The Stevenage Club is held in the town's Arts and Leisure Centre and is run by the Association Chief Instructor, Sensei Michael Nursey (8th Dan)[see profiles below]. This Club represents the Hombu (main Dojo or HQ) for all the ESKA Clubs in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire and has been running since 1976, making it the oldest Karate Club in the Stevenage / Hertfordshire area.

The Club has a high level of Qualified Instructors supporting Sensei Nursey with the many classes taken during the various training sessions (details below).

On a monthly basis, Sensei Nursey holds a special training session dedicated to the higher grades of the association, normally from senior brown belt through to as high as 5th Dan. These sessions will cover anything from the basics through to complex techniques and will include tuition on instructor methology, self defence, kata bunkai, terminology, history etc, thus ensuring ESKA members are trained in all aspect of the Shotokan Martial Art. These sessions are also used as a pre-grading assessment for all those wishing to take the next step in their karate training.

It comes highly recommended that any ESKA member training at the various clubs around the area make every effort to use the Hombu for additional training as the sheer number of high grades still training is a testimony to the high quality of the teaching imparted by Sensei Nursey.

The Stevenage Club, as the Hombu, is also the location for the Kyu Gradings, Dan Gradings and any other Association Courses held throughout the year (for details on event and dates see the Calendar page)

Club Training Times

Day

Class

Time

Instructors

1^st Monday each month

Dan Grade Special Class - Senior Brown to Black Belts

7:30 to 9:30 pm

Sensei Michael Nursey

Monday

Junior Kyu Grades - Ages 6 to 15

6:30 to 7:30 pm

Sensei Paul Grimsey

Sensei Angus Pearson

Des Allen

Alison Pearson

Adult Kyu Grades - Ages 16 and above

Sensei Paul Raymond

Sensei John Higgins

Adult Class - Ages Senior Brown to Black Belts

7:30 to 8:30 pm

Sensei Michael Nursey

Thursday

Junior Kyu Grades - Ages 6 to 15

6:30 to 7:30 pm

Sensei Paul Grimsey

Sensei Angus Pearson

Des Allen

Alison Pearson

Adult Kyu Grades - Ages 16 and above

Sensei Paul Raymond

Sensei John Higgins

Adult Class - Ages Senior Brown to Black Belts

7:30 to 8:30 pm

Sensei Michael Nursey

Instructor Profiles in Brief

Sensei Michael Nursey

Sensei Paul Raymond

Current Rank: 8^th Dan (Awarded dec 2007)

Chief Instructor of the English Shotokan Karate Association

English Kata and Kumite Referee

NVQ City & Guilds qualified Assessor

Began Training: 1967

See History page for full profile

Current Rank: 5^th Dan (Awarded November 2006)

English Kata Official

Qualified Instructor

Began Training: 1981

Sensei Rae Nursey

Sensei Paul Grimsey

Current Rank: 4^th Dan (Awarded 2001)

Qualified Instructor

Association Judge

Began Training: August 1984

Current Rank: 4^th Dan (Awarded November 2005)

Qualified Instructor

Association Judge

Began Training: October 1986

John Higgins

Angus Pearson

Current Rank: 3^rd Dan (Awarded November 2004)

Qualified Instructor

Association Judge

Began Training: October 1991

Current Rank: 3^rd Dan (Awarded November 2005)

Qualified Instructor

Association Judge

Began Training: September 1993

Des Allen

Current Rank: 3^rd Dan (Awarded Jul 2008)

Qualified Instructor

Began Training: 1975