GODAN
‘A’ LEVEL INSTRUCTOR
‘A’ LEVEL JUDGE
‘A’ LEVEL EXAMINER
Steve Edwards was born in 1982.
He began training karate in 1994, transferring to the Shiseikai Dojo in 1996. He has remained a student and ‘Shihan Dai’ to Shihan Sidoli ever since.
Steven Edwards has been training with the Shisei-Kai/Seikukan Dojo since 1995 and has become one of the senior members, holding the grade of Godan that he passed in Japan in 2011.
He has trained under the following Gima-Ha Instructors:
- Ikuo Higuchi, Tokyo, Japan and Hamburg Germany), 9th Dan
- Mitsunori Kobayashi (Ashford, Kent and Katakai, Niigata, Japan), 9th Dan
- Hidetada Narumi (Okehampton, N. Devon), 8th Dan
- Yoshi Yoshinori, (Hamburg, Germany) 5th Dan
- Muneharu Go, (Hamburg, Germany) 5th Dan
He has trained in Japan on many occasions, and within the UK, with such instructors as:
- Keigo Abe, 9th Dan
- Mikio Yahara, 8th Dan (now 10th Dan).
- Akihito Isaka, 8th Dan.
- Yoshikazu Sumi, 8th Dan.
- Kosaku Yokota, 8th Dan.
Steve currently holds a 5th dan black belt awarded by the senior examination panel of Gima-Ha Shotokan-Ryu Karate-Do Association in 2011, after a gruelling 3 hour examination in Tokyo in 2011. Steve also holds black belt grades with the Japan Karate Association and Karatenomichi World Federation plus the KWF “C” Level Instructor.
Steve has represented the Shiseikai and Britain at various regional, national and international karate tournaments, enjoying a high degree of success; including:
- 4th, Kumite,15-16 year old division of the 1st Karatenomichi World Cup in Cardiff, losing in the semi-final to the eventual winner, Shinji Nagaki.
- 1st, Kata at the 2003 European Friendship Cup,
- 6th Kata, Karatenomichi 2004 World Cup.
- 1st, Kata, 2006 JSKA German Friendship Cup.
- 6th, Kata, karatenomichi 2009 World Cup.
- 2nd in the JSKA World Championhips 2009 Team Kata division after filling in on the ‘Dutch Team’ where they had lost a man to injury – this after only 30 minutes practice together.
- 1st Kata and 1st Kumite in the JSKA UK British Championships in 2010.
- 1st Kata JSKA UK British Championships in 2011.
- 1st Kata, Nagaoka Tournament circa 2018.
He has now retired from competition in order to manage the Shiseikai Competition Squad, and run his own dojo in Maidstone, Kent.
Steve has visited and trained in Japan on many occasions, in 2011, he graded to 5th Dan.
In 2019 he took a group of students for their first visit to Japan . One of them went in to win the Kumite division for the High School age, in the Gima-Ha Nagaoka Cup (2009).
In 2010 he was given the honour of being ‘selected’ to demonstrate individual kata at the ‘Yamamoto Isoroko” birthday celebrations in Nagaoka, Japan. His Gojushiho-Sho kata received a rousing ovation and accolades from many senior budo-ka and karate-ka present.
Steve has a talent for retaining kata and imparting his knowledge in a structured and methodical way.
He has travelled widely throughout the UK assisting Shihan Sidoli, and has also taught in Norway, Canada and Germany.