Born: 22nd March 1929, London

1936 – 1939: Summer holidays in Suffolk with family, working on local Suffolk farm.

1940: Evacuated to Burwash, Sussex

1941: Evacuated to Byfield, Warwickshire

1942: Evacuated again to Barby near Daventry

1943: Joined Sea Cadets at Greenwich Navel College, five nights a week training

Monday nights: Boxing and wrestling

Tuesday – Friday: Seamanship, Marching drill, rifle drill, unarmed combat etc.

Saturday: Football match

Sunday: Rowing and Sailing

1946: Joined Gravesend Merchant Navy Sea School, Training ship; "Vindecatrix", a German built iron sailing ship in Sharpness, Glostershire

1947 – 1950: With the Merchant Navy, I went to: West Indies, Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Trinidad, Curacoa, Wilhelmstadt, La Guara (Venezuala), Catagena (Columbia), Panama, New York, Newport News, Norfolk (Virginia), Lizbon, Las Palmas and Teneriffe (Canaries), Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fi ji, Pitcairn Island

1950 – 1954: lived in New Zealand. Jobs; Bridges and Dams, saltworks, farms, saw mills, forestry, meatworks, tunnel mining, docker and as a nurse in a mental hospital.

1954: Returned to England

1955: Joined British Army, served in Essen, Rhure Valley, Holland and Belgium.

1957: Discharged from the Army and returned to Australia. Eight years in Queensland and three years in New South Wales. Jobs; Sugar can cutting, truck driver, survey transmission lines, fencing, meat works, bridge and dam construction, copper refinery, steelworks, saw mills, forestry.

1969: Returned to England, joined Royal Mail, travelling Post Office; Travelled to and from Newcastle on Tyne where I trained in "Wado Ryu" with Doug James Sensei and Toru Takamizawa Sensie at the Temple Karate Centre, now to my knowledge called; "British Karate-Do Cho jinkai". I left this school and trained at "Toyakwai Karate Association" in Newcastle with Joe Coop Sensie, Wado Ryu, Eido Short Staff Jo, Shiatsu and pushing hands. Trained four hours a day, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Sundays I trained in Bexley at "Michi Shin Chikara Shinri" which changed it’s name to "Kenseikai Ken jutsu Do jo" now to my knowledge called; "British Kendo Association". Here I trained with Oki Mitsi Fu ji San Sensie and Kevin Williams Sensie.
I took my Shodan and NiDan with Anderson Sensie at Toyakwai Karate Association, Hackney, London.

In Canterbury, I trained in Yang Tai Chi Longfrom and a little Choy-Li-Fut with Sifu Kevin Stanworth also taught Zheng Dao Lo, Long fist, Chin-na, Hsing-I, BaQua and Wing-Chun until he transferred up to York.

After this I trained with Nick Arnold in Wu Tai Chi in Shortform and Longfrom. Ba Qua and Hsing-I.

I attended seminars with; Si Gun Lo De Xiu, Sifu Aarvo Tucker and Sifu Paul Cavel. I also attended a two day seminar with Sifu Aarvo Tucker with his Kung Fu academy, International Association of Defensive Martial Arts. I trained in; Ba Qua and Hsing-I.

I have been training WT with Si Hing Lee Jacobs twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays, three hours each night.

I have always been interested in all martial arts and have trained in some as opportunity and circumstance have allowed i.e. whilst I was training in Wado Ryu in Newcastle on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, on Sunday I would train in Kempo and Ken jutsu at Kensikia Ken Jutsu Do jo with Sensi Oki Mitsu Fu ji San at Bexleyheath, Kent.
All I have seen about WingTsun and Shaolin Kung Fu has interested and intrigued me so when I saw WT advertised in Canterbury I joined at once with Si-Hing Lee Jacobs and have completed my first year, I have progressed and moved up to 5th grade and enjoyed every minute.

I have met many interesting and talented people and find that the more I learn the more I’m motivated…I wish I had trained WingTsun many years ago whilst I appreciate what I have learned in other disciplines I remain curious about other Martial Arts.

I still practice all my 15 Katas everyday, as well as the things I’m learning now which include; Siu Nim Tao, Chum Kiu forms and footwork.