Dan Grades

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These pages are dedicated to the CKA dan grades who provide the very high standard of training at our Dojos.

6th Dan Rokudan (六段)
Erin Thwaites

Erin is now the Chief Instructor for the Chiltern Karate Association and started her karate journey very unexpectedly in January 1993 when she took her eldest son (7 years old) to attend a beginner’s course at Chesham’s Grammar School.  Being a strong-willed young man, he decided that he would not even take off his shoes and socks and try but she stayed and watched for the full lesson. The lesson looked such good fun that she ended up enrolling the following week and the rest is history.  It is now 31 years since she was hooked and the journey has been challenging at times but fun.  She has met many wonderful students over the years and had the privilege of training under many amazing instructors.  Patrick McCarthy, Dave Hazzard, Iain Abernathy, Rick Clark, Frank Brennan, Aidan Trimble, Vince Morris, Rick Jackson, Simon Oliver, Terry O’Neill and  Hirokazu Kanazawa and more.

She attained her Rokudan in 2019 and continues to teach at the Chesham dojo.

In 2005 she had the opportunity to take a trip to China with a group of like minded CKA members and had the honour of training with a Shaolin Monk – Master Zhang at his dojo.

Erin advocates that Karate is for everyone and she always tries to persuade people to try and give it a go.  It is very good for self-confidence and discipline not forgetting keeping the old grey cells working

Tel : 01494 758079

5th Dan Godan (五段)
Paul James

Paul started training in January 2000 at the Grammar School in Aylesbury as a beginner. He reached Shodan in December 2003. He teaches regularly at the Aylesbury dojo and Holmer Green dojo and tries to train at the Amersham Dojo as much as possible. He attained Nidan in June 2006, Sandan in March 2010, was awarded Yondan in June 2014 and Godan in September 2019.
Juliet Guerri

Juliet started training as a beginner in March 1998 in Denham. She reached Shodan in March 2003, Nidan in March 2005, Sandan in June 2008, was awarded Yondan in September 2012 and Godan in September 2019. After teaching at the Chalfont dojo between 2003 and 2014, she now trains regularly at the Holmer Green dojo.
4th Dan Yondan (四段)
Michael Thornton

Michael trained for five years in the early 1990’s with the Mushindo Kempo Association in London. After a break of ten years he started training with the CKA, attaining Shodan in December 2009, Nidan in December 2011 and Yondan in September 2019. Michael trains in Holmer Green and regularly teaches at the Dojo Amersham Dojo.
Bernard Murray

Bernard started his training in karate in Dublin in 1988 and graded to 7th kyu. After a long break, he joined the CKA in October 2004 at the Denham Dojo (now closed) and graded to Shodan in December 2008, attaining Nidan in September 2011 and Yondan in September 2019. He regularly teaches at the Holmer Green dojo and trains at the Amersham dojo.
Paul Massey
Alex Ramsay
3rd Dan Sandan (参段/三段)
Ryan DeCosta
Damien Parmenter
2nd Dan Nidan (弐段/二段)
Alex B.
Olivier Javaud
Bob Pringle
Jason Guest
Craig Deans
1st Dan Shodan (初段)
Steve Warren
Martin Pringle
Stewart Pringle
Kerry Clough
Sarita Murray
Ayushi Mahesh
Chris Pringle
Tanmay Mahesh
Kelsie Wright
Paul Allen
Jonathan Parmenter
Aargaash Rajkumar
Brian Hammond
Szymon Warsinski
Sam Green
Toby Allen
Patrick Busby
Shrika Madhavapeddi

Past Veterans

Dave Davenport

Dave is our previous Chief Instructor, leaving the association in Dec-23. He started his karate journey with the KUGB (JKA) in 1979 and has trained continuously in Shotokan for more than 40 years. For many years he was a regular visitor to the Martial Street dojo and has many friends from that golden era. In his younger days he competed at National & International level and recently returned to competition (as a veteran), coming 1st in Kumite and 3rd in Kata at the JKA England Open event in 2016. He is a 6th Dan Shotokan Instructor and teaches at all CKA Dojos on à rota basis. Dave trains regularly with top European & Japanese Shotokan Instructors and has completed three visits to train in Tokyo. He recently took eight CKA students to Japan in February 2018 and the group were fortunate enough to experience training at the JKA Honbu, the Budokan, the Hoitsugan Dojo and Takushoku University.

Apart from regular training with Enoeda Sensei, Dave has trained with Kase Sensei, Asai Sensei, Osaka Sensei, Kanazawa Sensei, Shirai Sensei, Tanaka Sensei, Tabata Sensei, Kawasoe Sensei, Ohta Sensei, Imura Sensei, Imamura Sensei, Yahara Sensei, Taniyama Sensei, Kagawa Sensei, Isaka Sensei, Murakami Sensei, Ueki Sensei, Naka Sensei, Kawawada Sensei, Shibata Sensei, Kawasaki Sensei and many, many more …

Ashley Croft

Ashley was our Chief Instructor until June 2018, when he decided the time was right to follow another path of Budo. He attained Rokudan in Shotokan and Yondan with Rick Clark’s Ao-Denkou Kai organisation.
Craig Jones

Craig joined the CKA in 1990 training at Amersham, Bucks University and Holmer Green. He attained Godan in Shotokan and Sandan with Rick Clark’s Ao-Denkou Kai organization.
Robin Thwaites

Robin joined the CKA in 1992 training at Amersham, Aylesbury and Chesham. A past editor of The Lion, he attained Sandan in July 2002 and Yondan in 2006.
Brian Warner

Brian started training in Karate with the CKA in early 1991 at the age of 11, and he graded to Shodan in December 1995. He attained Nidan in June 2005, Sandan in June 2008 and was awarded Yondan in September 2012.
John Lockwood


Phil Straton
Mick Brosnan

Mick trained in Shotokan from 1990-93 reaching 2nd kyu until injury forced him to stop. He joined the CKA in 1999 training at Denham and Amersham. He attained Shodan in March 2003 and Nidan in June 2005.
Caroline Payne
Caroline joined the CKA in 2000 training at Denham and Amersham. She attained Shodan in September 2004 and Nidan in March 2007.
George Entecott

George joined the CKA in 2003 training at Aylesbury. He attained Shodan in December 2007 and Nidan in December 2009.
Margaret Ibison

Margaret began training with the KUGB in Edinburgh in the late 1970s. After an extended break, she joined the CKA in 2001. She attained her Shodan in September 2006 and Nidan in March 2010.
John Jackson
Ian Butterworth
Dominic Crehan
Brian Whittall
Laura Graham
Rocky Briggs
Rhys Madden
Nia Madden
Pauline Kerslake
Peter Heath
Richard Tudor