remains my senior having himself graded to godan). I still travel the country in pursuit of high level tuition and was at the 50^th anniversary of karate in England Gasshuku in Bisham Abbey in 2007.

I have written extensively on karate and associated topics and this led to my appointment as press officer for the AMA, EKGB, Karate England, and of course my own club, Tower Shukokai.

I covered the Commonwealth Championships in Manchester in 2003 and the World Championships in Tampere in 2006, and have had interviews published with many karate greats.

I continue to write for my own website henka-ryu.co.uk.