Our Team
Club Instructor - Sensei David Ives - 4th Dan
Sensei David started training at the age of six and was a black belt by the time he was twelve.
Sensei David is a renowned competitor. He had a very successful competition career at both regional and national level spanning fifteen years. He was a member of the KUGB National Kumite (freestyle fighting) Squad for over a decade, initially as a junior and then as a senior. Career highlights include:
Sensei David has been teaching at Tora SKC since the club was first formed by his family in 2004 and has been our chief instructor for several years now. |
Club Instructor - Sensei Barbara Ives - 3rd Dan
Sensei Barbara and her family first started training in 1986 with Sensei Rod Butler who affiliated his club to the KUGB in 1988. She has been a member of the KUGB ever since, attending many courses with top instructors.
Sensei Barbara became a black belt in 1992, when she started teaching and was fortunate to take many of her kyu gradings and her 1st and 2nd dan gradings with the legendary late Sensei Enoeda (former chief instructor of the KUGB). When Sensei Butler’s club left the KUGB in 2003, Sensei Barbara and her family decided to stay and a few months later in early 2004 they started their own club – Chingford Tora. Since then with the encouragement of Sensei Frank Brennan, Sensei Barbara graded to 3rd dan under Sensei Sherry. Sensei Barbara says “I greatly enjoy my training and find it challenging, with plenty still to learn, things to work on and improve and I never feel bored.” Sensei Barbara is in charge of our beginners and lower belts. |
Dojo Manager - Theo Theodorou - 1st Dan
Theo started training at the club as a complete novice at the age of 40. In 2018 he gained his black belt.
He runs the club website and Facebook page and is responsible for club communications, finance, venue & event management and admin. Theo also assists with teaching where necessary and regularly runs the class warm-ups. |
Grading Examiner
Sensei Frank Brennan - 8th Dan
We are proud to be able to say that our kyu grades are awarded by the Shotokan legend, Sensei Frank Brennan, who is one of KUGB's most well-known and respected senior instructors. Sensei Brennan visits us two or three times a year to conduct training and belt exams (gradings).