CKA Club instructors

Sensei Hervé Vandekerckhove

2nd dan

Hervé Vandekerckhove started practicing Karate over 20 years ago in France and has continued practicing since. In France, he won medals at both regional and national level which allowed him to join the French high level athlete scheme.

Hervé trained and taught at Cambridge University Karate Club from 2011 until 2022. During that time he was a member of the KUGB England national kumite team, competing at both the European and World Shotokan Karate-Do Championships. He received silver in senior male team kumite in both ESKA (Switzerland, 2014) and also WSKA (Poland, 2015).

In 2015 he was a member of the Cambridge University Team which won the Senior Mens Team kumite title at the KUGB National Championships.

His competitive success in the KUGB also includes a bronze medal in the KUGB National championship in individual senior male kumite as well as a further bronze and a silver medal in team senior male kumite.

He was a Founding member of CKA when it formed in 2022.

Herve graded to Nidan in November 2023, under Senseis Frank Brennan (8th dan) and Sensei Garry Harford (8th dan).

Sensei Christoph Hess

2nd dan

Christoph Hess started learning karate in Germany as sport karate. When he joined Cambridge to undertake a PhD, he worked hard to learn kata in addition to enhancing his kumite. Over the last few years he has competed in kyu grade categories and was part of the winning varsity team in 2022, competing in both kata and kumite. He graded to shodan in June 2022 under Senseis Frank Brennan and Jimmy Brennan. He was also awarded the cambridge university karate club “unsung hero” award for services to the club.

He was a Founding member of CKA, and since then Christoph has maintained one the best training records in the club. His dedication to training, both inside and outside the dojo, has enabled him to develop strong and dynamic technique, passing his nidan grading with flying colours in 2024.

CKA Visiting Instructor & Grading Examiner

Sensei Richard Poole

7th dan

Richard has trained and taught karate with the KUGB for over 45 years and trained at wide range of karate clubs including Rhyl & Prestatyn, Cardiff and the Red Triangle in Liverpool. He was awarded 7th Dan from the KUGB in 2018.

During his competitive career he won many titles and represented Wales internationally with the KUGB and also the Welsh All Styles Association in both Kata and Kumite. Richard was the National kata coach for the Welsh KUGB team and has been an international referee for over 25 years. He is a grading examiner for the KUGB.

Richard was the Chief Instructor of Cambridge University Karate Club from 2003-2022, where he supported over 60 students through dan grades and led the club to great competitve success including 16 Varsity victories against Oxford and winning the KUGB Nationals in both senior Team Kata and Team Kumite. Richard continues to teach karate both within the UK and internationally.

Leadership roles

Sensei Richard Poole as President of WSKA, pictured with Sensei Hiroshi Shirai, 10th dan ITKF (left) and Sensei Ofelio Michielan, 7th dan Rem Bu Kan Karate, Italy (right)

  • Chairman of the KUGB in Wales for 24 years

  • Chairman of the governing body for Karate in Wales

  • Chairman of the British Karate Federation

  • Manager of the British All Styles Team - top competing nation in the WKF world championships in South Africa 1996

  • Chairman of the EKF Disciplinary & Legal affairs committee

  • President of the European Karate-do Association 2008 - present

  • President of the World Shotokan Karate-do Association 2009 - present

CKA Visiting instructors

Petre Nicolescu

4th dan

Petre started karate in 1990 in Romania under Shihan Adrian Popescu (9th dan) and graded to shodan in 1995, achieving the highest score of the day after an exhausting 6 hour long examination.

In 2006 Petre joined KUGB and until 2018 he trained, instructed and competed for Cambridge University Karate Club, under Sensei Richard Poole, winning numerous gold and silver medals at regional and national level in both kata and kumite. In 2017 at the UK National Championships, Petre captained the kata team and won the gold medal for the first time in the club’s history.

In 2018 Petre enrolled in a master degree program in Romania. During his time in Romania he competed at national and international level under WUKF, wining gold in kata at both Romanian National Championships and the Romanian Cup, and silver at European Championship’s Cup. In 2021 Petre became world vice-champion in Cluj-Napoca, and in 2022 he placed 4th at World Championships in Florida. He was a Founding member of CKA when it formed in 2022, and designed the club’s logo.

His main interest is kata, particularly the kinetics and kinematics aspects of karate. With a deep understanding of body mechanics, his classes focus on improving speed, power and sharpness, with utmost accuracy of the techniques.

Petre has a master degree in Computer Aided Design and a master degree in Comparative Literature and has been known, on occasion, to delight the crowd with his piano playing.

Tegwen Ecclestone

4th dan

Tegwen started karate in 2006 at the Cambridge University Karate Club, and was soon training six days a week under the direction of Sensei Richard Poole, Sensei Petre Nicolescu and a variety of other instructors. Tegwen’s first foray into competition was at the Central region championships, where as a 6th kyu, she took silver in kyu grade kata. She continued to compete winning kyu grade kumite at the KUGB student nationals in 2008 and both the women’s kata and kumite categories at the KUGB Kyu grades championships in 2010.

Tegwen graded to Shodan with the KUGB in 2010 and to Nidan in 2013. During this time she competed for both Oxford and Cambridge Universities in kata and kumite in a mixture of regional and national championships, placing equal third in kumite at the British Universities and Colleges Sport competition in 2014.

In 2014 Tegwen became a member of the KUGB Senior England Kumite Squad, travelling to Liverpool to train at the Red Triangle. She graded to Sandan in 2016 and to Yondan in 2022 under Senseis Billy Higgins, Frank Brennan and Jimmy Brennan.

Ever since her Shodan grading Tegwen has taught a wide range of classes, which are enjoyed for their energy and enthusiasm by junior and senior grades alike. She especially enjoys teaching beginners and watching them progress in skill and confidence.

Tegwen is a medical doctor, specialising in Rheumatology. She has an interest in sports medicine and is a member of the Medical Commission for the European Shotokan Karate-do Association.

CKA Founding members

  • Fatemeh Torabi, 3rd dan

    FOUNDING MEMBER

    Fatemeh started shotokan karate at the age of 9 under Senseis Bahadori, Kojuri and Bahrami at Shiraz-Iran. Her commitment to training resulted in her leading a student team-kata at the age of 12, to medal in national competitions. Fatemeh was awarded the regional youth award in 2004 in acknowledgement of both strong performance in academia and sport. Fatemeh graded to Nidan at the age of 15, with an official renewal granted at the legal age of 18. Following 9 years of training, in 2009, she graded to Sandan under Sensies Kojuri and Bahrami, when she started her official training as instructor and referee. In her University years Fatemeh medalled gold in Student nationals - Women's kata for two consecutive years (2010 & 2011). In 2012, Fatemeh was certified as official C Grade coach by Iran's Karate Federation.

    Her Karate journey became more diverse following her move to the UK-Wales in 2012, where she joined the Welsh Bushi Kai karate association and started learning the new style Wado Ryu under Sensies David Jowet and Percy Brown. She enjoyed understanding the minor and major differences between the two styles. The journey carried on and following her move to Cambridgeshire and re-opening post pandemic, she joined the Cambridge University Karate Club (CUKC) where she returned to her root style of shotokan after a few years.

    Fatemeh has a specific interest in teaching how each technique in kata may be applied (Bunkai). Fatemeh's passion for Karate is felt in her sessions, where learning is coupled with positive energy. She thoroughly enjoys supporting every member of the team to achieve their goals.

  • Paul Smith, 2nd dan

    FOUNDING MEMBER

    Paul started karate at the age of 11 at the local Shotokan club in Tring. He then joined the Cambridge University Karate Club as an undergraduate after a gap in training of three years. At the time he was a tall, gangly 1st kyu who 'blocked with his head', but perseverance paid off and he graded to Shodan in 2006 under Sensei Sherry and Sensei Poynton. Whilst at Cambridge he developed a kumite style known for its reach and for techniques named after his karate heroes. In 2007 Paul became the first recipient of the club’s 'Most improved' award in recognition of his hard work in training. He graded to Nidan in 2008 under Sensei Sherry and Sensei Higgins.

    During his time as a student Paul progressed from the Men's B Team through to the Men's A Team, and while he was President in 2006-7 the Varsity team brought home the Enoeda Cup for the first time in four years in a famous whitewash against the Dark Blues. The club has won the cup every year since then, including in 2008-9 when Paul was Men's Captain. He was for four years in a row part of Cambridge's winning kumite team at KUGB Central Regions and was a member of the Cambridge trio of successive captains who twice won gold in team kata at BUSA, and who went on to take bronze at the European Universities Championships in Montenegro in July 2007. He was a member of the senior KUGB England kumite squad between 2008 and 2010, but unfortunately had to take time out due to a knee injury. He is a Full Blue for his achievements in kumite.

    Paul’s greatest triumphs include being part of the team that beat Keio University by the narrowest of margins in their kumite match on tour to Japan in 2007. During the competition Paul was commended by the chief referee for his fighting spirit, height, and range of techniques that led him to victory against his Japanese opponent. He was also part of the team that won Senior Male Team Kumite at the KUGB Nationals in 2015.

    Paul read mathematics as an undergraduate at Trinity College, and completed his PhD in probabilistic combinatorics in 2012. After a two-year sabbatical (or 'postdoc') in Rio de Janeiro, Paul returned to Cambridge in 2014 as a Fellow of Murray Edwards College. He went on to work in Tel Aviv, before settling in London, although he still travels to Cambridge frequently.

  • Ismael Sierra, 1st dan

    FOUNDING MEMBER

    Ismael Sierra is well known for his impressive training record, attending almost any karate class running. This has enabled him to excel through his kyu gradings, before becoming shodan under Senseis Higgins and Brennan in June 2021. He has competed in the KUGB student championships, BUCS and was twice in the winning varsity team representing Cambridge against the dark blues. Ismael has a particular love of fitness, and encourages all members to partake in fitness challenges at the end of classes.