Chief Instructor

Peter Dennis 8th Dan
Chief Instuctor:SenShinRyu Karate

I started Karate in 1967 under the tutelage of Sensei Dickie Wu a 1st Dan Kyokushinkai exponent, this style was a hard strong knock down/pick them up again association brought to this country by Shihan Steve Arneil under the patronage of the legendary Hanshi Masutatsu Oyama, a Korean/Japanese master that was renowned for fighting wild bulls with his bare hands and after defeating them removing their horns with a shuto uchi (knife hand technique).

I trained in Kyokushinkai until I received my 1st Dan under Shihan Arneil in 1971 at the Chelsea Barracks, London. The same year I won the National Kyokushinkai Championships defeating the former titleholder Big Bill Walsh in the final.

It was around this time that I met my mentor, David Ticky Donovan, he was a 2nd Dan Kyokushinkai exponent and had trained with most of the main instructors and masters from the Wado-Ryu, Kyokushinkai and Shotokan world, my first one and half hour session lasted for a period of 25 years, I found his teaching was disciplined, innovative, bold and adventurous, using inventive techniques and theory from his extensive experience and knowledge of other styles.

Ticky Donovan 9th Dan O.B.E

Students were encouraged to move freely from side to side (a technique once frowned upon by the old style linear masters) sweep, throw, attempt double kicks, we worked on target pads instead of the old style makawari (punching posts) and nihon (2 point) and sanbon (3 point) shobu, instead of the favored ippon (1point) shobu competition style. We trained like real athletes including stretching, running and body conditioning.

Ishinryu (of-all-one-heart) became one of the leading competition styles in the U.K. in the 70 s, 80 s & 90 s turning out many competition champions (to many to mention) Male and Female, National & International, but apart from this competition notoriety Ishinryu Karate still somehow managed to maintain the traditional side of Budo with emphasis on Kata, Kihon, etiquette, and dedication.

I stayed with Shihan Donovan until reaching my 6th Dan in 1991, along the way I had won many domestic and International honors, I had captained the Ishinryu National team for 10 years, I had represented England many times in International Karate competition including 5 European (EUK) all styles championships and Great Britain in the 1977 World Karate Federation (WKF) World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

It has been my privilege to have opened Ishinryu Dojo s in Basildon in Essex and St. Helier, Jersey C.I. I have coached the English all styles under 21 squad, and even the full England squad on occasion, I was manager/coach of the Jersey national team (JAKA) in the 1985 Commonwealth karate games in Guernsey. I was also appointed National Coach for the Federation of English Karate Organization (FEKO) team that represented their English members in the 3rd World Karate Confederation (WKC) Association & Federation Championships in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Awards and Achievements

1971 B.K.K. Team Champion - B.K.K Individual Champion
1972 B.K.K. Team Champion
1973 Mayflower Championships - Team Champion
1974 Mayflower Championships – Black Belt Tournament, 2nd place
1974 B.K.A. Summer Individual Champion
1974 B.K.A. S/Area Individual and Team Champion
1974 B.K.A 5th Essex Games - Individual and Team Champion
1974 Essex Sports Personality of the Year
1974 B.K.A. S/Area Senior and Team Champion
1975 B.K.A. S/Area Individual Champion
1975 Scotland v England v USA Team Champion
1975 European Championships Team Member Champion
1975 B.K.A. Individual and Team Champion
1975 B.K.C..C. (all styles) Team Champion
1976 1re Coute Cup De Nice International Team Champion
1976 England v Netherlands v Wales Championship Team Runner up
1976 E.K.U. European Championships Team Champion/Individual 3rd
1976 South African Triangle Championships Team Champions
1976 Budokan V Ishinryu Team Champions
1977 B.K.A. SA Team Champion
1977 4th World Championships GreatBritain Team Member (Tokyo)
1977 W.Germany v Norway v G.B. Championships - Team Champion
1977 Czechoslovakian Grand Prix Tournament -Team Champion
1978 I.K.F. (Irish Open) Champion - Team Runners up
1978 European Championships Team Member - Team Runners up
1979 E.K.F. Internationals 2nd Place
1979 B.K.A.Team Champions
1980 Italy v England Team Manager
1980 European Championships Squad Member
1981 Finnish Open Team 3rd
1984 Jersey Open Championships Individual Champion
1984 J.A.K.A. Team Champion
1984 Jersey &C .I. Championships - Individual and Team Champion
1985 Jersey Team Manager / Coach Commonwealth Games 3rd
1986 Portuguese Open - Individual & Team Champion
1988 – 1989 England under 21 Team Coach

e-mail: senshinryu@hotmail.com