Mike O'Brien

Shihan Mike O'Brien 8th Dan Mike O'Brien is the founder of the Karate Union of Wales and has been practicing karate for over 45 years and is widely considered as one of the father's of Welsh karate as well as one of the most highly respected men in the sport throughout the United Kingdom. He was the first Welshman to gain a Shotokan 1st dan black belt and is responsible for the spread of Shotokan Karate throughout Wales.

The following is a short history of Shotokan Karate in Wales, of the KUW and a profile of himself written by Shihan Mike O'Brien 8th Dan.

I first became interested in Karate way back in the mid 1960's when a picked up a book by E. J. Harrison and tried to learn some of the techniques by looking at the pictures, which as anyone who has attempted this will tell you, is impossible! The problem with learning from a book is, it shows you how to start and finish but doesn't show the bit in the middle.

I then had the good fortune to see an advert in a local newspaper for a new Shotokan club in Cardiff, so on the opening night I turned up along with around thirty other people, curious and excited to learn. The instructors were two young black belts from Liverpool that you may have heard of, Alan Smith and Andy Sherry. Andy and Alan would travel down from Liverpool once a week to take the class and after eight weeks training I had my first experience of a Japanese instructor when Sensei Kanazawa travelled to Cardiff to hold a course and grading. I'm proud to say that I was the only student to jump a grade straight to 8th kyu.

Andy Sherry

Enoeda

To my surprise Sensei Sherry then handed the class to me and Cardiff Karate Club was born. For many years we continued to get regular instruction from Andy Sherry and a young brown belt who also went on to greater things named Bobby Poynton, with Sensei Enoeda and Sensei Kanazawa holding regular courses in Wales which was an amazing privilege. Finally, in 1970 the time came for me to take my 1st dan. I remember that Sensei Enoeda was booked to hold the course and grading but he sent his assistant Sensei Kato. The course was to be held on the Saturday with the grading on the Sunday. However, when Sensei Kato arrived he informed me that he had to be back in London on the Sunday, so he held a seven hour course followed by my dan grading, which thankfully, despite being shattered, I passed, becoming the first Welshman to hold a Shotokan black belt.

It was around this time that I became curious abut other styles of karate. At the time there were only three main styles in Wales; Shotokan, led by myself, Kyokushinkai led by Howard Collins and from Wado Ryu, Ritchie Noblett who has been one of closest friends ever since. We met by visiting each others dojos to find out how our different styles compared and then we started talking about the best way for us all to co-operate and improve all karate in Wales. As a result we founded the WKBC (Welsh Karate Board of Control) and created the very first Ò Welsh All Styles Karate TeamÓ; Mike O'Brien, Ritchie Noblett, Howard Collins, Selwyn Gould, Unel Wellington, Lee Costa and Alwyn Heath. Our first tournament was the 1970 European Championship in Crystal Palace. We didn't win and we found out we would have to be a lot more organised so I was made Team Manager whilst all the senior members of the squad shared in the coaching for a while until it was decided that Ritchie should be the official coach.

When the Welsh Karate Governing Body (then the WKF) was formed the three organisations that made the WKBC eventually joined and me and Ritchie Noblett continued to be Manager & Coach of the Welsh team for fifteen years with some memorable victories, my favourite being the one over the United States in Swansea. Anyway, back-tracking a little. It was after passing my 1st Dan that I decided to spread the gospel of Shotokan Karate throughout Wales. I opened clubs throughout the Rhondda, Cynon and Rhymney Valleys as well as Cardiff and Newport and Pontypridd, whilst in North Wales, my K.U.G.B. colleagues; Vernon Davies and Geoff Wilding were opening clubs throughout that region so that between us we eventually had around 35 clubs. By the time I had my 3rd dan the Welsh KUGB was so big that we felt we should have our own region and our own Welsh team as until then there was only the one K.U.G.B. team. After over 12 months intense negotiation assisted by my old friend Peter Davies from the Bridgend club, the K.U.G.B. committee eventually agreed to allow us our own region and K.U.G.B. Wales team.

The Welsh K.U.G.B. team developed quickly with some very talented fighters such as Von Johnson (Cardiff) and Paul Watson (Bridgend). Our biggest team success came in Germany in 1977 when we took Silver, losing to Italy in the European Championship in Essen. Von Johnson, an extremely talented fighter from Cardiff also went on to beat Terry O'Neil at the K.U.G.B. Championship in Crystal Palace. By 1980 our (KUGB Wales) relationship with the main committee in England had become quite strained due to what we perceived as a lack of support and sponsorship for the Welsh team. A meeting was held amongst the Welsh clubs and the difficult decision to leave the K.U.G.B. and form the Karate Union of Wales was made. This was a particularly hard decision for me as Andy Sherry and I had been very good friends for a long time and my respect for him as person and as my mentor has never diminished.

As we'd now left the K.U.G.B. we no longer had access to its top British or Japanese instructors, so the hunt was on to find somebody to give us top level instruction. At the same time we left the K.U.G.B. so did other regions and instructors such as Mick Dewey & Dave Hazard who had formed a new organisation, SEKU (South of England Karate Union). I contacted Dave who agreed to come and coach in Wales, which I believe is one the best things to happen for Shotokan karate in Wales. Dave turned out to be the most knowledgeable and accomplished instructor I have ever had the pleasure of training under and that includes Japanese instructors. Dave has now been a regular visitor to Wales for over 15 years and everyone involved in Karate in Wales should take every opportunity to train with him.

Dave hazard

Kase

It has been my privilege and honour to have trained with some of the worlds finest Japanese karate masters; Kanzawa, Enoeda, Kaze, Shirai, Kawazawi, Kato, Naito and Sumi. However, my favourite instructors and the people I consider to be two of the finest karetka in the world are Englishman; my first instructor Andy Sherry and the incomparable Dave Hazard. I can honestly say that I have learnt more from these two men than anyone else and they will both always hold a very special place in my heart and mind.

The Karate Union of Wales has a great family spirit with a solid core of dedicated and loyal instructors. In North Wales I am very lucky to have my longest serving student to run things in my good friend Arthur Lloyd 6th dan. I am sure with the talented instructors we now have, the Karate Union of Wales will continue to grow and help nurture and train many, many more great practitioners of Shotokan Karate.

Finally, I'd like to mention some of the fine instructors that I have helped to produce over the years. Some of these men have represented their country at the highest level in competition, as competitors and officials, some have moved on to run their own very successful organisations, all are fine instructors. Together we've had many, many good times that I remember with great fondness. My only regret is that we do not keep in touch. So in the hope that they will all read this one day, I'd like to send my best wishes to the following: Bo Shannon (WKC), Robert Copeland (Vale Karate), Jason Ashcroft (WSKO), Paul Watson (WKU) & Gabe Operanta (WSKA) and all former students I cannot recall right now.