Martial Arts Journey

Ben began training in martial arts around 2010 after being encouraged by his mum to give karate a try. As a teenager, he struggled with confidence and admits that he spent much of his time sitting around and not doing very much.

His mum worked with the wife of one of the instructors and gave him the push he needed to walk through the doors of Sepoy Karate in Wilstead.

What started as something outside his comfort zone became a major part of his life. Karate helped Ben develop confidence, stay active and discover what he was capable of — including, much to his surprise, being able to kick above his own head.

From Student to Instructor

Ben has been teaching karate for around ten years and particularly enjoys working with children who are quiet, shy or lacking in confidence.

Having been that child himself, he understands how much of a difference martial arts can make. For Ben, teaching is not simply about helping students learn techniques or progress through their grades. It is about giving them somewhere they feel comfortable, supported and able to be themselves without judgement.

Seeing students mature, gain confidence and eventually achieve their black belt is one of the things he is most proud of. Many of those students have since moved on to other things, but he hopes the confidence and experiences they gained through karate continue to help them wherever life takes them.

Behind Bedfordshire Sepoy

Ben's involvement with Sepoy has grown far beyond training and teaching. He designed the first edition of the club's uniform and created the original Wilstead social media pages.

He later created the Sepoy Karate website when the organisation moved away from its previous governing body and needed its own Black Belt Register.

When Sepoy took over the Toddington club, Ben also managed its social media before eventually bringing the clubs together online as Bedfordshire Sepoy.

Today, alongside teaching, he helps manage the Bedfordshire side of the club by responding to enquiries from prospective students, maintaining its online presence and helping with the day-to-day organisation of the clubs.

Favourite Part of Karate

For Ben, the best part of karate is ultimately the people. Sport brings people together, and martial arts has allowed him to meet people he otherwise may never have known.

He also enjoys the physical challenge of karate and particularly likes Snake Kata and Crane Kata, along with the challenge presented by the higher Dan-grade kata.