Alistair Woodward, Chief Instructor

Our club chief instructor, Alistair Woodward, started his karate training at Southampton University in his first term, when he joined the KDS club. The group was run at that time by Ed Foss, who is still training and has recently been awarded his 5th Dan black belt, the highest belt achievable within the KDS.

Early in his third year at University, Alistair was awarded his 1st Dan black belt, and is currently ranked at 3rd Dan (December 2000). Upon graduating, Alistair moved to London to take up a career in banking, a path which he still follows today.

In September 1993, Alistair took over the UHKDS club, and has been instructing there ever since. Since that time, he has taken many students through the ranks of Karate including many to black belt. He has taught or demonstrated across the UK, and in various other countries of the world, including Japan, Finland, France and Belgium.

For the last few years, Alistair has also been serving on the KDS national committee, in the role of membership secretary.

James Barry, Assistant Instructor

James started his karate training with UHKDS in 1995, when he started studying at the University of Hertfordshire. Since then he has progressed all the way through the grades to attain his black belt, which was awarded to him in 2000.

James has been an assistant instructor at the university for a number of years, and has been a regular attendee of Summer School, an annual event which involves six hours of practice each day for a week.

This year he is taking more of a lead role in the club, and will be leading a much larger number of the practices, for which we wish him the very best of luck!.