Instructors

Like most other kids of his generation David’s first experience of the martial arts was a traditional one and began in 1991 with Shotokan Karate. In just under 3 years he gained his black belt under the revered Sensei Kienosuke Enoeda, 9th Dan and in 1996 was graded to 2nd degree black belt under Sensei Andy Sherry, 8th Dan.

After a few years of instructing David became a little despondent with the structure and delivery of Karate as a whole and began training mixed martial arts and submission wrestling in Kilburn at the gym of the London Shootfighters.

Mixed martial arts had not been in the UK long at this point -  it was a great time to be training. Along with sessions at the London Shootfighters David also trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at London's Tokei, Muay Thai under Dave Scarborough at the Minotaur gym and the occasional Judo class with Graeme Welsh in Welwyn Garden City, as a result, on Saturday 13th October 2001 David fought his first MMA bout as an exhibition match  and won after 70 seconds of the very first round. Culminating in a British title fight against Paul Jenkins and a European super-fight against Javier Garcia from Spain, David's MMA career was abruptly ended due to a knee injury with a record of 4-5-0.

In 2008, now with an academy of his own, David stumbled across a website that was to dramatically change his training methods and outlook on everything from training, conditioning and life itself – the Jiu Jitsu Brotherhood – and after an initial seminar with the JJB Head Coach Nicolas Gregoriades a new direction and energy was created.

David has also had the great opportunity to train under some of the world’s best fighters and coaches from all over the world from the disciplines of Karate, Judo, Submission Wrestling, Mixed Martial Arts and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, some of which include: Roger Gracie, Ray Stevens, Neil Adams, Erik Paulson, Lucio 'Lagarto' Rodrigues, Nick Brooks, Jeff Monson, Michael Bisping, Braulio Estima, Otavio Souza, Felipe Souza, Murilo & Mauricio Rua, Vitor 'Shaolin' Ribeiro, and Fernando 'Terere' Augosto. Currently the instructor of the Jiu Jitsu Brotherhood academies in Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire, David is 100% dedicated to developing himself and his training partners in the truest sense of the word.

David holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Science and is currently working full-time as a head coach for the Tokon Academy. A Dan grade in Judo, brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and a Dan grade in Shotokan Karate he is also the founder of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Schools initiative.