7th Dan JKS
Sensei Nick Heald started Shotokan Karate in September 1981 at the age of 15. A friend had told him about the club he was training at and when Nick saw an advert for the club in a local paper, he decided to join.
The club he had stumbled upon was Leeds Shotokan Karate Club run by Bob Rhodes, then a 4th Dan. Leeds Shotokan Karate Club had a strong reputation. Bob Rhodes was a former member of both the KUGB and All-Styles National teams. A full-time instructor and Grading Examiner for the KUGB, Bob was a Karateka equally at home with either Kata or Kumite. He passed this on to his students and they have consistently placed highly in both disciplines at National and International level.
In March of 1985, Nick achieved the rank of 1st Dan, which was awarded to him by Sensei Andy Sherry. It was as a result of his performance during the grading that Nick was invited by Sensei Sherry to join the KUGB Junior National Squad. Nick was thrilled by this news but had little idea of what he was letting himself in for. The KUGB Junior Squad sessions were legendary for their ferocity. Three hours of training that seemed to border on the murderous on occasions. Individuals would be pushed to their physical and mental limits under the constant gaze of Sensei Sherry.
As part of the KUGB Junior National Squad, Nick won his first trophy when he took third place in the Junior Lightweight Kumite at the English Karate Board All Styles National Championships in 1985.
In total, Nick competed for 20 years and was part of the KUGB Senior Squad for 14 years. He competed internationally for the KUGB many times and took an Individual Bronze at the Nakayama Cup in Poland in 1996. He was also a European Team Kumite Gold medallist in Portugal in 1996 as well as twice Silver medallist in Team Kumite at the WSKA World Championships, once in England the other in the Czech Republic.
Along with Matt Price, Nick started the Leeds Karate Academy in January 2001. It has gone on to become a highly successful club littered with senior grades and high calibre competitors.
In January 2012 Nick was instrumental in leading the LKA to join JKS England, allowing club members access to top quality Japanese instruction and WKF competitions, the highest level of Karate competition available.
Nick currently holds the rank of 7th Dan which he was awarded in December 2018 in Tokyo, Japan.
5th Dan JKS
Sensei Ashley Scott-Heald is a highly accomplished competitor 5th Dan Black Belt, which she achieved in Tokyo in 2018.
She is passionate about her art and delivers knowledgeable and inspired lessons to both our club members and the national competitors she coaches.
She has now retired from competition but was an England international athlete, winning several World and European medals at association level, and was British Champion.
Impressively Sensei Ashley's peak world ranking was number 31.
Ashley's achievements are numerous, but some of the notable ones include:
• 2018 Graded to 5th Dan in Tokyo, Japan
• 2016 WKF Premier League - Morocco - 5th place
• 2015 WKF Premier League - Austria - 7th place
• 2014 Swedish Open - 1st Place
• 2015 British International Open - 1st Place
• 2014 BKF British Championships - 1st place
• 2012 JKS European Championships, Turin - 1st Place
• 2014 JKS European Championships, Denmark - 1st Place
• 2016 JKS World Championships, Glasgow- 3rd place
• 2016 represented England at the EKF European Championships - France
You will be hard pushed to find a more passionate coach anywhere in the world.
4th Dan JKS
Sensei Tom started training in 2000 when he was 10 years old. He was inspired by WWF/WWE (wrestling on the TV). One of Tom's friends father told him that he had to know martial arts to be a wrestler. Karate stuck, wrestling did not!
Tim has been a regular competitor since he started. He won a KUGB National Title at junior level and the Shotokan Cup when he was 20. He has also won many other medals in both individual and team kumite (fighting) categories.
Since joining the JKS, Tom has been won both national and international titles and medals. Tom is proud of his results as they proved to him that hard work pays off.
Of all of his many medals, he is particularly proud of his Continental (European) individual -75kg Gold and JKS World 3rd place, alongside individually medalling at the All-Styles English and British Championships.
Tom is not just a competitor. He truly believes in the karate journey and has a passion for continually developing his understanding of the martial art, as well as the sport.
In December 2022 Tom continued his journey, grading to 4th Dan under the JKS Chief Instructor Kagawa Shihan, at the International Winter Training Camp in Dubai.
Alongside his own training and competing, Tom has been an instructor with the LKA for 10+years, helping Nick Sensei, and other instructors, develop individuals into competent, passionate Karateka.
3rd Dan JKS
Sensei Mehrdad started karate and wrestling at age of 12 in 1975 in Tehran (Iran). He achieved his Shodan (Black Belt) in 1980.
Due to political turmoil in his home country Mehrdad left Iran and came to Britain. Initially he was unable to find somewhere to train until, in 1983, he found a club in Leeds Scott Hall Sports Club ... but it was Aikido!!
He trained there for 2 years until he found a Shotokan karate club in Moortown which said affiliated to JKA under Kato sensei.
Since then Mehrdad has consistently trained and enjoyed his karate with many instructors, both Japanese and British and has been with the LKA for many years.
Now 60 Mehrdad is grateful that karate has always been part of his life and also enjoyed the competitive element especially kata !
He intends on training and sharing his knowledge for many more years.
2nd Dan JKS
Sensei Alex started karate started his karate journey in 2014 and progressed quickly with focus and dedication at the club.
He achieved his Shodan (Black Belt) in October 2018 and his Nidan (2nd Dan) in 2021.
A dedicated competitor, Alex won 2 gold medals at the JKS Nationals and has been selected for the 2023 JKS England Kumite squad.
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