The Nigerian Association of Shotokan Karate (NASK) has called on all Karate practitioners in the country to take advantage of the ‘Train with the Champion’ workshop in the country to improve their knowledge of the sport.
Sensei Andy Sherry 9th Dan and Frank Brennan 8th Dan will be in Nigeria as coordinator and instructor respectively for the 3rd edition of ‘Training with the Champions’ seminar scheduled for August 29, 2017.
Secretary of NASK, Mr John Ogwo, while calling for maximum participation of members in Nigeria and Africa at the seminar, said that the only way to get full value for the money expended in bringing the two experts of the sport to the country “is for all members in Nigeria and the West African region to turn out en masse to benefit from their wealth of Karate experience.â€
He stressed that the technical and tactical attributes and high rising profiles of the two British karate instructors have helped to place the British Karate Union at the top of the spor
“NASK took the pain to bring into the country the two top karate instructors from Great Britain in other to contribute to the development of the art in Nigeria and neighbouring countries. These two instructors helped to place Great Britain at the top of the sport,†observed the NASK scribe.
Sensei Sherry was born in July 1943 in Liverpool, took to the Japanese martial art while still in school though started as a Judoka. In 1956, he took up Ju-Jitsu which led to his intrests in karate though there was no karate club in Liverpool as of that time.
He contributed to the founding of Liverpool Karate Club under the auspices of Britain Karate Federation. He Studied karate from great sensei As Murakimij Molchinruki in the early 60’s.
He received his Shodan in 1966 from sensei Eneoda, the first in Great Britain to be awarded such a rank in Shotokan Karate. There after he went on to win all titles available in thesport.
Sherry became Karate Union of Great Britain champion for the first time in 1967 and in 1968 became the first grand champion by winning both Kata and Kumite tittles. He was also the first to win EAFK European Kumite tittle in 1968 and also won an individual European Championships tittle in team event as a member of England team.
In Kumite he was a fast and skillful fighter, noted for his turning fast Gyaku – Suki which he combined with a rapid Yori- yam fist movement to make him one of the reputed fighter in the international scene.
He is a master of timing and tactics skills which he now adopts in coaching Karate Union of Great Britain squad.
He became British first Shotokan Black belt, and the 1st Dan and 1st qualified Shotokan international referee and now a 9th Dan.
His coaching and managerial style took KUGB international squad to reach its peak at Sunderland in1990 when it defeated the JKA Japan team to win the World Shotokan Karate Championship.
