RICHARD POOLE (WALES)
7th Dan

Richard Poole was born in Nairobi, Kenya on 25 January 1958. Following the death of his father in Kenya, he moved to the UK was brought up in Rhyl in North Wales with his younger brother.

As a teenager he competed at county level in athletics and swimming and at age 16 years joined a new karate club which was affiliated to the Karate Union of Great Britain.

Richard continued to train whilst studying to become a teacher of Physical Education at Cardiff College of Education. In 1977 he graded shodan and was selected to compete for the KUGB Welsh team and in 1978 for the Welsh All Styles team. He competed nationally and internationally before and after graduation until sustaining a C5 fracture (broken neck) in a climbing accident.

Following a long period of recovery Richard was once more selected to represent Wales and competed nationally and internationally in ESKA in both kata and kumite until his retirement from competition in 1993. In addition to instructing at Cambridge University Karate Club and the Rhyl and Prestatyn karate clubs in North Wales, Richard has since 1993 been an ESKA referee and was chairman of the KUGB in Wales for 25 years. He was graded 7th Dan in 2018.

 Richard’s career included work both in sales and then as a scientist for a multi-national pharmaceutical company and later as a science teacher in secondary education.

With his background in education and business in the pharmaceutical industry Richard was well placed for a leadership role in the further development of karate in Wales and Great Britain. For many years he served as chairman of both the governing body for karate in Wales and the Federation of British Karate Governing Bodies (BKF). It was during this period that he also managed the BKF team which topped the medal board in the 1996 WKF championships in Sun City South Africa. For several years he was also national kata coach for the Welsh (KUGB) Team

Richard was elected President of the European Shotokan Karate-do Association in 2008 and the World Shotokan Karate-do Association in 2009.

 Richard has expressed his pride in the growth of WSKA and the pivotal role that it has had and continues to have in the development of Shotokan karate worldwide. During his presidential address Richard stated

'It is important that WSKA continues its focus on the traditional values and strengths of Shotokan karate and that our championships continue to be characterised by the fiercely competitive nature of matches on the tatami and the high value we place on mutual respect and standards of etiquette.'

Leslie Jensen was born in The Danish town Elsinore, the city of Shakespeare's Hamlet, on the 17th of October 1957. He took up Karate in January 1974 in the Swedish town of Helsingborg due to the fact that it was the closest club to his home. In November 1974 he moved to Sweden and already in January of 1975 he entered his first National competition and became runner up, winning the Silver medal as a yellow Belt. He was soon to be picked for the Swedish National Team where he stayed as a permanent member until his retirement from competition in late 1991. While he pursued his goals in Karate he also took an Engineering degree in Telecommunications and held a full time job while he competed. He graded Shodan in May 1978 with Enoeda Sensei in London and today he holds 7th DAN with the JKA. He won The ESKA Individual Kumite in 1991 and he has won several medals in both ESKA, WSKA, EKF and WKF championships. He has two Nordic titles and 11 times Swedish Champion Individual and Team.  

Leslie also have his own club, Engelholms Shotokan Karate Club, since 1982, where he teaches traditional JKA Karate and the value system that are incorporated in it. He has students that are now members of the National Team in Kata. In the early nineties he was National Team Coach for the Swedish WKF Junior Kumite team and he has also been a member of the Swedish Karate Federation Executive Committee. He held the position of Chairman of the National Referee Committee as well.  

His referee career began while he was still competing and as soon as he retired he focused on becoming an International Referee. In June 1993 he passed Judge in Kata and Kumite at the ESKA Championship in Wales and in November 1994 he passed Referee in Kata and Kumite in Poland.  

Leslie was appointed Vice President in 2022  

Maurizio started karate training in 1966 and from 1972 until 1982-1983 was a member of the national team selection. At the request of Sensei Myiazaki he became a referee. From 1982-1983 until 1994-1995 h was responsible for the selection and the formation of the Belgian referees. In 2015 he was once again appointed chief referee for Belgium. He is qualified as an international referee with the the JKA, ESKA, WSKA and ITKF and is a member of the referee commission for both ESKA and WSKA. Maurizio is roku dan JKA

Malcolm Dorfman Sensei, 8th Dan, captained the University of the Witwatersrand Judo team in 1966, and thereafter joined the University karate club.
Malcolm Dorfman Sensei is the assistant Chief Instructor for the Karate No Michi World Federation.

He was elected as Regional Director of WSKA in 2001.

Dan Grading Examinations:

• 8th Dan Karate no Michi in 2000: Highest Dan level ever awarded to a non Japanese by a major official JKA mainline Shotokan organisation.
• 7th Dan JKA Shotokan (Asai Group) in 1994
• 6th Dan JKA Shotokan in 1986: Highest Dan level ever awarded to a non Japanese by M. Nakayama Shihan, the late Chief Instructor of the Japan Karate Association. (Shadan Hojin Nihon Karate Kyokai -- prior to the split).

Personal Karate Sporting Achievements:

• Springbok: Member of the Springbok team for 9 years, commencing in 1970. Springbok captain in 1978. 
• Referee: Chief Referee of South Africa for 12 years, commencing 1982. 
• Coach: National Coach of the first ever Protea team in 1993. 
• International Championship achievements: Winner of several international titles in a competition career that spanned 27 years (1967 to 1993) 
• South African Sport Merit Award: 
  • Awarded in 1979 for personal achievements in 1978 
  • Awarded in 1982 for coaching achievements in 1981
• South African All-Styles Karate: 
  • Founder member of first official non-racial all-styles karate organisation in South Africa (KASA) in 1993 
  • Awarded 8th Dan by KASA for technical contribution to the development of karate in South Africa 
  • Former official Technical Director of all-styles karate in South Africa. 
• Status in Japan & Worldwide: 
  • Assistant World Chief Instructor of Karatenomichi World Federation. 
  • Member of the Karatenomichi World Federation ‘Saiko-Shihankai’ (Supreme Master Panel) – one of the original three members.
  • Holds the highest rank ever awarded to a non Japanese member of a JKA-Shotokan mainline association
  • Awarded the rank of A-class Instructor, A-class Examiner & A-class Judge by the Japan Karate Association (JKA) in 1994.
  • Re-awarded the rank of A-class Instructor, A-class Examiner & A-class Judge by the Karatenomichi World Federation (KWF) on its inception in 1999.
  • Appointed as World Cup Supervisor at the KWF World Cup in 2002-2007
  • Appointed by the World Shotokan Karate-do Association (WSKA) as African Continent Director in 2001.

JOHN DiPASQUALE (USA)
7th Dan

John DiPasquale, the founder and Chief Instructor of Illinois Shotokan Karate Clubs. Mr. DiPasquale is highly regarded in the Martial Arts Community serving in the following positions at the National and International level:

• President of USA Karate, which is the National Governing Body for Karate in the United States
• Executive Commitee World Karate Federation
• Vice President of Pan American Karate Federation
• Regional Director of North America World Shotokan Karate-Do Association

He was a member of the U.S. Karate Team for eight years and a Coach of the U.S.A. National Team for five years. Mr. DiPasquale won the National Championship four times and the U.S. team trial three times. On a state level, he won the title of State champion eight consecutive years.

Mr. DiPasquale’s first love is teaching others, which in turn has lead to several International, National and State Champions. He is a former faculty member for A.C.E.P. (American Coaches Effectiveness Program).

RICHARD POOLE (WALES)
7th Dan

Richard Poole was born in Nairobi, Kenya on 25 January 1958. As a child he travelled to Wales where he took up karate in 1974 with the Karate Union of Great Britain.

Whilst training to be a teacher at Cardiff College of Education he was first selected to represent Wales internationally at both kata and kumite. Over a period of 12 years both before and after graduation Richard enjoyed considerable success competing both nationally and internationally for Wales at numerous EAKF, EKU and ESKA championships.

Whilst pursuing a career in the pharmaceutical industry Richard also took on a number of leadership roles in Karate which included: 

Chairman of the KUGB in Wales (24 years)

Chairman of the Governing Body for Karate in Wales (6 years)

Chairman of the British Karate Federation (6 years).

Manager of the British All Styles Team - top competing nation in the WKF World championships in South Africa 1996.

Member - referee commission of the European Karate-do Association (ESKA) 2008 - to date

Member - referee commission World Shotokan Karate-do Association (WSKA) 20013 - to date

President of ESKA 2008 - to date.

President of the WSKA 2009 - to date.

 Richard continues to teach karate at Cambridge University and at other clubs in Wales and England

 During his election address as president of WSKA in 2009 Richard outlined his aims for the organisation. These included the desire for WSKA to continue to develop in order that more National shotokan federations can unite under the banner of a truly democratic organisation. He also expressed the desire that WSKA continue it’s pursuit of ever higher technical standards of traditional shotokan karate and that it’s championships remain a showcase for their high technical standards of karate, the fiercely competitive nature of the matches and the sportsmanship shown between members

Hugo Soares, 4th Dan

Hugo Soares was born in Lisbon, Portugal, on May 25th 1984. He started practicing karate at the age of 7 in a dojo based in his primary school run by ANAM (Associação Nacional Artes Marciais) a member of Liga Portuguesa de Karate Shotokan.

He was Portuguese national champion throughout all age categories in both kata and kumite and first represented the Portuguese national team at the age of 16. He later specialised in kumite becoming a silver medallist on 2 occasions in individual kumite in the ESKA championships. In addition, he captained the Portuguese national team during the last years of his 16 year long competition career. Hugo is currently a member of the board of ANAM, his original dojo association and still teaches karate to youngsters. Hugo led the local team that organised the 2019 WSKA world championships in Odivelas.
Hugo became the director of administration for WSKA in 2021.

Leslie Jensen was born in The Danish town Elsinore, the city of Shakespeare's Hamlet, on the 17th of October 1957. He took up Karate in January 1974 in the Swedish town of Helsingborg due to the fact that it was the closest club to his home. In November 1974 he moved to Sweden and already in January of 1975 he entered his first National competition and became runner up, winning the Silver medal as a yellow Belt. He was soon to be picked for the Swedish National Team where he stayed as a permanent member until his retirement from competition in late 1991. While he pursued his goals in Karate he also took an Engineering degree in Telecommunications and held a full time job while he competed. He graded Shodan in May 1978 with Enoeda Sensei in London and today he holds 7th DAN with the JKA. He won The ESKA Individual Kumite in 1991 and he has won several medals in both ESKA, WSKA, EKF and WKF championships. He has two Nordic titles and 11 times Swedish Champion Individual and Team.  

Leslie also have his own club, Engelholms Shotokan Karate Club, since 1982, where he teaches traditional JKA Karate and the value system that are incorporated in it. He has students that are now members of the National Team in Kata. In the early nineties he was National Team Coach for the Swedish WKF Junior Kumite team and he has also been a member of the Swedish Karate Federation Executive Committee. He held the position of Chairman of the National Referee Committee as well.  

His referee career began while he was still competing and as soon as he retired he focused on becoming an International Referee. In June 1993 he passed Judge in Kata and Kumite at the ESKA Championship in Wales and in November 1994 he passed Referee in Kata and Kumite in Poland.  

Leslie was appointed Director of Finance in 2019  

Joachim Donner was born in Trier, the oldest city in Germany. He started Shotokan Karate at the age of 15 years in a small club named “Karateclub Speicher”, one of the original clubs in Rhineland-Palatinate. He is now 2^nd Dan. 

He competed in both Kata and Kumite and also participated in the Rhineland-Palatinate league. When he retired from active competition, he became part of the organising team for the Rhineland-Palatinate championships for all age categories and for the international “Krokoyama-Cup”. Joachim worked for more than 10 years as a “table team-member” and also as assistant to the Director of Competition in Rhineland-Palatinate. In 2006, he took on the role of Director of Competition. 

During ESKA Championships 2010 in Koblenz, Germany, he worked as assistant for Dirk DeMits and so started his work for ESKA. In 2011, the ESKA Congress elected Joachim as Director of Competition after Dirk DeMits had retired from this position.

In 2015, the Congress of WSKA elected Joachim as Director of Finance and also as Director of Competition.

As a very active member of the Executive Boards of both ESKA and WSKA, Joachim is regarded by his colleagues as a master of logistics.