SENSEI MARTIN DOBSON
4th DAN (JKA)
Chief Instructor of South London Shotokan Karate Club, Sensei Martin Dobson 4th Dan (JKA)
Born in 1948, Martin first started Karate training in 1975, at the age of 27. He trained at Goldsmiths College, London, under the instruction of Sensei Tony Jarvis. He was awarded Second Dan (JKA) Black Belt in 1995 by Sensei Enoeda and in August 2005 was graded to Third Dan (JKA) by Sensei Ueki and Sensei Ohta.
He was promoted to 4th Dan in September 2012 by Senseis Ogura, Sawada, Ohta and Larsen. Currently he holds International “B” Licences as Judge and Instructor plus an International “C” Licence as Examiner .
He is married with three children (now grown up) and works as a director of Dobson & Poole Ltd. (Chartered Surveyors) in Bromley. His many interests and other activities include reading, football (supports Crystal Palace FC), jogging, gardening and films.
Other qualifications: BSc (building administration), Fellow of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Building.
A regular attendee of the Regional and International courses, Martin is still as passionate as he ever was about Karate, and enjoys training regularly with all the top JKA instructors inluding Sensei Ohta and Sensei Roy Tomlin (of Lewisham).
He has also attended courses in Japan on eight separate occasions and wants to return as many times as possible.
SENSEI SHAHINAZ PELTER
3rd DAN (JKA)
Shahinaz is a former diplomat who took up karate after her son Patrick (now 2nd Dan), took an interest in karate. Both became JKA England members in 2009.
Shahinaz is a dedicated student and trains regularly 3 times a week at South London Karate Club with Sensei Martin Dobson (4th Dan), to whom she will always be grateful for teaching her the very first shotokan karate techniques. She also gets extra, valuable training with both Sensei Ohta and Sensei Tomlin as well as with many visiting Sensei.
After hard training and dedication she obtained her 1st Dan in May 2012 at the prestigious International JKA Spring Course at Crawley. Here the Dan grading was conducted by Sensei Osaka, Sensei Hirayama, Sensei Larsen and Sensei Ohta.
In July 2012, Shahinaz was also awarded her JKA England Coaching Licence Qualification. In February 2015, Shahinaz was awarded JKA England Level 2 licences for Referee and Instructor.
Shahinaz regularly attends JKA England courses. In February 2012, she was awarded a special Attendance Certificate from Sensei Ohta for taking part in every national and international course during 2011. She attended the Kan Geiko(Winter Training) Course in Tokyo where at the JKA headquarters. She has also taken part in many JKAE karate competitions at which she has won gold, silver and bronze medals.
Shahinaz has also participated as a Judge, Centre Referee, timekeeper and Recorder in several competitions, including the European Championship in England in 2011, the Four Nations Cup in 2012 and the JKAE 10th Anniversary Cup in 2013. Shahinaz has also participated in several competitions, including the European Championship in England in 2011, as a timekeeper and recorder.
Shahinaz is also the Club Secretary and assists Sensei Martin Dobson 4th Dan (JKA) with the running of the Club and helps a great deal in organizing the Club events and activities, in addition to undertaking lots of administrative work. She is very popular with students at the Club and is a natural teacher of all aspects of karate–do. Shahinaz has set up her own club: Bromley & South East London JKA Karate Club, based in Petts Wood, in Bromley.
For Shahinaz karate-do has become a passion and a way of life.
SENSEI DUARTE PEDREIRA
1st DAN (JKA)
Duarte started practicing karate when he was 15 years old. Initially his goal was to increase his self confidence, discipline and also to meet new people. He started in Portugal where he trained for 8 years with Sensei Claudio Fung, a former European Kata champion.
Duarte moved to the UK to study a masters degree at the University of Reading and he subsequently joined the University’s karate club. Upon moving to London after his studies Duarte joined South London Karate Club where he was Sensei Martin’s student and also where he attained his shodan. Duarte had the pleasure of being one of the coaches for the club until he moved to Africa for three years in 2010. Upon returning to London in 2013 Duarte trained at Sensei Ohta’s Oasis and Budokwai clubs, re-joining South London Shotokan Karate Club post lockdown in 2021.
Duarte is a big believer in karate as a way of training oneself to achieve mental and physical strength and resilience, whilst gaining a better understanding of how to overcome challenges at all levels.
Duarte is a banker, lecturer, philanthropist and also a dad of an aspiring young karateka!