Frank Duffin - Dojo Leader
"I was always attracted to the Martial Arts. Came from a boxing, street fighting background in N.Ireland. Left the sea in ’72 to take a maritime technology degree at UWIST in Cardiff where I joined the University Karate club. However, after studying Zen in the evenings for about three years, was really drawn to its links with the art of the sword. In the seventies and eighties there were few kendo clubs, mainly in London. However, after flitting about the countryside with work, finally returned to S.Wales in 1999. The following year I found the Akai Ryuu club, at that time it had about four members with Ken Yamamoto the sensei. We struggled along for a lot more years, ken went back to Japan and Shaun Lothian took over. Our big break came with the movie “The Last Samurai”, membership increased exponentially. Come back Tom Cruise!"
Andre LeRoux - Coach
"I have always had an interest in martial arts, though this mainly involved sitting in front of a television watching old subtitled japanese movies or Bruce Lee taking on a mob of kung fu wielding fiends. Only later in life I developed an interest in the philosophy of the samurai which has drawn me to kendo. Although I had enquired on starting kendo in South Africa, there were very few clubs and many excuses from my side. One of those excuses was moving to Cardiff, starting a new career and finding a new home. One evening while surfing the net, I searched for kendo clubs and was surprised to find a kendo club in Cardiff a few blocks away from my house. Now nearly six years later, I am enjoying the constant drive for improvement and the opportunity to meet new people."
James Ogle - Coach
"I had both the fortune and misfortune of growing up with a father strongly into his martial arts. I followed from a young age with karate but found that it never really suited me like it did him. I enjoyed the technical aspects but could never fully enjoy it. When I went to university in Gloucester I joined the kendo club there as I was told that it would help with my karate and they didn't have a karate club at the Uni. From there I had the privilege of learning from one of the greatest teachers I have ever met, Ian Parker-Dodd and also my current teacher from japan, Sotaro Honda Sensei. I have since had the luck of travelling to Japan multiple times to train with Honda Sensei and am now currently part of the Great Britain Kendo Team. And I quite like a lot of the old sword schools philosophy, especially "troublemakers are the ones who excel!"
Gary Mathlin - Sempai (Head Student)
"In the early 1980s someone (I can't remember who) talked me and a few other guys into attending the local judo club. My mates lasted two or three weeks but I stayed. After three years, a broken collar bone and several bouts of concussion, I switched to aikido mainly because the aikido club had more sessions per week. It was at an aikido seminar in 1985 that I saw a kendo demonstration and knew straight away that someday I would learn kendo. However, back then kendo clubs were few and far between in the UK. I was involved in a serious industrial accident in 1988 that prevented me training for 18 months. By the time I was fit enough to return to aikido, the club had folded. In the early 1990s I was too busy to train having picked up a wife, mortgage and children. I went back to the martial arts in the late 90s, this time studying the Chinese arts of kung fu and tai chi chuan. I also got involved with competitive kick-boxing through my kids and often referee at tournements around the country. About three years ago I finally joined the Akai-Ryuu Kendo Club beginners course. I was hooked by the end of the first session, desperate to get into armour and start fighting. I train three or four times a week and travel to as many weekend seminars and tournaments as possible. Kendo has become one of the most important things in my life."