Profile

Occupation:  Equestrian headwear manufactuer
Grade  : 4th Dan
Certified Level 3 Coach (British Ju Jitsu Association)
First Aider
Fully CRB Checked
35 Years + experience

Mobile: 07521 393922

About my Training

My interest in Martial arts probably started when I was about 8 years old.  Though at that time in mid to late 60,s there wasn’t a lot of it about, though my uncle was studying Shotokan karate at the time and used to practice in the backyard as I lived next door used to watch him go through katas and the best bit smashing house bricks with his hands and feet. Well as an impressionable kid it blew my mind and I started to copy kata by watching my uncle and learning the blocks punches and kicks, I thought I was the kiddie!!

I practiced on and off for a few years there where no clubs near had no transport,so it petered out for a while though I never lost interest but the opportunities were not there to train. Then my uncle decided to start a club in the local leisure centre and there was just a handful of us there, plenty of hard Karate training the traditional way and as young teenagers we took a battering – builds character apparently !!
After a while that fell by the wayside then a kungfu club came to the local leisure..thought wow have to have a go at this ..Lau gar kungfu was just the ticket, so far removed from Karate.  I did this this for a while before discovering girls and bikes, so Martial Arts took a back seat for a while, although I never lost interest and read anything on the subject as well as studied and practiced nunchaku. I trained Fen Sau.And Fen yang Sau,  a more aggressive system and started at Shotokai, a karate style and back to traditional system again because mates where training in it. Then before you know it in turning 40 and disappointed because I never stuck at a system that i really believed in. At this point my wife at the time started in Goshinkwai Yawara at Ebbw Vale with Alun Williams and asked me of I go with her, I declined her offer and said if you stick at it for a year I’ll come..So two belts later I went a long for a look..Well have to say I was disappointed that I just wasted a year !!
I sat on the side and watched.The techniques they were doing looked like you could actually pull them off in a real situation. I was hooked, started training once a week to start.soon realised that wasn’t enough.Was soon training as much as I could. Took me your and half years to attain my Black belt. Then in 2003 Alun offered me the chance to take over the Ebbw Vale club, which I jumped at.
I have been fortunate to meet and train with some great Martial Artists and have traveled to Italy and France as a result, also was part of the Total Body Defence Ju Jitsu demonstration Team at Europes largest Martial Arts exhibition, SENI on two occassions.
I was invited to instruct both military personnel and private clients from the UK and abroad at a Cwrt-Y-Gollen camp in Crickhowell , noteably some of the South Korean Special Forces. This was part of a company run by es SAS veteran John Mac RIP, who endorsed Total Body Defence.
Now in the twilight of my years I can’t train as hard as a used to as the body takes a battering but loving teaching and helping others develop through Self Defence and Martial Arts
training
Hobbies/sports:
I follow motorcycling, like to keep fit, spend time with my family and travel

John Mac Endorsement

Rob Pascoe