Malcolm Phipps
Encyclopedia
Malcolm Phipps is an 8th Dan Hanshi in Shotokan
Karate and is the Chief Instructor internationally to Seishinkai Shotokan Karate International (SSKI). He started training in karate in the early seventies with a local JKA club, then with Shotokan Karate International (SKI) with Hirokazu Kanazawa. He then moved on to the Amateur Shotokan Karate Association (ASKA), eventually leaving to form his own association, Seishinkai Shotokan Karate, in 1984 and finally turning international in 1995 to the group as it is today, SSKI, with clubs in England, the USA, Hungary and Kazakhstan. He is an advisory board member of the World Traditional Karate Organization
. Phipps has trained in Shotokan Karate for nearly forty years and has taught for over 35 years.
, Devon, due to wartime evacuation, Phipps then moved with his mum to Wealdstone to live with his grandparents, spending his formative years there attending Belmont First School. It was during this time that Phipps started his lifelong support of Wolverhampton Wanderers
. In 1953, the family then moved to Hemel Hempstead
where Phipps attended Adeyfield Secondary Modern, finally leaving school in 1957.He started working at John Dickinsons
, later joining the Royal Navy
. After his initial training at HMS Ganges in Shotley, Suffolk where he learnt to be a communications rating in the Visual Signalling Department, and after several incidents of note including learning to march and learning to swim he passed his exams and went to serve on his first ship, the Battle Class Destroyer, HMS Dunkirk. Several ships followed including HMS Rhyl, HMS Aisne, HMS Warrior, HMS Decoy, HMS Delight, HMS Mercury and HMS Jufair, finally leaving the RN in 1968. In his youth Phipps was a prominent football player and played soccer for RN teams throughout the world and in 1966 was actually on the books of Tring Town FC. Once out of the RN, Phipps initially worked for a telecommunications temp agency, gaining full-time employment with a merchant bank (Bunge & Co) working in their communications department. After five years with them, Phipps moved on to work for a commodities broker, Wilson Smithett & Cope; and it was during this time he started his first karate club.
MBE. He then trained with ASKA, before setting up his own association Seishinkai Shotokan Karate in 1984, which eventually become SSKI in 1995. Throughout his karate life, he has trained in the Shotokan karate style and also took up traditional nunchaku, forming the English Traditional Nunchaku Association (ETNA) in 2003 and is the world-wide Chief Instructor and founder of both SSKI and ETNA. Phipps is also a member of the World Traditional Karate Organisation
and the Shotokan Alliance. He was awarded his 4th Dan
in March 1986 (specially awarded by the World Union of Karate Organisations (WUKO) and the English Karate Council for services to karate nationally and internationally) and finally awarded his 8th Dan in September 2011. He has also been awarded a National Referees Certificate (1981), an NCF(MAC) Coaches award (1986), an EKGB Senior Coaching Award (1992) and is authorised as an EKGB Coaching Assessor (1993).
Phipps has coached many national and international champions. This has led, in turn to him being awarded ‘Sports Personality of the Year’ for West Herts (Dacorum) 1985, being runner-up for ‘Sports Personality of the Year (Coach)’ for West Herts (Dacorum) 2001 and being Highly Commended ‘Service to Sport’ for Dacorum District/West Herts 2002. Phipps has also had several magazine articles published, including some in Shotokan Karate Magazine and in both Traditional Karate and Combat Magazine and also several books (see details below).
Further highlights to Phipps's karate career include:
Shotokan
is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi and his son Gigo Funakoshi . Gichin was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing karate through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including...
Karate and is the Chief Instructor internationally to Seishinkai Shotokan Karate International (SSKI). He started training in karate in the early seventies with a local JKA club, then with Shotokan Karate International (SKI) with Hirokazu Kanazawa. He then moved on to the Amateur Shotokan Karate Association (ASKA), eventually leaving to form his own association, Seishinkai Shotokan Karate, in 1984 and finally turning international in 1995 to the group as it is today, SSKI, with clubs in England, the USA, Hungary and Kazakhstan. He is an advisory board member of the World Traditional Karate Organization
Richard Amos
Richard Thomas Amos 6th dan, was born in Surrey, England, in 1963 and is well known in the Shotokan Karate world as having completed the three-year Japan Karate Association instructors’ program in Tokyo in 1994, becoming only the second Westerner ever to do so in the JKA’s fifty-year history. He...
. Phipps has trained in Shotokan Karate for nearly forty years and has taught for over 35 years.
Early years
Born in December 1942 in TorquayTorquay
Torquay is a town in the unitary authority area of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. It lies south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, north-east of Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 63,998 during the...
, Devon, due to wartime evacuation, Phipps then moved with his mum to Wealdstone to live with his grandparents, spending his formative years there attending Belmont First School. It was during this time that Phipps started his lifelong support of Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
. In 1953, the family then moved to Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire in the East of England, to the north west of London and part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2001 Census was 81,143 ....
where Phipps attended Adeyfield Secondary Modern, finally leaving school in 1957.He started working at John Dickinsons
John Dickinson Stationery
John Dickinson Stationery Limited was a leading British stationery company founded in west Hertfordshire, that was later merged to form Dickinson Robinson Group. In the 19th century, the company pioneered a number of innovations in paper-making.-History:...
, later joining the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. After his initial training at HMS Ganges in Shotley, Suffolk where he learnt to be a communications rating in the Visual Signalling Department, and after several incidents of note including learning to march and learning to swim he passed his exams and went to serve on his first ship, the Battle Class Destroyer, HMS Dunkirk. Several ships followed including HMS Rhyl, HMS Aisne, HMS Warrior, HMS Decoy, HMS Delight, HMS Mercury and HMS Jufair, finally leaving the RN in 1968. In his youth Phipps was a prominent football player and played soccer for RN teams throughout the world and in 1966 was actually on the books of Tring Town FC. Once out of the RN, Phipps initially worked for a telecommunications temp agency, gaining full-time employment with a merchant bank (Bunge & Co) working in their communications department. After five years with them, Phipps moved on to work for a commodities broker, Wilson Smithett & Cope; and it was during this time he started his first karate club.
Karate years
Phipps began his karate training in the early seventies with the JKA/SKI training with Kanazawa (SKI) and John van WeenenJohn van Weenen
Phillip John van Weenen OMT MBE is an 8th Dan karateka and humanitarian.Van Weenen was graded 1st Dan by Moss Hollis in 1966, before travelling to Japan in 1966 to train at the invitation of Masutatsu Oyama...
MBE. He then trained with ASKA, before setting up his own association Seishinkai Shotokan Karate in 1984, which eventually become SSKI in 1995. Throughout his karate life, he has trained in the Shotokan karate style and also took up traditional nunchaku, forming the English Traditional Nunchaku Association (ETNA) in 2003 and is the world-wide Chief Instructor and founder of both SSKI and ETNA. Phipps is also a member of the World Traditional Karate Organisation
Richard Amos
Richard Thomas Amos 6th dan, was born in Surrey, England, in 1963 and is well known in the Shotokan Karate world as having completed the three-year Japan Karate Association instructors’ program in Tokyo in 1994, becoming only the second Westerner ever to do so in the JKA’s fifty-year history. He...
and the Shotokan Alliance. He was awarded his 4th Dan
Dan (rank)
The ranking system is a Japanese mark of level, which is used in modern fine arts and martial arts. Originally invented in a Go school in the Edo period, this system was applied to martial arts by Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo and later introduced to other East Asia countries.In the modern...
in March 1986 (specially awarded by the World Union of Karate Organisations (WUKO) and the English Karate Council for services to karate nationally and internationally) and finally awarded his 8th Dan in September 2011. He has also been awarded a National Referees Certificate (1981), an NCF(MAC) Coaches award (1986), an EKGB Senior Coaching Award (1992) and is authorised as an EKGB Coaching Assessor (1993).
Phipps has coached many national and international champions. This has led, in turn to him being awarded ‘Sports Personality of the Year’ for West Herts (Dacorum) 1985, being runner-up for ‘Sports Personality of the Year (Coach)’ for West Herts (Dacorum) 2001 and being Highly Commended ‘Service to Sport’ for Dacorum District/West Herts 2002. Phipps has also had several magazine articles published, including some in Shotokan Karate Magazine and in both Traditional Karate and Combat Magazine and also several books (see details below).
Further highlights to Phipps's karate career include:
- August 2003 – Inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame (Dallas, Texas)
- November 2003 – Made Joint Chairman of the WTKO Advisory Panel in New York
- August 2004 – Made Founding Fellow of the ISKS (International Shotokan-Ryu Karate-Do Shihankai) and granted the Shogo (title) of Kyoshi
- August 2007 – Inducted into the Global Martial Arts Hall of Fame (Indianapolis, Indiana)