It was in 1986
while in his second year as a student at Stirling University that Andrew first
began training with Tenshinkan Karate. The friend who introduced him stayed
only a couple of weeks while Andrew carried on training. His first grading
was on 5th December, 1986 and from that point on he continued grading every
Summer and Winter, and training every hour he could get. The problem with
training at the University is that you only get to grade twice a year. So
he would hunt out other clubs and opportunities to train. In the end he has
trained with ju-jitsu clubs, Tae-kwando clubs, kick-boxing clubs, but he has
always returned to Tenshinkan Karate. Not just because it was the first martial
art he leaned, but because to him it seemed a more complete style. Like many
students before and after, he ended up representing the Tenshinkan Stirling
University Club in university tournaments. Andrew takes up the story.
"I used to fight on the University squad. I'll be the first to admit I wasn't the best (it's a bit of a disadvantage having to take my glasses off) but I certainly wasn't the worst, and I did improve. To me my most memorable fight was against Edinburgh Shukokai. I was a blue belt facing a purple. It got a bit messy with him kicking out my knee, but I was still holding my own when for some reason he went for a shoulder throw. Unfortunately there was aloud rip and the suit sort of came away in his hand (did I mention it was cheap?). In the end I had to borrow a gi top from a pretty young lady who was about my size. I then proceeded to kick my opponent out of the ring - I think I was a little annoyed."
Andrew graduated in 1989 and his first job was in Hull. As there is no Tenshinkan Club there, He was forced to look around for some other martial art club. After trying a Wado-ryu Club he ended up with a Shukokai Club. His instructor Tony Grainger, 3rd Dan, while teaching Andrew Shukokai basics, he encouraged him to maintain his Tenshinkan training. In 1993 he graded to his Brown II, 1st Kyu belt. He then made the memorable trip to Denmark on the Stirling University minibus, that now seems to have become part of Tenshinkan U.K. mythology. Andrew explains, "I can tell you now that it is all true. The training on the top deck of the ferry, the early morning runs that got earlier and earlier, the 3am training session in the North Sea that almost lead to the first karate club mutiny. It all happened. It was one of those crazy times. But Denmark was a great experience and it taught me a lot."
By 1993 Andrew
was living and working in Glasgow and so was able to continue traveling by
train back and forth to Stirling University Karate Club. In 1994 he finally
went for his Shodan (Black belt) Grading Examination front of five senior
black belts and including Sensei Takashi Miwa and Shihan Robert Kane. After
his grading he really started to investigate what it meant to be a black belt.
He re-learnt his katas and began to enjoy teaching at Stirling where he is
currently an Assistant Instructor to the Dojo-Cho.
