Instructors

With over 70 years of Karate experience between them, our three Senseis are all CRB checked and qualified black belt instructors.

Tim Griffiths

Sensei Tim Griffiths Sensei Tim Griffiths holds a 4th Dan black belt in Shotokan Karate. He has been a qualified instructor for nine years and is a current member of the national kata squad, under the auspices of Karate Union of Great Britain's Chief Instructor, Sensei Andy Sherry, 8th Dan.

Tim began training in 1992, gaining his black belt four years later. Since then, he has trained with some of the most renowned names in Karate, including Senseis Enoeda, Asai, Kanazawa, Abe, Sherry, Kagawa, O'Neill, Poynton and Brennan. Tim recounts some of his most special training memories from training outside of the UK, having trained for short periods at the Japan Karate Association (JKA) headquarters in Tokyo and also in Los Angeles under the tutelage of the late Master Nishiyama, one of the JKA's founders. Tim particularly appreciates the opportunity to train with some of today's inspirational new breed of instructors, such as former European champion, Sensei Matthew Price.

In competition, Tim has had a number of successes at both regional and national level. Having previously been KUGB Southern Region Kata Champion, he has also been a national medallist at the Karate England all-styles National Championships, the British Universities All-styles Karate Championships and at the Shotokan Cup National Championship.

Now the Chief Instructor at Backwell Karate, Tim continues to train hard to develop personally and also to keep bringing fresh ideas to students of the club.

Bryan Gideon

Sensei Bryan Gideon The founder of Backwell SKC, Sensei Bryan Gideon is proud to be a long standing member of the Karate Union of Great Britain with over 30 years of experience as a Karate practitioner and instructor. In recognition of his achievement, in 2007 he was presented with a special certificate at the National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, during the KUGB National Championships.

Bryan started training in 1973 at the Bristol Shotokan Dojo under Sensei Bill Winfield. Five years later he started Backwell SKC with Bob Padfield on the invitation of two teachers at Backwell Secondary School where the club used to train. It was in 1984 that he was awarded his shodan by the late Sensei Keinosuke Enoeda after 11 years of hard training. As an instructor, he has helped many of his students improve their karate considerably, having taught many of them from beginner to black belt.

The highlights of Sensei Gideon's Karate career have been various. In the past he has enjoyed organising and taking part in Karate training weekends in Backwell School's holiday home. More recently seeing his students entering both local and national events has been something that he has taken great pleasure in.

When asked about the club he said, "During my long association with Backwell Shotokan Karate Club I have met some exceptionally talented Karateka and have had the pleasure of helping them achieve their goals, but more than this they have become life-long friends."

Chris Denny

Sensei Chris Denny Sensei Chris Denny holds the rank of 2nd Dan and is the club's Child Protection Officer. He instructs with a clear focus on technical excellence and has a sound knowledge of controlling opponents at close quarters.

Chris started training in 1986 when he was 10 years old, after seeing an advert in the local paper. When he turned up, there were lots of experienced karate students in the hall, but this didn't put Chris off - he joined in and became hooked instantly. Chris enjoyed the class so much that occasionally he would finish one class in Clevedon and then cycle to Nailsea to join the next class. At the age of 11, that is good dedication!

After a short break in training, Chris returned to Karate in 1996 and back to Sensei Bryan Evans' club in Clevedon. The following year he joined Backwell Shotokan Karate Club under the tutelage of Sensei Bryan Gideon and Sensei Tim Griffiths. Throughout his Karate career, Chris has consistently passed every grading in full at the first time of asking, having taken all his examinations under UK Karate pioneers, Sensei Bob Poynton (7th Dan) and Sensei Andy Sherry (8th Dan).

Chris continues to enjoy taking part in various courses around the country, training with different styles of Karate and other martial arts.