HANSHI MARC HOWES

FOUNDER JIGOKU DOJO est. 1988

Hanshi Marc has been training in martial arts for over forty years. He began training in Wadoryu karate in 1973 in Pembroke, Wales and was twice junior Welsh Champion. He has fought in Knockdown Karate and represented his country fighting all over the world, including Russia, Denmark, Sweden, Spain and Greece.

 

Hanshi has won two AKA British titles and also won his category in Scotland's first independent Knockdown Championships. In the early 90s he was the first to introduce Ashihara karate 'The Fighting Karate' to Scotland. In 1993 he began groundfighting, learning from Pancrase tapes (Catch Wrestling) sent from his friend Colin Whitehead in Japan, he is acknowledged to be one of the first teachers of MMA in Scotland. During this time he met Kaicho Bluming and  his Kyokushin Budokai system and at last Hanshi found the complete karate system he had been looking for. He has been a direct student of Kaicho since then.

 

In 1992 Hanshi completed his 40 man full-contact fights and then a year later in 1993 completed his 50 man fights, one of the few to do 90 fights in two years (the Youtube video of the last 5 fights is in 'Hanshi's old photos and videos').

 

Founder Kyokushin Budokai Goshin Do

8th dan Kyokushin Budokai

4th dan Ashihara Karate

3rd dan Tsuyoi Ryu karate

1st dan Wado Ryu karate

hANshi

MARC HOWES

2

In 1998; at the age of 40 and just as he was completing his Masters at Aberdeen University, Hanshi was asked by David McNally, the captain of the University Judo Club to compete on behalf of the University in the Scottish University Judo Championships at the Kelvin Hall Sports Arena in Glasgow. Somewhat dubiously Hanshi agreed (he only knew wrestling) and with a borrowed Judo gi entered on behalf of Aberdeen University, he won all his fights and brought home the only Judo gold medal for the University.

 

Hanshi Marc has taught all over the world and is one of the few instructors to have taught in Cuba at Julio Carmenate's dojo in Moron. He has taught at various summercamps all over Europe and taught up to 400 students at a time! At the summercamp in 2006 at Budapest, Hungry, Shihan was awarded his Rokudan (6th Dan), by Kaicho Bluming. On 15th May 2012 he was awarded his 8th Dan and title of Hanshi.

 

Academically, Hanshi was the first to write an empirical sociological thesis on the UFC, entitled 'The Civilising of the UFC', which was published and has since been cited many times in other works and books.

 

Hanshi has for over 20 years worked with young people. While currently he is working with gifted young people, much of his work has been with young people with social, emotional and behavoural problems. He is CALM (Crisis Aggression Limitation and Management) trained, is a qualified first aider and holds an Enhanced Disclosure.

 

"Simple techniques, done with 'mindful repetition' and tested in a variety of controlled stress situations is key to Kyokushin Budokai Goshin Do'