Hi I’m Mike, thank you for taking time to read my profile. I’m the head instructor at Sono Karate and currently 3rd Dan, I've been teaching karate for over 11 years. Over the last years I've gained English Karate Federation and World Karate Federation Coaching qualifications.
My karate path started some time ago when I was around 12 years old, were I worked my way to 2nd kyu over 6 years in Shotokan Karate. Even though I loved my karate back then, training and competing, I had to stop training due to work commitments when I got older, I did miss the training. It was at a very traditional club, one were you had to work hard to earn your next belt, which I personally appreciated.
My later karate story started again after a long break, I always said to my eldest daughter Grace, that if she wanted to start karate I would start as a white belt with her and work through our belts side by side. We looked at other clubs but never felt the same buzz I’d felt in the past and then one day Grace came home from school with a letter asking if she would like to attend a new karate class starting at her school in Aspull. I sat watching for a few weeks and then I couldn’t sit on my hands any longer, so the next week I turned up and got in line with Grace and around twenty of her school mates. I got the karate bug again straight away and it turned out Grace was a bit of a natural, she wanted to train more so we picked up another class with the chief instructor Sensei Paul over in Bolton on a Monday night. We walked in for our first session at Bolton rather nervously, after being in a class were we knew everyone at our local Aspull class, we lined up alongside strangers but from the start we were made to feel so welcome and had a great session so by the end it was “so see you next week then” from everyone there. Before we knew it we were on a long but rewarding journey.
It wasn’t long before it really did become a family affair, as my wife Michelle and youngest daughter Izzy also started to train. With training in karate before and now being older and a little wiser I saw that this again was an excellent way to keep fit and spend some amazing family time together. With the traditional style being followed, etiquette, discipline and confidence building, you train to the best of your ability, and everyones path is their own.
Teaching our daughters has helped them to win national, European and even World titles. Teaching them, training beside them, even being corrected by them, it has been and still is and excellent way to be a family
I do hope you read this and feel that this is our karate club for you. Where else can you and your family meet people that become good friends inside and outside the club, have fun and keep fit. Your children can make good friends with a great bunch of other kids and you will see their confidence grow. Karate is a very personal journey, that some go along quicker than others but with the Sono Karte family here to support you every step of the way, we hope your journey will be an enjoyable one . We hope to see you soon !