Thatcham Wado Karate Club was founded in 1993 by Sensei Paul Knight, who ran the club for almost 20 years.
All of our instructors are DBS checked and adhere to the association's Child Safeguarding policy available to read here
Still going strong today, the club is now run by Sensei Stuart Hauxwell (2nd Dan).
Stuart took his first Karate lesson in November 1993 as one of Sensei Knight's students at the Thatcham club. He trained regularly as a junior at both the Thatcham club and a number of other clubs within the association, advancing through the grades and competing in tournaments.
A motorcycle accident in his late teens led to a halt in his Karate training, and it was 10 years before Stuart returned to the Dojo in 2010 to resume his training. Training once again in Thatcham with Sensei Knight (until his own departure from the club in 2012) and then with Chief Instructor Sensei Barry Wilkinson (8th Dan).
Stuart began to act as Sempai at the Thatcham Club in 2012 as a purple belt, developing his teaching skills over several years before taking his black belt (1st Dan) grading in 2016 and taking over as Sensei of the Thatcham club. Stuart achieved his 2nd Dan in March 2023.
Sensei Kate Hauxwell (1st Dan)
Sensei Kate took her first Karate lesson in September 2011 at the age of 25.
She began training at the Thatcham club with Sensei Paul Knight until she reached 7th Kyu (Orange Belt) in 2012. Then continued to train with Sensei Barry Wilkinson (8th Dan) whilst assisting with teaching beginners at the Thatcham club.
For 11 years Kate has continued to enjoy teaching and would do this regularly alongside her own training. She was awarded her black belt (1st Dan) in March 2023.
Sensei Barry Wilkinson (8th Dan) EWKR Chief Instructor.
The founder of England Wado Kai, Barry Wilkinson, has an impressive pedigree,starting Wado-Kai Karate in February 1968 and training all his Karate life in only Wado-Kai Karate being a member of The United Kingdom Karate-Do Federation later changed to UKKW, Barry being taught Wado karate by many of the leading exponents of the style by Master Toru Arakawa 9th Dan plus Sensei Tatsuo Suzuki 8th Dan, Sensei Katsumi Kobyashi & Sensei Tadayuki Maeda plus many more prominent Wado-Kai Senior Sensei's achieving Sandan (3rd dan) by grading in 1977 one of the first British Sandan (3rd Dans) of the UKKW.
Yondan (4th dan) was awarded by the EKA in Autumn 1981, Godan (5th dan) followed in October 1987 was awarded by the BKW (The national body for Wado-Kai Karate in the UK).
Rokudan (6th dan) came in September 1997 this time from the EKGB (English Karate Governing Body).
Barry received Nanadan (7th dan) from EKGB (from the EKGB Technical committee ) in June 2002.
Barry was promoted to 8th dan at the 41st European Wado-Kai Championships in Hungary by the Federation Wado-Kai Europe in November 2013
The EWKR with Sensei Barry Wilkinson being a founding member of The Executive & Technical Committee of The Federation of European Wado-Kai he is currently the FWE FWE Vice President and Technical Committee member.