Maria Nicolaou Sumaria – 3rd Dan
I was first introduced to Shotokan Karate at around 5 years old, when my dad and brothers started training in the late 80’s early 90’s. Having older brothers who watched films starring Bruce Lee, Jean Claude Van Damme and Jackie Chan definitely influenced my interest in Martial Arts.
I started attending Karate lessons at around 10 years old and competed in The London Heathrow Youth Games in 1997 and 1998, having won Silver and Bronze in Kumite. I went on to achieve Shodan (1st Dan black belt) aged 16. Shortly after, I stopped training. School, university and other life experiences took priority, and sadly Karate became a distant memory.
Fourteen years had passed and a neighbour who knew I’d trained in Karate before asked if I wanted to join him for a lesson at his dojo. In 2014 at the age of 30 I went to my first lesson at the Kings Cross dojo and this was the place that was to reignite my passion for Karate. I trained every Monday and Thursday religiously. I attended all the courses that Sensei Adam arranged for us, from traditional Shotokan Karate to other arts and I pushed myself out of my comfort zone. With much dedication and hard work, under Sensei Adam’s training and guidance I achieved my Nidan (2nd Dan black belt) in 2017.
I went on to have a baby, (trained until 8 months pregnant) then took a year out, and during lockdown I trained via Zoom. No matter what is happening in my life, Karate will always have a place.
I passed Sandan (3rd Dan blackbelt) in March 2024.
Josh Shil – 3rd Dan
I started training at Kings Cross Shotokan Karate Club in 2006 as a 6 year old, about 6 months before Adam Sensei took over the dojo.
I trained regularly in Adam Sensei’s classes even when there wasn’t a kids class, training with the adults twice per week and passed my Shodan blackbelt in 2013 alongside three other members of the Dojo taking Dan gradings that day and my second Dan in 2017 alongside Harvey & Maria.
By this time I had been bitten by the competition Karate bug and competed whenever I could winning medals at Seishinkai internal competitions, the SSKI Shotokan Shield Open, the Portsmouth Open, the AKA Open and the Legend Open Championships. I have also been lucky enough to train with & learn from a number of other instructors on courses that Adam has arranged such as Dave Hazard Sensei, Simon Staples Sensei and Vinicio Anthony Sensei.
After a brief stint where my training was affected by college & university, I am back training regularly, back competing after the COVID break and have been assisting Adam Sensei at the Club helping to develop the dojo in the way that others before me helped me develop.
I passed Sandan (3rd Dan blackbelt) in March 2024.
Harvey Perkins – 3rd Dan
I started training at the age of 45 at another dojo but was feeling pretty disillusioned with what & how I was being taught and I was on the verge of quitting. I started training at the Kings Cross dojo in 2011 after getting a recommendation from a friend who trained there and I haven’t looked back! I found what I was looking for and have thrown myself into training for nearly 10 years and reached the grade of Nidan (Second Dan) in December 2017. Since then I have also been assisting Adam Sensei in the Kings Cross children’s class.
If I could travel back in time to when I was a kid, I’d tell young me to start Karate. It’s a huge personal annoyance now that I started so late, because as some level I knew I should try it when I was younger but always found a reason not to.
And starting Karate young is clearly the best way to do it. As an instructor, it’s amazing to watch kids start out all shy and uncoordinated and see their confidence and technique build. Of all of my experiences in Karate, I’d say that probably the bit I enjoy the most, working with the children’s class and seeing them improve beyond recognition.
That said starting Karate at 45 is still pretty cool and although there’s still so much to learn, it is fantastic to see how far I’ve come, creaky knees and all. Of course I could have poured my energy into golf. But there’s just not enough kicking people in Golf….
Seth King – 2nd Dan
I started learning Karate with the KUGB in 1993 at Aberystwyth University where I got up to 7th Kyu (graded by Sensei Bob Poynton) whilst studying for a one year Masters degree.
In 1995 I moved to Hemel Hempstead where I joined Seishinkai training with Sensei Malcolm Phipps (and where I met Sensei Adam). I moved to London in 2002 so I joined the London club, training with Sensei Kevin Thurlow, and passed my 1st Dan in 2006. Sensei Adam took over the club shortly after this and I have trained there (on and off) ever since.
After an 18 year gap, I was inspired by the club’s new approach to push towards my 2nd Dan grading, which after months of intense training and study, and an even more intense physical exam, I am very proud to say I passed in March 2024. I’m now working towards my 3rd Dan.
Karate is a superb way for people of all ages to stay physically and mentally fit – we’re always learning in every lesson
John Coleby – 1st Dan
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I began my Karate training as in 1978 at Trent Shotokan (KUGB) with Sensei John Shannon, training for 18 months and reaching 6th Kyu. Sensei Bob Poynton and Sensei Tomita were my grading examiners. University and other sports became all-consuming so my Karate went into hibernation for the next 40 or so years. In recent years I was lucky to count Sensei Rod De Silva as a colleague and friend and he encouraged me to start training again in a small afterwork session he was running for other colleagues. Needless to say, I began to realise what had been missing during the years of ‘hibernation’. Sensei Rod further encouraged me to find a club where I could train more often and commit to my development as a Karateka. He suggested Kings Cross Shotokan now Total Shotokan where I met Sensei Adam Cockfield. Since joining the club, I have deeply valued the approach to Karate taught by Sensei Adam which is both practical and traditional as well as challenging and fascinating as well as fun. Adam Sensei kept us going during the pandemic with sessions both in and outside the dojo as well as online, which were terrific. In January 2023 I achieved Shodan and I continue to develop and evolve as a Karateka albeit a 63-year-old one. I am grateful to sensei Adam and my fellow Karateka at Total Shotokan who are wonderfully supportive and it is a privilege to train with.
Bobby Coates – 1st Dan
I started training in martial arts in 2017, training in Aikido with Airenjuku at SOAS University. I trained there for 2.5 years (achieving 3rd Kyu) before I caught the Karate bug when I began training with the renowned Prof Stephen Chan at SOAS Jindokai club.
Although the training in both clubs was of a high, traditional standard, I made the decision to develop my skills in practical self-defence. Having trained for a while with Urban Krav Maga Instructor Stewart McGill (of Martial Arts Illustrated Hall of Fame), I had a vague idea of practical self-defence, but also missed the discipline of traditional martial arts.
In December 2019, I was lucky enough to find KCSKC and was intrigued by the promise of learning Karate for self-protection as well as an art. After a few classes, it was clear that I’d found exactly what I was looking for! I was immediately inspired by the many senior grades who displayed patience, kindness and the rigorous discipline and high standards encouraged in the club by Sensei Adam.
The lockdown in 2020 was a difficult time, but I found stability with my Karate training, which continued thanks to Sensei Adam consistently leading online classes. Without a doubt, my training kept me balanced and focus during this time and I will be forever grateful to Karate for that.
Training at KCSKC has afforded me the opportunity of training with such esteemed instructors as Iain Abernethy, Matt Price, Les Bubka and Mary Stevens – to name a few!
I was immensely proud to receive my Shodan from Sensei Adam and Sensei Dan in March 2024 following an intense 2.5 hour grading. I hope that I can now share the wide knowledge and high technical standard that I have acquired with other students of the club, to assist them to progress through their grades and develop skill, discipline and confidence in their Karate.
Although I continue to train in other martial arts (currently Jiu Jitsu) to remain flexible in my training and to expand my martial arts skills, Karate has – and always will be – my main focus and the biggest passion in my life.
FORMER INSTRUCTORS
Christopher Boon – 3rd Dan
After I left university, I went to live in Japan for three years and took up karate whilst there. I trained in JKA Shotokan Karate in a large, custom-built budokan in Ogaki City, situated in the middle of Japan’s main island of Honshu. I had two teachers, Tamura Sensei and Kubota Sensei, both of whom taught a fairly traditional form of karate.
I passed my sho-dan test in 2004 shortly before leaving the country and, after a brief hiatus, returned to karate in the UK with the Muswell Hill Karate Academy – affiliated to the Eastern European Fudokan style – under the tutelage of Islam Berisha Sensei. I passed my ni-dan test in 2008 during a seminar hosted by Ilija Jorga Sensei (10th Dan).
I joined Kings Cross Dojo in 2010. It’s a fantastic club and I have learned a great deal from Adam Sensei and all the other instructors.
In 2020 Chris moved to the South of France
Caspar Mahoney – 2nd Dan
I first started training, alongside my brother & sister in 1997, when I was fifteen, at Carn Brea Karate Club in Cornwall, under the tutelage of Sensei Bryan Temby. It was an incredibly old school club, with an emphasis on discipline, etiquette, and stances as long as you could possibly make them!
Eventually my siblings moved on to other things but I never really seriously thought of doing anything but karate, which has always felt like the right martial art for me, both psychologically and physically.
After taking a break to concentrate on my studies at University, I found the Kings Cross dojo and I’ve been blessed to find what must be one of the best clubs in the country. To prove an old adage (if at first you don’t succeed… I picked up my shodan at the third time of trying(!) in June 2010 and then passed nidan in December 2013.
In 2020, Casper moved out of London making training at the dojo very challenging.
Nick Ross McCall – 2nd Dan
Nick began training in 1997 with Sensei Mark Birkbeck in Plymouth. He has since trained with several Sensei including Sensei Ohta in Oxford and joined SSKI in 2004 under Sensei Thurlow. He was awarded his Shodan in 2005 by Sensei Phipps and now attends the Kings Cross Shotokan Karate club. He finds karate an excellent way to stay fit and particularly enjoys kata. He was lucky enough to be graded first Kyu by the late Sensei Enoeda
In 2020, Nick moved out of London making training at the dojo very challenging.
Charlie Johnson – 2nd Dan
