RICHARD POOLE (ENGLAND)
6th Dan

Richard Poole was born in Nairobi, Kenya on 25^th January 1958.

At the age of 3 years he travelled to Great Britain with his mother and younger brother and took up residence in Rhyl in North Wales.

As a schoolboy he represented his county at swimming and started training with the Karate Union of Great Britain in 1974. He continued to train when he moved to Cardiff University in order to pursue a career as a teacher of Physical Education where he also represented his college at both gymnastics and weight lifting.

Whilst still at Cardiff College in 1977 Richard passed his shodan with the KUGB and was selected to fight for the Welsh KUGB National team. During the next 7 years both before and after his graduation Richard competed with success nationally and internationally for the KUGB Welsh National Team and the Welsh National All styles Team.

Richard took an enforced break from training after sustaining a C5 fracture (broken neck) when climbing with some fellow karateka. It was not until 1988 that he had recovered sufficiently to return to training and was once more selected to represent Wales as a member of the KUGB team. During this period he competed in many ESKA championships (European and Nakayama Cup).

Richard retired from international competition in 1993. In addition to training and teaching, he was elected chairman of the KUGB in Wales in 1989 and retains this position today.

With experience in both education and business in the pharmaceutical industry, Richard was well placed to contribute to the further development of karate in Wales and Great Britain. For many years he served as chairman of both the governing body for karate in Wales and the Federation of British Karate Governing Bodies (BKF). It was during this period that he also managed the BKF team which topped the medal board in the 1996 (WKF) World championships in Sun City South Africa.

Richard was elected president of the European Shotokan Karate-do Association in 2008 and in 2009 president of the World Shotokan Karate-do Association.

Richard was graded 6^th Dan in 2007 with the KUGB and continues to teach karate at Cambridge University and in the Rhyl and Prestatyn Clubs in North Wales. He has for many years been an international referee with both ESKA and WSKA and retired from coaching the KUGB Welsh kata team at the beginning of 2010. He continues to work as a scientist within the medical department of a large international pharmaceutical company.

During his election address as president of WSKA in 2009 Richard outlined his aims for the organisation. These included the desire for WSKA to continue to develop in order that more national shotokan federations can unite under the banner of a truly democratic organisation. He also expressed the desire that WSKA continue it’s pursuit of ever higher technical standards of traditional shotokan karate and that it’s championships remain a showcase for their high technical standards of karate, the fiercely competitive nature of the matches and the sportsmanship shown between members.

JOHN HANRATTY (CANADA)
7th dan CSKA, AJKA.

One of the founding members of WSKA and the first vice president.

Past president WSKA
Currently Head instructor Canadian Shotokan Karate Association.
Technical chair North America for American JKA Association.

Hosted the inaugural tournament Calgary 1991.
Attended every WSKA event since its inception.

TED HEDLUND (SWEDEN)

Is now Roku dan JKA.
Ted was elected as Director of Technical Matters of ESKA at its inauguration in 1986.

AFRICA : MALCOLM DORFMANN (SOUTH AFRICA)

Malcolm Dorfman Sensei, 8th Dan, captained the University of the Witwatersrand Judo team in 1966, and thereafter joined the University karate club.
Malcolm Dorfman Sensei is the assistant Chief Instructor for the Karate No Michi World Federation.

He was elected as Regional Director of WSKA in 2001.

Dan Grading Examinations:

• 8th Dan Karate no Michi in 2000: Highest Dan level ever awarded to a non Japanese by a major official JKA mainline Shotokan organisation.
• 7th Dan JKA Shotokan (Asai Group) in 1994
• 6th Dan JKA Shotokan in 1986: Highest Dan level ever awarded to a non Japanese by M. Nakayama Shihan, the late Chief Instructor of the Japan Karate Association. (Shadan Hojin Nihon Karate Kyokai -- prior to the split).

Personal Karate Sporting Achievements:

• Springbok: Member of the Springbok team for 9 years, commencing in 1970. Springbok captain in 1978. 
• Referee: Chief Referee of South Africa for 12 years, commencing 1982. 
• Coach: National Coach of the first ever Protea team in 1993. 
• International Championship achievements: Winner of several international titles in a competition career that spanned 27 years (1967 to 1993) 
• South African Sport Merit Award: 
  • Awarded in 1979 for personal achievements in 1978 
  • Awarded in 1982 for coaching achievements in 1981
• South African All-Styles Karate: 
  • Founder member of first official non-racial all-styles karate organisation in South Africa (KASA) in 1993 
  • Awarded 8th Dan by KASA for technical contribution to the development of karate in South Africa 
  • Former official Technical Director of all-styles karate in South Africa. 
• Status in Japan & Worldwide: 
  • Assistant World Chief Instructor of Karatenomichi World Federation. 
  • Member of the Karatenomichi World Federation ‘Saiko-Shihankai’ (Supreme Master Panel) – one of the original three members.
  • Holds the highest rank ever awarded to a non Japanese member of a JKA-Shotokan mainline association
  • Awarded the rank of A-class Instructor, A-class Examiner & A-class Judge by the Japan Karate Association (JKA) in 1994.
  • Re-awarded the rank of A-class Instructor, A-class Examiner & A-class Judge by the Karatenomichi World Federation (KWF) on its inception in 1999.
  • Appointed as World Cup Supervisor at the KWF World Cup in 2002-2007
  • Appointed by the World Shotokan Karate-do Association (WSKA) as African Continent Director in 2001.

JOHN DiPASQUALE (USA)
7th Dan

John DiPasquale, the founder and Chief Instructor of Illinois Shotokan Karate Clubs. Mr. DiPasquale is highly regarded in the Martial Arts Community serving in the following positions at the National and International level:

• President of USA Karate, which is the National Governing Body for Karate in the United States
• Executive Commitee World Karate Federation
• Vice President of Pan American Karate Federation
• Regional Director of North America World Shotokan Karate-Do Association

He was a member of the U.S. Karate Team for eight years and a Coach of the U.S.A. National Team for five years. Mr. DiPasquale won the National Championship four times and the U.S. team trial three times. On a state level, he won the title of State champion eight consecutive years.

Mr. DiPasquale’s first love is teaching others, which in turn has lead to several International, National and State Champions. He is a former faculty member for A.C.E.P. (American Coaches Effectiveness Program).

RICHARD POOLE (England)

See Biography Above

BOB POYNTON (ENGLAND)
7th Dan

Bob Poynton started training in 1965 at the age of 15 at the Liverpool Red Triangle Karate Club.

In 1968 he gained his 1st Dan from Sensei Kanazawa and shortly after, left the Customs and Excise to become a full-time assistant instructor to Sensei Andy Sherry.

He was a member of the Red Triangle Karate club team between 1967 and 1984 and over this 20 year period, the team took the KUGB National Team Kumite title 16 times.  He was KUGB individual Kumite champion in 1976 and won the Shotokan Cup Black belt Championships for three consecutive years in Kumite and for two in Kata.

He was first selected for the KUGB National Squad in 1968 to compete in the EAKF European Championships in Austria. In the 18 years between 1968 and 1985, he represented England and Great Britain as a member of both the KUGB and All-Styles teams, achieving many medals in National and International events in both Kata and Kumite.  He was twice awarded the title of Best Technical Competitor at the European Shotokan Championships. On retiring as a competitor, he qualified as an International Referee and has since been actively involved in the development of ESKA and WSKA competition rules and procedures.

He has been a professional Karate Instructor since 1967 and still teaches at his parent club, the Red Triangle.

His grades from 2^nd Dan to 6^th Dan were conducted by Sensei Enoeda and he was awarded his 7^th Dan in 2004 by the KUGB.

He started to take an active part in administration in 1974 when he was appointed KUGB Club Affiliations Officer, a position he has held ever since. He has been the KUGB Administrator and Finance Officer since 1999 and was General Secretary to Karate England., the last government approved all-styles NGB - National Governing Body.

He played an active part in the Technical structure of the previous NGB, the EKGB from its formation in 1991 and in the role of Chairman of the Technical Committee, drove forward the development of the Instructor Qualification Programme which is still in use in most British Karate Associations today.

He has worked since the early 90’s with colleagues through Government Sports agencies to develop a unified structure for English Karate which will allow it to offer assured standards to participants, parents, local authorities and Sports Centre Managers,

RICHARD POOLE (ENGLAND)

See Biography Above.