Sensei Anthony Woods

Initially Anthony Woods began in grappling/ wrestling and judo from an early age (about 4) because of his parents' love of active/physical sports. Through the years have he has practiced various martial arts including Jujitsu, Aikido, Tang Soo Do, Tae Kwon Do, Boxing, Tai Chi Chuan and weapon training. Due to the limited number of choices available to the aspiring martial artist in West Cornwall Anthony started training in Karate at the Helston Bujinkai. In the years that followed he has trained in various styles of Karate (e.g. Shotokan, Goju-Ryu, and Wado-Ryu), and is a well known emissary for Sandokai in the local area, traveling from club to club on a whim and joining in with their training session irrespective of whether it is Karate, Tae Kwon Do or other martial art club. Anthony just loves training, learning and meeting new people.

A regular competition competitor, Anthony has the distinction of being the first student from Helston to win a trophy in a major competition - 2nd place in the Bujinkai National Championships 1987 (middle weight), mere minutes before fellow club member Kevin Gilbert reached the final of the light weight (same result - 2nd). Since then he has collected a motley assortment of trophies from both traditional and 'Freestyle' Karate competitions, and particularly enjoys the continuous fighting bouts in Freestyle.

Anthony has taken an active interest in improving his overall knowledge of the martial arts and related areas of interest. He has gained qualifications in Physical Education, N.L.P., and Hypnotherapy, and is not far from gaining qualifications as a Clinical Fitness Instructor and a professional Stress Consultant. His skills have been utilised both in and out of Sandokai, instructing clubs and associations in exercise technique, visualisation, technique improvement and replacing bad habits.

Anthony Woods was achieved his black belt (1st Dan) in March 1995 after over ten years of training, his 2nd Dan two years later, and was gained his 3rd Dan in the spring of 2000. He was then awarded his 4th Dan in August 2005.

Anthony is an instructor at the Newlyn Dojo, and after recent major hip replacement surgery he is working to rebuild his flexibility so he "will be able to throw those gedan geris with aplomb."