Currently world forms champion and holder of numerous European and british titles, Sensei Russell runs the ashiita-kai kick / punch club at Tregorrick Park.
Russell started training in 1989 in a tradional based karate style in his local YMCA club. It was there that he first met sensei Kevin Davey who was teaching the same style at another club locally. He found that he took to kicking very naturally and by 1994 he had earned his 1st degree black belt and started his first martial arts class in Cornwall teaching Zen Shin Do. In 1996 he was awarded his first 2nd dan but by now was finding very little to learn in his current style. By now Sensei Davey had adapted his own freestyle syllabus which he called Ashiita-kai (loosley translated ‘tomorrow’s students’) and Sensei Russell had begun to take notice. It was here that he got his first taste of the competition circuit.
Since training under the Ashiita-kai name Sensei Russell has maintained 6 british titles since 1999, won the S-Factor world forms title, various european titles, been invited to represent Great Britain in the world championships and made it down to the last 13 of over a 1200 applicants in tv auditions for sky one’s ‘fight School 2’. In 2007 Sensei Russell won his first European title at the prestigious Battle of the Celts and went on to fight former world champion James Winsper in the final round of the tournament. He has fought fighters of all calibres, from local fighters to european and world champions – every fight, win or lose, is a new lesson learned.
Today Sensei Russell has taken over as chief Instructor of Ashiita-Kai and still competes on a regular basis and intends to fight at the UK nationals and Europeans again next year. He currently holds a 4th Degree Black Belt in Freestyle Sports Karate and a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Traditional Style Karate.
Sensei Russell not only oversees the gradings for the Ashiita-Kai clubs but is also well recognised on many black belt grading panels throughout the South West for both freestyle and Traditional Style organisations. He also regularly referees many local tournaments.
