Ron Lees 1st Dan – Instructor

Ron has been training in Shito Ryu Karate since 2008 and has held the rank of 1st Dan since 29th April 2012.

As a child I wanted to learn karate and told my parents my desire, however being dependent on them, I had to hope they would arrange it for me. They did their best, but unfortunately the class turned out to be judo and not a good at a good club either. After a couple of years, I realised this and left, believing my desire for karate would never be fulfilled.

Many years later, when recovering from a motorcycle crash, having hit a car (not my fault), it was decided by my wife that because my son wanted to “do” karate that she would take my daughter and son along to Sale Dojo and sign herself and them up. Oh, and by the way, “I was going too”.

Shortly after, I started my karate journey on the day before my 48th birthday. That first session almost was the end of me but I went back again. The second time, on my second lap around the dojo, I aggravated the injury to my broken ankle and leg which I had received in my crash, and it brought me to a stop. I had to sit out the rest of the session and the following week also. For my family I returned to show them that you do not give up at the first obstacle. Since then it’s been the usual hard and challenging training but loved every minute.

Unfortunately on the 12th January 2017 I suffered a Brain Haemorrhage leading to a Stroke, which as you can imagine affected my training dramatically. With the help of my family and friends, they wouldn’t let me feel sorry for myself and at present Sensei Ian and myself teach the Saturday morning padwork lesson. Hopefully improving the standard of the club members but to be honest, I think I get as much out of the lesson than the students do.