Richard Poole - Club Instructors

6th Dan KUGB
CUKC Chief Instructor 2003-present

Richard started training in a KUGB club in Rhyl in North Wales in 1974. During his first year of teacher training at Cardiff College in 1977 he was graded first Dan by Sensei Andy Sherry and was also selected for the Welsh KUGB Team to compete in the EAKF (European championships) in Paris. The following year he was selected for the Welsh Allstyles team. Richard also competed at County level in swimming and represented his college for karate, weightlifting and gymnastics.

With the exception of some 2 years spent recovering from a broken neck (souvenir of a climbing accident), Richard continued competing with great success both nationally and internationally until 1991.

After retiring from competition he held many administrative positions including chairmanship of the Welsh Region of the KUGB (1989 – to date), the Welsh Karate Governing Body and the British Karate Federation. Richard was manager of the British Karate Federation team which was the top competing nation in the 1996 World championship in Sun City South Africa. Richard also became an inaugural member of one of the first Sportlot panels appointed by the government with responsibility for distributing national lottery monies to sport in Wales.

Since 1993 he has been an international referee and has been selected to referee many European (ESKA) & World (WSKA) finals. He was elected President of ESKA in 2008.

Richard was graded 5th Dan in 1999 by Sensei Enoeda & Sensei Sherry, and 6th Dan in 2007 by Sensei Sherry & Sensei Poynton. He continues to instruct at both CUKC and the Rhyl & Prestatyn Dojos which have produced four Welsh, three British and one European individual champion in addition to numerous team titles in both kata and kumite.

Richard has been a member of the Karate Union of Great Britain since 1974. Although having trained under a wide variety of instructors from many styles and organisations, he attributes the greatest influence on his teaching and training to Senseis Enoeda, Sherry, Poynton & Brennan. Indeed for many years Richard was a member of the Red Triangle Club in Liverpool.

Since becoming Chief Instructor Richard has brought enormous enthusiasm and expertise to CUKC.