Cowbridge Karate Jutsu Kai
Instructors
Chief Instuctor
Shihan Roger Nevens
5th Dan
Shihan Roger began practicing Karate in 1985, at the age of 12, shortly after Cowbridge Karate club was formed. His club instructor was Robert Bridle, who provided the inspiration and motivation to continue his journey. Roger was fortunate to have the opportunity to train regularly with other well-respected instructors including
Lee Costa
, Keith Jenkins, and Gino Barbato. He also trained with the Welsh Kumite Squad coached by
Stephen Wellington
.
In 1997 he became one of the original 5 CKJK Karateka to be awarded 1st Dan. As one of the highest grades in the club, he was an assistant to Robert Bridle, had spent much time teaching in the Dojo, and was already regarded as a competent and enthusiastic Instructor.
In 1999 he was awarded 2nd Dan and in 2001, at the age of 27, attained 3rd Dan and the title of Sensei.
When Robert Bridle left the organisation in 2003, Dave Jones was appointed Chief Instructor. The coaching duties were divided between the remaining Sensei’s, including Roger, each worked extremely hard to maintain the high standard and further develop the organisation.
At this time Roger attained one of the first nationally recognised Karate coaching awards.
In 2008 Roger was awarded the honorary grade of 4th Dan and in 2012 was presented with an award from the British Budo Federation for outstanding dedication to Karate and remarkable coaching capability. This followed several years of being invited as a guest Instructor to the BBF annual seminar and on-going involvement with the Shin-Gi-Tai Aikido Association.
In 2015, 30 years after starting Karate and with 20 years of continuous coaching experience, Roger was appointed CKJK Chief Instructor and awarded the rank of 5th Dan and title of Shihan (Master).
Roger is a firm believer in leading by example and strives to maintain the highest personal standard of Karate. He is well respected throughout the Martial Arts community for his dedication, knowledge, and ability. He believes that Karate is a ‘living art’ and works to develop new techniques and approaches as well as maintaining traditional form.
Under his leadership, and with the support of the other Instructors, Roger intends to maintain the high standards already set by CKJK, develop many more great Karateka, and continue with the promotion and development of the art.
Instructor and Club President
Shihan Dave Jones
5th Dan
Dave Jones initially began martial arts as a 7yr old with boxing. His father had been a forces middleweight amateur and he followed him into the sport but when his father was forced to retire a few years later and began training in Judo, he followed him there too. The Midlands club they had joined had become part of Kenshiro Abbe’s newly-founded British Judo Council and although the main direction of that club was Judo, because of Abbe’s broad martial art experience (as well as being 8th Dan Judo, he was also a 6th Dan in Aikido and Kendo) a broad interest in all Japanese martial arts was engendered. By chance while attending at a course organised by Abbe in North London, a Japanese Karate master, Mitsusuke Harada, was present and gave a thrilling demonstration. Within a matter of weeks Karate was also being taught at Dave Jones’s home club and as a teenager, although Judo remained the main competitive element, training time was split between the three disciplines of Judo, Aikido and Karate.
Moving away to Medical School in Manchester at the age of 18 and then, what was at that time the fairly standard 100+ hours a week work pattern of a junior doctor created a 10 year hiatus in martial art training. But in the late 70’s while working at a military hospital in the Middle-east Dave met up and trained with a group of what would probably now be called mixed martial artists who practised multi-discipline self defence, all with a major interest in karate and of several styles, including Shotokan and Kyokushinkai, which renewed the interest. On returning to the U.K. in 1981, he joined Steve Arneil’s British Karate Kyokushinkai, training in Cardiff until the fragmentation, mainly for political reasons, of the BKK. As a consequence of the demise of the Kyokushinkai club that he had trained with for almost 10 years there was a need for a small change of direction, he had observed a local Jutsu Kai club, performing the style developed by Bernard Creton. That style’s similarity of technique, direction and method to that which he had trained previously persuaded him to join in 1991. He has been with that same club ever since and was their chief instructor from 2003-2015.
Instructor and Administration Officer
Sempai Mora Garside
2nd Dan
Sempai Mora has been a member of the club since 2001. She has the honour of being the oldest CKJK Karateka to undertake, and achieve, both 1st and 2nd Dan Back Belt gradings !
Sempai is the adminisration officer for CKJK and also the secretary for the Karate Wales governing body and works tirelessly to keep everything in order.
In 2012 Sempai was presented with a recognition award by the Welsh Karate League for her dedication to Karate.
In 2015 Sempai attained nidan following completion of a 25 person kumite !
