Kevin Hamilton Stewart AMA Vice President and Exec

Kevin Hamilton-Stewart - AMA Vice president

AMA Vice President
AMA Executive Commitee Member
AMA Technical Commitee Chair
AMA Karate Organiser South
AMA Qualified Kata Judge
AMA Governing Body Recognised Coach
AMA Governing Body Recognised Assessor
7th Dan Karate Instructor

Kevin Hamilton-Stewart first started training in Wado Ryu Karate in 1964 and in 1965 attended Tatso Suzuki ‘s Dojo just of off Judd Street in the Kings Cross area of London.
He was awarded his Shodan in 1967 with the ABKA.
After returning from Israel where he had spent the previous two years, he opened his first Dojo in Cirencester in 1969 later opening others in Stroud and Nailsworth and forming the South Gloucestershire Karate Association which was affiliated to the then UKKF.
He was invited to join the AKA (later to become the AMA) in 1971 by Tom Hibbert MBE and was for a short time the first Chairman of that organisation.
Later that year he moved to Pembrokeshire in West Wales where he established the Pembrokeshire Karate Association which eventually had eight clubs with over 600 members.
It was whilst he was in Wales in 1972 that he met and formed a lifelong friendship with Ritchie Noblett from Port Talbot another Wado Instructor who at the time was with the BKA. Ritchie went on to form Welsh Bushi Kai and aided by his wife Liz, has since become one of the most successful and respected instructors in Wales.
In 1975 he was awarded his 2nd Dan under Meiji Suzuki who at the time was the Senior Wado instructor with the AKA.

Due to political pressures ( the bane of most Karate instructors at that time) he renewed his acquaintance with Tatso Suzuki in 1976 becoming a member of the UKKW. During this time he held many weekend courses in Pembrokeshire with Mr T Maeda and Mr K Sagagami being amongst the Senior Wado instructors who came there to teach and grade his students.

In 1977 he returned to London and was instrumental in setting up of one of the first Private Security Companies in the UK. Along with many former colleagues from the Armed forces, he was responsible for the personal security and transportation of many of the rich and famous from that period.

He received his 3rd Dan in 1979 whilst still living in London . Although not running a club of his own, he still found time to teach some army colleagues at the former Chelsea Barracks as well as giving private lessons to some well known members of the music world.

Leaving London, he retired to Yorkshire in 1980 and opened his first Dojo there in 1982, receiving his 4th Dan in 1987.

He was awarded his 5th Dan in 1992 whilst Chief instructor for the Sei Ki Kan Karate Association later leaving for personal reasons to open North Yorkshire Wado Kai with several clubs both in N. Yorkshire and Lancashire. He was invited to become a member of the AMA executive in 1996 and has remained a member ever since, devoting much of his time and energy to promoting true and traditional Karate values within the AMA.
He was invited on to the AMA Technical Committee in 1998 where he worked with Peter Allen and Brian Noble and between the three of them, began to improve the standing of the AMA within the Karate world.

Kevin would like to take this opportunity to thank both Brian, as the former Chief Referee and Peter, as National squad coach and team manager, for their unselfish and dedicated work in improving both the quality of AMA referees and of the AMA Squad. Nobody has worked as hard or gave of their time for the AMA, than these two gentlemen.

Known for his diplomacy and moderation, Kevin was proposed and accepted as Chairman of the AMA Technical committee in 1999, a job he has remained in ever since.

He was awarded his 6th Dan in 2000.

He was selected , along with Peter Allen for the position of AMA Vice president in 2006.

Kevin was awarded his 7th Dan by both the AMA Technical and Executive Committees in June of this year for both his loyalty and continued unselfish contribution, for the betterment of the AMA.

Kevin has organised and run, with other members of the Technical Committee, the AMA Karate Summer course for the last eight years which have been held mostly in France although this year it was held in Torquay for a change.
He is a qualified Governing Body recognised Coach and Assessor and a qualified association Kata judge.
His ambitions are to see the AMA continue to build on the growing respect it has been receiving over the last several years. He has strived, along with his fellow members of the Technical committee, to improve the standard of Karate within the Association both for Instructors and students alike.

He is a strict traditionalist believing in correct teaching practices, good technique and above all, good etiquette at all times.