Pauline Laville-Bindra

Pauline Laville-Bindra is a true pioneer in the world of Karate. She was the first woman in Britain to earn a JKA black belt in Karate, and trained for over 40 years, eventually reaching the rank of 8th Dan and becoming one of the highest-ranked female Shotokan practitioners in the world.

Pauline Laville was born on 8th January 1945 in Middlesbrough, England. She began her martial arts journey by learning Judo at the age of 12 at the Middlesbrough Judo Club. She trained for four years, eventually reaching the rank of blue belt.

Laville first came into contact with Karate through the Middlesbrough BKF (British Karate Federation). Originally, her sister paid for her lessons as her parents would not have allowed her to train. As with many people of the time, they thought Karate was a masculine fighting art, not suitable for women.

Laville stated training at the BKF’s Middlesbrough dojo in 1963, aged 17, under instructors Fred Kidd and Walter Seaton, both brown belts in Yoseikan Shotokan Karate. Due to her small frame, she found she was better suited to Karate than to Judo.

Towards the end of 1963, Laville moved to London with her sister Louise to find work. In Middlesbrough, she had trained to be a nurse, but did not like it as it interfered with her Karate training. They moved into a hostel, and she found work as a typist.

In March 1964, at the age of 19, Laville decided to resume her Karate training. She attended Vernon Bell’s dojo at the Horseshoe pub. At first, Bell was reluctant to train her, only relenting due to her persistence and her status as an existing member of the BKF. She also started training at Bell’s Upminster Dojo.

It must be remembered the time during which Laville was training. Women were treated as second-class citizens, and although there were other women training, there was some chauvinism shown towards them.

On the 4th July 1964, Laville became the first woman to be graded in the BKF by Vernon Bell, gaining the rank of 8th Kyu.

Laville’s early days of training at the Horseshoe pub were not easy. Some of the male students at the dojo made things difficult for her. They did everything to avoid partnering up with her. Training with her was considered a form of punishment. However, Laville’s perseverance enabled her to persevere. She credited her faith (as a Seventh-day Adventist) with helping her cope with difficult times.

In 1965, the JKA was invited to the UK to tour and give a series of demonstrations, showcasing its Shotokan Karate. The tour proved such a great success that Vernon Bell arranged with the JKA for Hirokazu Kanazawa to remain and teach on behalf of the BKF. The contract between Kanazawa and the BKF was for a year. In that year, Laville graded with Kanazawa and jumped grades from 8th to 6th kyu.

Like the many students who were fortunate to be taught by Kanazawa between 1965 and 1966, Laville’s Karate flourished. Kanazawa stressed the importance of basics. Students were drilled by performing many repetitions.

Laville attended Kanazawa’s first London grading on 28th July 1965, at the Lyndhurst Hall in Kentish Town and was promoted to Temporary 6th Kyu by Kanazawa. Her second JKA grading was held on 8th November 1965 at the same location. This time, she was awarded a full 5th Kyu by both Kanazawa and Enoeda. She gained full 4th Kyu at Kanazawa’s third London grading on 24th February 1966. Kanazawa’s final grading for the BKF was held at the Lyndhurst Hall on 21st April 1966. Laville was graded to 3rd Kyu.

When Kanazawa’s contract ended and was not renewed by the BKF, Laville and some of her fellow students were very disappointed. Many of the students had grown close to Kanazawa and liked his teaching style. In what became a significant moment in British Karate history, Laville and fellow students, including Eddie Whitcher, Chris Adamou and Nick Adamou, broke away from the BKF. They set up the Karate Union of Great Britain, with chief instructors Hirokazu Kanazawa in London and Keinosuke Enoeda in Liverpool. The KUGB set up its main dojo in Blackfriars, London.

In 1967, Pauline Laville made history, becoming the first woman in Britain to be awarded the grade of 1st Dan by Hirokazu Kanazawa and the JKA.

In 1968, Masatoshi Nakayama, the Chief Instructor of the JKA, visited the UK for the JKA’s summer course, held at Crystal Palace. Laville had the opportunity to be instructed by him.

After Kanazawa left the UK for Germany in 1969, Enoeda took over as the KUGB’s Chief Instructor. The next couple of years saw Laville further develop her Karate under Enoeda. The Japanese didn’t recognise gender differences in training. As a black belt, training was tough, and no quarter was given.

In 1969, Laville married Ray Fuller in Camberwell, London. An original student of Vernon Bell, Fuller was a co-founder of the KUGB and the Blackfriars Dojo.

The couple began opening dojos in South London and Kent. They developed a reputation as tough but fair teachers, in high demand. They believed in hard training, following in the tradition of two of the best Karate masters, Kanazawa and Enoeda, who had stressed the importance of technically correct basics.

In 1975, Enoeda sent Laville, along with other KUGB squad members, to New York to compete in one of America’s top tournaments. She could only compete in the kata event, as women were not allowed to compete in kumite. Because her standard in Kata was recognised as being too good, the event organisers entered her into the men’s kata event. She finished in 2nd place.

Her success led to an offer to remain in the USA to coach, but she had too many commitments back in the UK.

In 1975, Fuller and Laville, now 3rd Dans, left the KUGB and, with their already existing clubs, set up Thames Karate International, although both still continued training under Eneoda.

Because of their expertise in different disciplines, they taught separately within the Thames group. Fuller taught kumite, and Laville taught Kata. By 1977, the TKI had now grown to over 60 clubs with a membership of 4,000 students. They had joined the Federation of English Karate Organisation, FEKO, which was the the Governing body of Karate in England.

In 1979, the TKI split due to the earlier separation of Fuller and Laville.

Laville married Lee Bindra in 1979. The following year, the family relocated to San Francisco. With Enoeda’s help, Laville was offered a student-teaching opportunity with Richard Kim (then the President of the IAKF – Hidetaka Nishiyama’s organisation). She and her family stayed in the United States for three years.

Pauline Laville and her family returned from the United States in 1983. She formed her own association, the International Shotokan Karate, with her husband Lee.

In 1991, the ISK was a founding member of the English Karate Governing Body.

Apart from running a successful Karate association, Laville, with her husband, also founded the successful Blitzsport Corporation, one of the UK’s largest suppliers of martial arts equipment. It had started as a small Karate shop in Welling, England, in 1985.

On 22nd January 2005, Laville celebrated her 60th birthday with a surprise party being held at the Dorchester Hotel in Mayfair, London.

In 2007, Laville celebrated her 50th Anniversary in the martial arts.

On 21st July 2010, the Karate world was shocked to hear of the death of Pauline Laville-Bindra following a brain aneurysm, at the age of 65. She was survived by her husband Lee, and her three children, Danny, Elida and Jason. At the time of her death, she was ranked 8th Dan.

Pauline Laville-Bindra had a great influence on British Karate. Apart from the personal accolades of being the first female black belt in Britain and one of the highest-ranked female Shotokan practitioners in the world, she has also taught and influenced many of the top Shotokan instructors currently teaching in the UK. She has been a founding member of several major Karate governing bodies in the UK. She has helped found her own successful association and established a successful martial arts equipment company. Pauline Laville-Bindra can rightly be considered a Karate pioneer.