Sensei Tom is currently 6th Dan Black Belt, and started training in 1973. In 1987 he won his first Tournaments, the ASKA East Midlands and National Championships, from then onwards he won many open, area and National Championships along with some international placings. He has competed in ASKA, FEKO, EKC, EKB, EKGB, BKF, and JKAGB Nationals, International Open Tournaments, EKU and JKA Europeans and FSKA World Championships until 1999.

By 1993 Sensei Tom was teaching in local schools and gyms (along with Loughborough University) with a total of Seven clubs around the area. Sensei Tom feels it is very important to gain knowledge and experience through karate training and study, so to gain this knowledge he trained with some of the top instructors in the world; Instructors such as Sensei Kanazawa, Shirai, Yamaguchi, Asano, Kato, Osaka, Yahara, Abe, Tanaka, Kawasoe, Jackson, Naito, Kagawa, Aramoto, Ohta & the late Enoeda, Tabata & Asai.

Sensei Matt started his martial arts training with Judo in 1979 before changing to Goshin Ryu Karate in 1981 and gaining his 1st dan black belt in 1987. After a break in training due to injury Matt took up Tang Soo Do in 1988 and reached 4th kyu before going to Leicester university in 1990. Here Matt's Shotokan training began under Sensei Rick Jackson, who Matt still trains with in both karate and Iaido.

While Matt was studying for an MSc at Birmingham University he was a member of the KUGB. He trained at various KUGB dojos throughout Birmingham including the University club, Benson, Kaizen and with Ronnie Christopher, as well as on squad sessions taught by Frank Brennan.

In 1996 Matt travelled to the United States to the Pennsylvania State University to study for a PhD in Biomechanics, where he trained in Isshin Ryu and reached the rank of 2nd dan black belt. While Matt was in the United States, he continued his Shotokan training with the ISKF with the help of the Williamsport ISKF. Matt also helped set up a Shotokan club at Penn State, although all the hard work was done by his friend JD Swanson. During his time in the ISKF Matt got to train with Okazaki Sensei in Philadelphia, with Mikami Sensei and other ISKF instructors.

He returned home to the UK in 2000, where he joined the Loughborough University Shotokan Karate Club. In his first year at the Loughborough University Club Matt dominated the Mens Black Belt Kata at the 2000 DSKF National Championships, taking first place. With this great wealth of knowledge, Sensei Matt is an asset to the Loughborough University Karate Club. He has an understanding of different styles and is able to help students change from any style to Shotokan.

Sensei Martin started his martial arts training in 1982 when he started training in Shotokan Karate within the KUGB. His karate club had a very close relationship with a Wing Chun master so he was exposed to a variety of training styles and methods from a very early point in his Karate. Sensei Martin gained his Shodan in 1987 and his Ni dan in 1989 before going to University in Liverpool however he still travelled back regularly to train with his instructor.

Since then Martin has trained under a number of different instructors in a number of different martial arts gaining instructor status in San Soo Kung Fu as well as Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan. Martin worked in the States as a researcher at Indiana University for several years and was fortunate to not only teach Shotokan at the university club but also to be able to train with instructors in BaGua Zhang and Capoeira but also a variety of chinese weapons systems. However, it is traditional Japanese Shotokan Karate that Martin practises and it is these principles he likes to stress when he assists in the teaching at Loughborough.

Currently Sensei Martin trains with Sensei Tom Martin at Loughborough and Sensei Rick Jackson at Leicester and regularly attends courses both in the UK and abroad. Recently Sensei Martin has attended courses with Sensei’s Masao Kagawa (2010), Hirokazu Kanazawa(2009), Terry O’Neil(2009), Kiyoshi Yamazaki(2008), Akihito Isaka(2008), and hopes to visit Japan to train over xmas and new year (2010/11).