SHOGUN TRADITIONAL SHOTOKAN KARATE ACADEMY
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The Club first opened its doors on the 1st. of April 1968. It was run by two Instructors from the Tunstall Karate Club 'Sei-Do-Kan Dojo' Teaching the Karate style of  Wado-Ryu and was part of the BKA group (British Karate Association) and the BKCC (British Karate Control Commission) The Crewe Instructors were Don Lawton and Roy Eldon. The Sei-Do-Kan Instructor was Robert Aikman.

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In the latter end of 1969 part of the group broke away from the BKA and formed the SKU (Shukokai Karate Union) after a visit by Sensei Kimura  8th Dan. So a change of Styles for the Academy, Shukokai. The Chief Instructors for the new Association were Stan Knighton, Roy Stanhope, Bob Aikman and Peter Consterdine.

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Sadly this group broke up "around about" 1974 with Bob Aikman leaving to form the WSKU (World Shukokai Karate Union) I seem to remember some dispute over Bob arranging a Competition with a Japanese university Team for the SKU team  without the permission of the other committee members? This was what we were led to believe at the time, I was one of the Students along with Dave Warburton, who was asked to take part by Bob, as the Official SKU team were not allowed to take part ? I remember getting some abuse from a senior SKU Instructor at the time for taking part, but then it became a matter of principal, even so, Dave and I did not leave with Bob, although  we got no thanks for helping him (Bob)  in his hour of need. We stayed with the SKU.

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Shortly afterwards another high Instructor (Eddy Daniels) left the SKU and formed another association with Sensei Kimura the SKF (Shukokai Karate Federation) Strange thing about all this was, all the Black Belts were called to a meeting in Sheffield to decide if we should keep Sensei Kimura as Chief Instructor in the SKU, I seem to remember Eddie voting against him, then shortly afterwards leaving with him!     
 

Terry Pottage left to form the Kenyukai Group and  Tommy Kwan left to form the Rising Sun Group. In 1970 the Academy itself changed Instructors, the Club was handed over by Don Lawton and Roy Eldon to four Instructors, Dave Warburton, (now 8th Dan assistant Chief Instructor of the SKU) John Simpson, Bill Gorski and myself Sylvester Walsh.

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In the mid 80s we slowly changed to the Shotokan Style of Karate-Do. This happened with influence from Ron Church, a Black Belt with the KUGB (Karate Union Great Britain) He invited me to an Open Karate Championships (CHP) that featured mostly Shotokan Students and a Shotokan course by Sensei Masao Kawasoe. I was so very impressed by the standard and the etiquette that I  decided then to change to the Shotokan style. I then attended other courses with the late great Steve Cattle, Dave Hazard,  Hirokazu Kanazawa and other Shotokan Karateka.

 

Another change, the academy changed names once again to the Traditional Shotokan of Karate and changed its name to the 'Shogun' Traditional Shotokan Karate Academy, with Chief Instructor Sylvester Walsh 5th Dan, and Paul Kotowski 6th Dan.

assistant Instructors, Kevin (Harry) Roberts 1st Dan, Keiko Walsh 2nd Dan,  Adam Walsh 3rd Dan (some have now gone) Andy Barlow 3rd. Dan, Paul Webster 1st. Dan, Chris Skade 1st Dan, Trevor Jones 1st Dan, Steve Welsh 1st. Dan, Scott Simpson 1st. Dan, Pashori Lai 1st. Dan, Mark Roberts 1st. Dan and Daniel Thorley Cadet 1st. Dan.