Sensei McEnroe started his path of Martial
Arts with Judo in1979 at Wingate School Folkestone after he received
1st kyu Brown belt in Judo.
In 1987 Sensei McEnroe started Aikido, at the Folkestone Aikido Club
his first instructor was Sensei Howard Giveny 2nd Dan (Tomiki) many
thanks to Howard
In September 1989, Joe started Folkestone
Aikido Kwai, as a blue belt 2nd kyu and opened 4 other clubs Dover Aikido
Kwai, Deal Aikido Kwai, Hythe Aikido Kwai, Elham Aikido Kwai which became
one of the largest Groups in the South East. After some time Joe decided
to amalgamate all the clubs under one name the Cinque Ports Aikido.
Joe worked his way up though the grades up
to 1st Dan (B.A.A) in1996. In 2005 Joe started the Cinque Ports Aikido
Summer School which has been running for 15 years, it is still running
strong. In 1999 Joe passed his 2nd Dan (B.A.A) and in 2003 passed his
3rd Dan (B.A.A) it was at this time Joe decided to leave the BAA and
join the UK Shinwaki Aikido Association. Joe has now started his own Aikido In Kent Association which is where we are to this
present day working as a family. It is great that the Aikido In Kent Association works
together as one. Click here for the Association website
Joe has trained with many national and international
instructors in his time from Tomiki & Traditional styles.
Here are some of the Sensei he has trained
under:
Sensei Yamada 8th Dan
Sensei Lee, ah Loi 7th Dan
Sensei John Waite 7th Dan
Sensei Lesley Hepden 7th Dan
Sensei Jack Poole 7th Dan
Sensei Gary Masters 6th Dan
Sensei Leslie White 6th Dan
Sensei Marill Poole 6th Dan
Sensei Roy Sheppard 6th Dan
Today Joe holds the rank of 4th Dan which
passed in 2005 and enjoys Aikido in everyday life. Ten years ago Joe
met his wife Mandy, who came to a class with her daughter to learn Aikido,
Mandy is now a 3rd Dan and the Club Secretary. Joe's philosophy of Aikido
is don't talk about it, get on the mat and do it.
Sensei Mandy
"From a ladies
point of view, I feel more confident in today's society, Aikido is a
great way of keeping fit, and learning self defence. I was 38 when I
started Aikido, ten years later; I am still keeping up with the youngsters."
Sensei
Mandy McEnroe started Aikido in August 2000 at Clarendon and Westbury
Community Centre with her daughter Leah. Mandy watched her daughter
take part in lessons for a couple of weeks, and then decided to join
in. Mandy's first grading was in November 2000 when she achieved her
5th Kyu. In March 2002 Mandy achieved her Assistant Coach Award. Mandy
then went on to become the Club Secretary for the Cinque Ports Aikido.
Mandy achieved her Full Coach Level 1 in September 2003 and went on
to achieve Full Coach Level 2 in November 2005. Mandy continued with
her training and in November 2004 achieved her 1st Dan. Mandy achieved
her 2nd Dan in November 2006, and most recently achieved her 3rd Dan
on 3rd July 2010, this was awarded by Joe McEnroe and endorsed by Jack
Poole at the Cinque Ports Aikido Summer School, which Mandy has helped
Joe run for the last 10 years.
Mandy's youngest daughter Katie started Aikido with Mandy when she was
6 years old, she is now 15 and is still practicing Aikido today and
holds the grade of Green Belt 3rd Kyu Adults.
Mandy has trained with many National and
International Instructors in her time from Tomiki to Traditional Styles.
Tom Allen
Tom
started Aikido in 1999 at Folkestone Aikido Kwai in All Souls School
as a junior. In July 2001 Tom had his first grading and attained his
junior Yellow belt (5th Kyu)
Tom started to train all over the South East at different clubs such
as the Dover Aikido Kwai -where he gained 5th Kyu +3 Mon (2001) and
later his 4th Kyu Orange belt (2002)- , Deal Aikido Kwai , Hythe Aikido
Kwai and Elham Aikido Kwai where he attained 4th Kyu +2 Mon (2002) .All
these clubs where run and instructed by his first Sensei Joe McEnroe
who at the time was a 2nd Dan .
In 2002 Sensei McEnroe assimilated all these clubs into one and created
The Cinque Ports Aikido Club which became one of the largest and most
prominent groups in the South East .This was also the year Tom was graded
to Green belt (3rd Kyu) and received Runner up Student of the Year.
In July 2003 Tom attained Blue belt 2+ Mon (2nd Kyu). In the same year
on December 3rd at the Hawkinge community centre he graded to Brown
belt (1st Kyu) .In April 2005 Tom gained +3 Mon (1st Kyu) and then in
November he successfully passed his grading to become a Junior 1st Dan
.In 2006 Tom won an achievement award in recognition of all his hard
work . In 2008 Tom had his first adult grading to pass from the junior
grade to the adult grades. He passed and achieved his Adult Brown belt
(1st Kyu)
On the 25th September 2010 Tom achieved his 1st Dan under Sensei McEnroe
4th Dan (Tomiki) and became the first ever Aikidoka at the club to successfully
complete the junior grades and transition to Adult 1st Dan.He also received
the Cinque Ports Aikido Student of the Year award for 2010, and passed
his Coaching Level 1 in February 2011.
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