Christopher recently competed at the World Karate Championships in Malmo, where he competed in three disciplines – Kobudo (weapons), Kumite (fighting) and Kata (routines) and finished in the top 8 in the world across the board. We were delighted to be able to support Christopher with funding from the Elite Sponsorship Fund and got in touch to find out more about his experiences.

How did you get into karate? I had too much excess energy as a kid and my aunty was an instructor at a local club. I started aged 7 and trained until I was around 14. After a 20 year break I went back when my daughter started, so then it became a shared family activity.

How did you first find you had a passion/skill for karate? As I started to enjoy the training, and progressed through the grades, I grew in confidence and enjoyed the structure and discipline of the lessons.

What is it about karate you enjoy the most? Initially it was the progression and success at gradings. Now it is the knowledge that it is a lifelong pursuit that you can never truly master. You can always develop some aspect of your skills, including when teaching others.

What advice would you give to anyone wishing to try karate for the first time? Get down to a local class and experience it. I’ve been involved in many sports and pursuits, but the camaraderie in a dojo is second to none in my experience. How can people get involved if they’ve never tried it before? These days a quick google search will show up clubs nearby. Social media can be great for linking up with people before even leaving your home. There’s no minimum fitness or skill level required to start as training can easily be adapted to suit, so go for it.

What has been the hardest part of competing at such a high level in your sport? For me it has been finding a balance between the dedication needed to train to international standard and family life. I’ve been fortunate that my daughter competed internationally until 2023, so that made the balance easier. My partner is incredibly understanding and supportive too.

What’s it like competing internationally representing your country? It’s something I’m immensely proud of every time I’m selected. Having only made my international debut in 2022 aged 40, it is something I thought had passed me by and I’ll never underestimate the privilege. The experience itself is brilliant each time. Despite the obvious competitive nature of everyone involved it is always a positive friendly atmosphere off the mats, and I’ve made friends and contacts in many countries.

What drives you to succeed and to keep training so hard? To set an example within my club and hopefully to motivate and inspire other members to test their skills at competitions too. I love seeing others develop their skills, and develop mentally too, which becomes more important the higher you reach. My mindset is very competitive anyway, so this is a great outlet.

What drives you to succeed and to keep training so hard? To set an example within my club and hopefully to motivate and inspire other members to test their skills at competitions too. I love seeing others develop their skills, and develop mentally too, which becomes more important the higher you reach. My mindset is very competitive anyway, so this is a great outlet.

How do you relax and unwind when you’re not competing or training? I find relaxation difficult as I get agitated sitting still. I enjoy running and cold water dipping in the sea at Tynemouth. There’s a group I dip with once a week, and we have a coffee and chat afterwards. The connection element of the group is fantastic too. Other than that, my only guilty pleasure would be watching Emmerdale!

How has the CSSC support helped? With karate not being an Olympic sport, it doesn’t receive any government or lottery funding. Every expense is self-funded or supported through some form of club fundraising activities. The financial support has enabled me to access more competitions in the UK in preparation, and to afford the trip to compete internationally. It’s difficult to accept when I see fantastic competitors who have their results capped by finances, so I’m grateful for the help.

What could CSSC do to help more people try karate? Realistically, any promotion is great as it isn’t really mainstream. It is one of very few activities where parent and child, or even grandparent can train and compete alongside each other up to and including international level. Many martial arts offer more than just physical training. I’ve gained discipline, self-confidence, structure, and the karate skills to now pass on to others along the way.

How supportive is your workplace/employer/family? My employer supports me with some paid leave when I represent my country, and the team I am part of are very invested in my accomplishments. They are often inquisitive when events are approaching and encouraging regardless of results. without my family support I would struggle to maintain the dedication needed. I am a nightmare to be around when big events are near, as I lock in to routines and the intensity increases. As with everything, where there’s a priority there’s also an imbalance. I have to make sure that once events have passed, I repay their support and understanding.

Does karate help in your everyday life such as gaining confidence, health, wellbeing? It has definitely helped me develop a stronger mindset, which can be applied elsewhere. I feel I can call on greater discipline and self awareness because of my training. The competition side, although significant, is only one strand of the study of the martial art itself. It’s the whole picture which has helped me develop my character. 

What if any special training, equipment, nutrition do you need to take part? Absolutely nothing to get started. After a while if you’re enjoying things a gi (suit) is beneficial to train in. from there if you’re not entering competitions you can progress through the ranks with nothing else for years. When fighting at competitions there are pads and equipment like a gumshield which is mandatory, but you can enter other disciplines without fighting and need nothing extra. There’s no set nutrition that works best. It will depend on what you want to achieve. The beauty of karate is that people of all ages, shapes and sizes are welcomed and can progress at their own pace. In short – you don’t need anything to get started, so go do it.

As a team sport do you feel the extra pressure to succeed and not let the team down? I do feel pressure from myself to do well for the team. I feel arrogant putting myself in this bracket, but most high achievers in any field are very self-critical and I need to get better at managing that. The pressure never comes from the group as at some point we’ve all been the one that has had a setback and understand how that feels.