Lester Wellington

Lester is a retired Police Officer, having served 30 years Metropolitan Police Service and for the last 14 years taught Self defence to other Police Officers as well as Emergency Life Support. Lester began training in Shotokan karate in 1981 at the Budokwai dojo in Gilston Road, Chelsea, London and was the student of Sensei Caesar Andrews - at one time Sensei Enoeda's right hand man.
Lester's training had to stop because of work but re-commenced his training at the Ruislip/Hayes Karate club, run by Sensei Ged Smith, where Christopher, his son, started his training. This club has since changed it's name to Shin Do Kai. It was under his Sensei's instruction that Lester was awarded his Shodan by Enoeda Sensei 9th DAN. He has taken part in many local competitions and the Southern Regional competition.

Lester's ambition has always been to run his own club, however, he did not envisage starting the club before he was a Shodan! Opportunity knocks.
On Saturday 18th September 1999 Lester held the first TSKC class. As of 13th November 2008, Lester will be running 11 clubs under the TSKC banner in Buckinghamshire holding classes over 6 days. Lester co-instructed with Demi at the Medbourne dojo in Milton Keynes from January 2007 for about a year. Due to injury, Demi has had to retire from teaching.

Lester underwent an Instructor Assessing programme in April 2001, where his teaching methods, technical and physical capabilities were examined by Sensei's Sherry, O'Connor and Strachan at Chesterfield's Queens Park Leisure Centre. Later that year, Lester attended a special Referees and Judges Course, where along with other Karateka took a 2 day intensive course followed by a written and practical examination. There were 10 candidates on the course, of which Lester was one of two Shodan students. The examiners and Instructors for that course were Sensei's Sherry, Naylor and Poynton. Lester passed admirably, becoming an Official KUGB Judge.
Since then, Lester has Referee'd and Judged at the Southern Region Championships, 6th KUGB Children's Nationals, Inter Club Competitions and Essex Trophy competition and officiated at the National Championships 2002 and 2003 at the NIA, Birmingham.

October 2003 was a significant time for Lester. A decision had to be reached with regard to the future of Tairyoku SKC. The last grading with the KUGB was undertaken and the move to JKAE was confirmed. Lester's qualifications with the KUGB will stand him in g