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Reading Karate Club Instructors
The instructors at the Reading Karate
club are insured through Insure4Sport and registered with England
Wado Kai. Amongst our instructors are qualified First Aiders,
as is the Club Secretary who also holds
a child protection certificate in sport. All adult instructors and
the club secretary have had CRB checks.
SInce October 2006 the club instructor has been Rob Barrett (3rd Dan, Black Belt).
The senior instructor for the association is
Sensei Barry Wilkinson (8th Dan, Black
Belt).
Rob Barrett
In April 2000 Rob agreed to start karate
training during a night out with old university friend, Richard
Moore. Sensei Moore had recently taken on the Wokingham Karate
Club and was keen to increase the number of members. After being
reminded of his promise the next day, Rob had his very first karate
lesson the following Friday and after a few weeks was hooked,
grading for his 8th Kyu (Yellow) later that year.
At the start of 2001 Rob Barrett started additional training at Bracknell
under Sensei Jannet Bowden achieving 7th Kyu in March that year.
Following a move to West Reading, Rob started
training at the Reading Wado Dojo under Sensei Marcus Bowden,
achieving 6th Kyu (Green) in December 2001, 5th Kyu (Blue) in
March 2002 and 4th Kyu in December 2002.
In the summer of 2003 Rob started regular training at
Thatcham
Karate Club under Sensei Paul Knight and continued training there until 2012.
After
Sensei Marcus Bowden left the Reading Club, Rob continued to train, being
taught by Senseis Barry Wilkinson
and Russel Kenyon; achieving 3rd Kyu (junior brown) in December
2004, 2nd Kyu (middle brown) in December 2005 and 1st Kyu (senior
brown) in March 2007.
In October 2006 Rob took on the role of instructing at Reading Wado Karate Club along with Carl Spiller and Rebecca Moreland.
In 2008 Rob started regular training at Aldershot Karate Club, under Sensei Barry Wilkinson.
In May 2009 Rob Barrett was awarded the black belt grade of Shodan, following an assessment at the 2009
England Wado-Kai Karate Summer Course, the biggest event of the
England Wado-Kai Calendar. The grading panel consisted of Sensei Sensei Barry Wilkinson, Sensei Sir Brian Hayes CBE QPM, Sensei Paul Hibberd and Sensei Mark Hibberd.
In May 2014 Rob was awarded the
black belt grade of Nidan (Second Dan), following an assessment by Sensei Barry Wilkinson, Sensei Sir Brian Hayes CBE QPM and Sensei Andy Dare at the 2014
England Wado-Kai Karate Summer Course.
In March 2022 Rob Barrett was awarded the
black belt grade of Sandan (Third Dan), following an assessment by Sensei Barry Wilkinson, Sensei Sir Brian Hayes CBE QPM and Sensei Nick Perkins at the 2022
England Wado-Kai Karate Spring Course in Aldershot.
Currently Rob is instructing at Reading Karate
Club and is continuing his training to develop his karate with regular training under the association's Chief Instructor.
Rob is a qualified first aider and has been DBS checked.
He also completes safeguarding training at regular intervals and holds a Covid Safe Martial Arts Instructor certification.
Rob also holds a City & Guilds Level 3 Award in Education and Training and a British Canoeing Level 3 Coach qualification.
Rob is registered as an instructor with England
Wado Kai.
When
he isn't karate training, Rob Barrett runs his own business as a graphic/ web designer, enjoys coaching white-water
kayaking with the Adventure
Dolphin Centre, and playing guitar in his band Indie Generation.
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