Chief Instructor, Gary E Swift 7th Dan Kyoshi - British Wadokai & Kyokai Karate Club
Chief Instructor, Gary E Swift 7th Dan Kyoshi Gary Swift was born in Leigham Terrace, Plymouth, Devon, in 1956. He started his martial-arts training at the early age of 10 at his junior school at Laira Green. His first taste of martial-arts was learning the popular systems, at that time, of Ju-jutsu and Judo.
After a move to Prince Rock Senior School he was also introduced to the skills of Thai-boxing (known then as Kickboxing) by one of his gym teachers.
Upon his arrival to the South of England in 1972, from Liskeard, he started Wado-ryu Karate in Guildford and Bisley (Surrey), under his most influential Instructor Mick Rapley (6th Dan), in 1974 (affiliated to the United Kingdom Karate Federation (later to be known as the United Kingdom Karate-do Wadokai)). Sensei Mick Rapley was one of the first Wado-ka to ever obtain his Black-belt grade in this country.
Regular instructors at this time also included Suzuki Tatsuo Hanshi, Maeda Tadayuki Sensei, Shiomitsu Hanshi and Kobayashi Katsumi Sensei.
From this day onwards he studied numerous other forms of Karate, as well as Shorinji-kempo, Muay-Thai, Malaysian Taekwondo (Thoi-kuen-do), Korean HoSin-sul Hapkido, various weapons systems, and a variety of other Japanese, Korean, and Chinese martial- arts.
Today he is holder of numerous titles and ranks in martial-arts including 7th Dan in Wado-ryu Karate, 2nd Dan in Korean HoSinsul Hapkido, and 1st Dan in Malaysian Taekwondo. He has over 33 years teaching experience and over 44 years (including international) training experience.
He is Chief Instructor to British Wadokai Karate (foundations est. 1976). British Wadokai Karate was formally called Domei Kokusai Wadokai (DKW) until being re-named in May 2007.
He is also recognised and registered within the English Karate Federation (EKF).
Gary Swift Kyoshi has also had the honour of training and being graded under Ohtsuka Hironori Meijin 10th Dan (founder of Wado-ryu) in 1976. Wado instructors include/d: Tatsuo Suzuki 8th Dan Hanshi, Katsumi Kobayashi, Masafumi Shiomitsu 8th Dan Hanshi, Yoshi Shinohara 8th Dan Shihan, Tadayuki Maeda, Kuniaki Sakagami 7th Dan, Masahiro Yanagawa 8th Dan, Kengo Sugiura 8th Dan, Toru Arakawa 9th Dan, Shingo Ohgami 7th Dan, Koji Okumachi 7th Dan, Katsumi Hakoishi 8th Dan, Mizuho Ashihara 8th Dan. Other instructors have also included the famous: Tomiyama Keiji 10th Dan Shihan (Shito-ryu), Hoi Hean Thow 7th Dan (Thoi-kuen-do, Tong-long, Bo-jutsu, Escrima), Dr. Julian S Lim 8th Dan (Hapkido, HoSin-sul).
His return to Plymouth, in July 2004, has allowed him to open up a new branch within British Wadokai
(BWK), representing the Southwest, as the British Wadokai Honbu. Southwest clubs now include the
towns of Plymouth (Devon), Sparkford (Somerset), Bruton (Somerset), and Yeovil (Somerset).
During the closing ceremony of the 2007 WadoEXL Gary was awarded the 'prestigious' commemorative
award for the 'Promotion and Preservation of Wadokai and Wado-ryu Karate', an honour he will always be proud of.
Contact details
Gary Swift 7th Dan
57 South Hill, Hooe, Plymouth, Devon. PL9 9PT.
Telephone 01752 493210
Email: garyswift@wadokai.co.uk