About

I began my martial arts training in Taekwondo, around the early 1990s. I also spent a couple of years training in Choi Kwon Do. I gained my first black belt in Wado Ryu Karate in 1999. Unfortunately, I moved cities and stopped training for a number of years.

I started training in Shotokan Karate in 2009 and  I am currently a Sandan (3rd Dan).

It is the aim of this blog to share some of my thoughts on training and various other topics in the martial arts world. I also aim to provide profiles on karate-ka from various styles. It is important not to forget those that came before us.

It should be noted that the views expressed on this blog are purely my own and in no way reflect the teachings of my Sensei.

Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/sample-page/

17 comments

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    • Mike Burton on February 7, 2018 at 7:38 pm
    • Reply

    Message for Patrick Donkor. Hi Patrick, I am the publisher of Vernon Bells books by C.Layton Shotokan Dawn I & II Shotokan Supplement and Shotokan Horizon along with Scotland’s first karate club and two books on Masao Kawasoe. I was wondering if you were able to help promote the titles ?. Kind regards, Mike Monabooks.

    1. Hello Mike. I’ll see what I can do.

    • jackie on January 27, 2019 at 8:26 pm
    • Reply

    Hi Patrick,

    I’m not sure if this is the best email to contact you guys, but I saw that you mention Mantelligence.com in here: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/martial-arts-news-articles-n-7/. I was wondering/hoping if you could turn that text mention into a link to that article. The easiest option I saw to do this was to add a link to the word “Mantelligence “.

    It would mean a TON to my brand and my site and I would truly appreciate it. Thank you Patrick, hope your week is going well!

    Jackie

    1. Hello Jackie.

      Thanks for getting in touch. I will get it sorted in the next couple of days.

      Regards.

    • Mike Clarke on June 21, 2019 at 12:23 pm
    • Reply

    Hello Patrick,
    Can you email me please, I have something I’d like to talk with you about in private.

    • sachin chavan on September 3, 2019 at 5:00 am
    • Reply

    Hi Patrick sensei, You can take an official permission from KWF Hq in Japan and list the 9th KWF World conference and 9th KWF world championship event on your website
    Deputy Grandmaster Malcolm Dorfman can be approached and requested to help you, just in case. The event will have a big following of Budo practitioners from across 58 country organisations affiliated with KWF Hq.

    1. Hello Sachin. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. When is the event taking place?

    • Stephen Robins on February 6, 2021 at 11:35 am
    • Reply

    Hi Patrick
    I was lucky enough to train at Marshall Street under Enoeda Sensei. Our main day to day instructor was Hideo Tomita. There is virtually nothing about this great instructor on the internet in terms of his early life , where he trained and who taught him. He and Enoeda were very close and Tomita is held in very high regard in the UK so it is surprising so little fact is known about him It would be great to read one of your profiles about this exceptional Sensei.

    Regards
    Stephen Robins

    1. Hello Stephen.

      He is definitely on my list.

      Regards.

    • Pamela Glyn on September 17, 2021 at 12:16 am
    • Reply

    Hi Patrick
    My husband Julian and I trained under Sensei Norman Robinson for many years (up to second Dan) and I started writing up a biography on him. However we left for New Zealand in 1998. I had written about 16 pages on his background and early beginnings and would be very happy to share that if he had no objection. He was the most amazing instructor and I could not think more highly on him. Do let me know how I can send this to you if he agrees and if you are interested.
    Pamela

    1. Hello Pamela. I would be very happy for you to get in contact with me.

        • Pamela Glyn on September 21, 2021 at 2:53 am
        • Reply

        Thank you Patrick. I have typed up my notes. Would you be able to give me Sensei Norman’s personal email so as to be able to run it by him first?
        Pamela

        1. Unfortunately, I don’t have any contact details for Sensei Norman. I have never had the pleasure of meeting or corresponding with him.

    • gianluca on December 28, 2021 at 11:22 am
    • Reply

    I would like to know how many Eska european championships won Julie Nicholson in individual kata and how many in team kata
    thnks

  1. Dear Patrick,

    First please let me introduce myself. My name is Piyawat, I have been a Shotokan disciple of Fujikiyo Omura sensei since 1995 when he moved to Thailand.
    I am currently in Thailand Karate Federation (TKF) committee, main role is Foreign coordinator and PR.

    I found your amazing article about sensei, not sure how can I express my gratitude for collecting such a complete info of him.

    My humble request is, may I translate your article of Omura sensei into Thai and publish on our Thailand Karate Federation website (tkf.or.th) and our Thai Shotokan (karatethai.com) please?

    With sincere appreciation,
    OSS!!!

    Piyawat Tarasombut
    Lecturer,
    Petroleum & Renewable energy engineering,
    Srinakharinwirot university
    piyawat@g.swu.ac.th

    1. I am more than happy for you to use the article on your site. All I ask is that you attribute the article to me.

    • Pamela Glyn on January 17, 2023 at 10:37 pm
    • Reply

    Shihan Norman Robinson (9thDan) has now published his book “Do Or Die – No Excuses” about the beginnings of karate in South Africa and his extraordinary life and his contributions to karate It has been the greatest privilege to have trained under this exceptional man

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