Martin ‘Demon’ Dean 5th Dan

Martin Dean originally started karate at Tideway School, Newhaven in 1981 but after three months he decided it wasn’t for him. After talking with friends at school, at the age of 14, he then joined Seaford Karate Club in 1985 and started training in Shotokan karate under Sensei Steve Earl (3rd Dan) at the Rugby Club hall at the Salts recreation ground in Seaford. Sensei Earl was then the A.S.K.A. Openweight Kumite champion and inspired Martin to take his training seriously. Sensei Earl was to remain his instructor for the next 14 years, guiding him to black belt in 1989 at the C&L Leisure Centre in Southall, London, at the age of 18, under the Association’s Senior Instructors Jack Warner 6th Dan, Balwant Singh Sahans 6th Dan and Dan Bradley 5th Dan, and laying the foundations for a traditional and sport karateka.
In 1991, Martin won the A.S.K.A. under 21 Heavyweight Championship and was narrowly defeated (0-1) by Paul Alderson (W.K.F. World Openweight Champion) at the British Karate Championships at Crystal Palace. The same year he went on to pass his Nidan (2nd Dan) grading at Seaford. Since then Martin has been fortunate enough to represent A.S.K.A. on seven Internationals abroad, including Iceland ‘91, Ireland ‘93, Jersey ‘94, Malta ’95, Estonia ’97, Portugal 2000 and Las Vegas 2002.
At the A.S.K.A. National Championships Martin has won Gold medals in all four senior events including individual Kata (x6), individual Kumite (x5), team Kata and team Kumite (x3). At international level he has won Gold and bronze in Individual Kata (Estonia & Ireland respectively) and a Silver medal in the individual Men’s Openweight Kumite in Estonia.
Outside of A.S.K.A. Martin has won 20 Open Championships, E.K.G.B. Silver medal in kata (only losing to Jonathan Mottram, Ishinryu, on Eurosport), B.K.F. Bronze medal in Team kata with Colin Hexley and Andy Cummins, and three World titles, including the F.S.K.A. World Team Kumite title 2000 in Portugal, the F.S.K.A. World Light Middleweight Kumite Gold medal in Las Vegas 2002 and the Mixed Team kata title in Crawley, England in 2007. He was named as “Outstanding Competitor of the Tournament 2002” by Shihan Funakoshi 9th Dan in the FSKA annual yearbook.
Martin trained and fought at the E.K.G.B. England squads from 1990 to 1998 alongside England’s best fighters and has been taught by instructors including Ticky Donovan OBE, Dave Hazard, Tim Stephens, Wayne Otto, Vic Charles MBE and Abdu Shahar.
In 1995, Martin passed his Sandan (3rd Dan) grade at Featherstone School, Southall, London under A.S.K.A. Instructors Jack Warner 6th Dan and Balwant Singh Sahans 6th Dan. As well as competition he has attended many open courses under some of the worlds most renowned Japanese instructors including Kancho Hirokazu Kanazawa 10th Dan, Shihan Kenneth Funakoshi 9th Dan, Masao Kawasoe, Eijo Fujita, Seiji Sugimoto, and Manabu Murakami. Martin has also attended many A.S.K.A. open courses including Sensei Terry O’Neill, Sensei George Andrews & Sensei Shinji Akita. Martin has represented A.S.K.A. in Loches, France whilst training with Helen Raye (English Kata Champion) at the Michael Milon (3 x W.K.F. World Kata Champion) weeklong Kata course and has also trained with French legend Dominique Valera. He has attended a weapons training Bo Jutsu course under Sensei Phillip Koeppel 9th Dan Matsumura Seito Shorin Ryu from America where we studied Chi Ken No Bo Kata and pressure points and also basic courses on nunchuka, jo and sai.
In 1999 when Sensei Earl (5th Dan) left Seaford Karate Club, Sensei Martin, at only 28 years old, was then appointed Senior Instructor and was promoted to 4th Dan under A.S.K.A. President Sensei Jack Warner. Since then Martin has hosted a one day weapons course with one of the worlds leading weapons experts Sensei Julian Mead 6th Dan where he studied Bo kata Shuji no kon sho, & attended Tonfa and Kama classes under Kiyoshi Yamazaki 8th Dan. Martin has twice been an instructor on the A.S.K.A. Summer course, passing on the knowledge that he has gained from these teachers. He has extended his knowledge further in Kata bunkai (Oyo) under Sensei Simon Oliver at S.S.K.D. and JKR-UK Open courses as well as using the tonfa, tanto, kama and Sai, and training in Karate Jutsu under Sensei Terry Wingrove 7th Dan.
Martin ran the Seaford invitational karate tournament for 10 years and he was promoted to 5th Dan in 2008.
English Karate Federation took a group of karateka out to Japan for a trip of a lifetime. Terry Wingrove organised the two week trip and sponsored the England Team for the WKF World Championships.
Hyogo University in Kobe and at Sensei Fujita’s dojo where we competed against a 10 man university team in Osaka. Although England lost 3-6 to Japan, Martin won his fight 3-1.
Martin has been a club instructor since 1989, an association coach since 1993 and a Qualified E.K.G.B. Instructor since 2003. Martin holds a ‘First Aid at Work’ certificate, CRB enhanced check and is also qualified in Sports Massage. Sensei Martin is experienced in judging and refereeing at tournaments in kata and kumite.
