Events
Training and Grading with Sensei John Bruce 6th Dan
Sunday 30th March 2025
Our first grading of the year will take place on Sunday 30th March at Ashington Leisure Centre with Sensei John Bruce 6th Dan. This will be held in Studio 2 (upstairs)
Times (subject to change):
10:30am-11:15am (training for brown and black belts)
11:30am-12:30pm (pre-grading training)
Grading to follow
Costs:
£25 - training and grading
£10 - training only
Belts
£4 plain and £5 striped
Certificates
£2 regular and £3 laminated
Saturday March 8th - 10:30am - 5:00pm City of Liverpool KUGB Youth Championships
FireFit Youth and Community Hub 115 Upper Warwick Street, Princes Park, Liverpool
Saturday May 17th 10:00am - 6:00pm KUGB National Championships
David Ross Sports Village Beeston Lane, Wollaton East and Lenton Abbey, Nottingham
Sensei Garry Harford
Sensei Garry Harford (8th Dan) is a full-time instructor as well as a Dan and Kyu Grading Examiner. Garry has represented the KUGB for many years as a judge and referee for National and International competitions. Sensei Harford’s achievements include 1st place in Kata and Kumite in the Shotokan Cup and EKB All Styles Kumite Champion in 1987, being member of the the Karate Union of Great Britain’s (KUGB) team that won the EKB Championship in 1985-88 inclusive, but the highlight of his career was being a member of the team that won the 1990 World Shotokan Championships held in Sunderland.
Sensei Harford is an excellent instructor and a member of KUGB's Technical Committee and we are happy to have him as one of our Grading Examiners.
Sensei Frank Brennan
Sensei Frank Brennan (8th Dan) is a renowned instructor, both Nationally and Internationally. Sensei Brennan is coach to the KUGB National Squad and is proud to have produced many Junior European and World Champions, after his own competition career saw him winning both senior Kata and Kumite events to become Grand Champion of Europe no less than four times.
Sensei Brennan is a member of the KUGB's Technical Committee and we are happy to have him as one of our Grading Examiners.
Sensei John Bruce
Sensei John Bruce is a full-time instructor at Sendai Kushiro in Sunderland, where he has taught since 2004, as well as a Kyu Grading examiner.
He has had a successful competition career both internationally and domestically. His achievements include being crowned World Individual Junior Champion at the 2003 Championships in Zurich, Switzerland, and being part of the England Senior Men’s Team Kumite, winning the European title in Porto, Portugal in 2007, Crawley, England in 2008 and Wels, Austria in 2009 as well as the World title in 2007 in Bydgoszcz, Poland and Cancun, Mexico in 2009.
In July 2024 Sensei Bruce was elected as Chair of the KUGB, and we are happy to have him as one of our Grading Examiners.