Sensei Gary Martin

Gary Martin started training in 1979, when he heard through the grapevine of a Karate club in his area. Instantly hooked, he continued to train, gaining his 1st Dan in May 1985.

Initially a Bujinkai Karate club, Gary soon got into the routine of attending courses, competing in competitions, and (perhaps more by "luck" than intention) he almost always ended up training with grades far senior to himself. Gary found this immensely challenging, but in the long run the benefits were huge.

Gary was encouraged to become involved in coaching and teaching in 1984, which as a callow seventeen year old was daunting to say the least, especially when teaching students much older than himself. Perhaps the early faith that his instructor had in his ability was a key component in his Karate career, as Gary is now well known in Cornwall as an inspirational instructor who'll work you till you drop, but leave you smiling all the while.

Once Gary gained his Shodan he became a regular member of the Bujinkai Squad, competing in local, regional and national competitions. Gary sums up his competition career with the words "I had good wins, beating national competitors; bad losses to local 'nobodies', but never stopped learning".

Due to work commitments and an injury which required major reconstructive surgery to his right knee, it was five years before Gary took and passed his next grading, but despite an ongoing problem with his knee managed to attain his 3rd Dan in 1996.

Gary's knee has never been right since the injury in 1989, which effectively ended his Kumite aspirations. However, this forced him to focus more on Kata, an area where he has excelled - rarely out of the top three in regional events, and always in the top ten at National events. The physical demands of striving for perfection in Kata also took it's toll on his knee, and though he still competes occasionally, his new challenge is refereeing.

Within two years Gary attained his F.E.K.O. National Referee qualification, and is known as an unbiased, by-the-rules, no-nonsense referee. Hard but fair, he is in demand for both Traditional and Freestyle competitions.

The Kumite students that Gary has coached are unbeaten locally, and well respected nationally. All his years of knowledge from courses with World Champions to a beating from the European Full Contact Champion, he disseminates to his students.

"Karate has given me so much. From a small dyslexic child to a widely respected Karateka, National Ref. and Coach. I wonder how many sports can change a life as mine has, to the point where it is no longer a sport but a way of life."

"Train hard ..."