On Wednesday 17th November 1973 Sensei Barry Wilkinson, a 1st Dan Black Belt, founded The Farnham Karate Club. First held at Badshot Lea Village Hall, it was for many years the only Karate Club for miles around
The Club moved in 1974 to Weybourne Village Hall and opened up additional training sessions at The T.A. Centre, Guildford Road. It later on moved to The Memorial Hall where Farnham Karate Club held three sessions a week Tuesdays & Thursday evening’s and a Sunday Morning session as well at the Farnham Memorial Hall.
The Club now runs on Wednesdays & Saturdays at The Gostrey Club Brightwells but will move back to the Memorial Hall in the Autumn of 2017
Many Senior Black Belts of great standing started their Karate lives at the Farnham Karate Club. A tournament called the “Waverly Karate Tournament” held all through 1980’s, was a four Club affair including: Haslemere, Godalming, Cranleigh & Farnham. They all competed in this local derby in both Kata (Pre-arranged form) & Kumite (Karate controlled fighting), the Farnham Karate Club Won the Waverley Karate Cup every year.
Sensei Barry started Wado Kai Karate in February 1968 and has dedicated his whole life to it. During his career, he has studied under many of the leading Wado Kai exponents, such as: Master Toru Arakawa – 9th Dan Black Belt, Sensei Tatsuo Suzuki – 8th Dan Black Belt, Sensei Katsumi Kobayashi and Sensei Takayuki Maeda.
Sensei Barry Wilkinson’s Black Belt Achievements has also been impressive:
Currently Sensei Barry is Vice-president of the Federation of Wado Kai Europe (FWE) and member of the Technical Committee since 2005.
Over the years, Sensei Barry has helped, trained and developed hundreds of students on a karate level and a personal/life style level.
If you have been one of the lucky ones to have been taught by Sensei Barry, you would have heard the saying “First is first and second is last! – Concentration, awareness, technique and speed are everything”.
