In Remembrance.
TKU Remembers.
Shihan Hillyard was always there for the TKU for support and encouragement. TKU karateka visited Shihan's dojos at Sneinton, Nottingham regularly and Shihan visited the TKU on several occasions. Shihan died in August 2018 from a stroke, aged 79 years. - Dave Bilson, TKU.
Sensei Brian Philcox - FEKO Chairman.
'When Brian was FEKO Chairman he supported the TKU through a difficult time. He became a friend of the TKU and quite often we would be in contact. Brian inhereted a lot of his time to the Forget Me Not Cancer Appeal through his Fighting For You karate events. Sadly, Brian lost his first wife, Jan, to cancer, at the same time that he was doing his charity work'.
Brian died in tragic circumstances in June 2008, aged 52 years.
Grandmaster Phil Milner - Head of the International Budo Association.
'I attended many of his classes and courses. I fought for his association at local and national competitions and was awarded both my 1st Dan (1982) and 2nd Dan (1988) whilst with his association. I left the International Budo Association for personal reasons in 1988 and helped form the Traditional Karate Union. Sensei Milner never bregudged me this and we often kept in touch and I was always invited to his classes. Sensei Milner had a profound knowledge of various martial arts and was renowned for his charity work'. - Jed Pollard, Head Coach, TKU.
Sadly, Sensei Milner died in 2000 aged 66 years.
Grandmaster Arnie Bestwick - International Budo Association.
'Arnie always welcomed me to his club, which was close to where I lived. He was an excellent coach and there was a conveyor belt of good kumite karateka than came from his club, hence Arnie's efficient coaching methods. Although Arnie was at times a hard taskmaster in the dojo, he was a gentleman out of the dojo and we had many a good hour sat with him in his local pub the Greendale Oak in Worksop'. - Jed Pollard, Head Coach, TKU.
Arnie died in May 2008 from cancer aged 62 years.
Sensei Mike Baxendale - Amateue Martial Arts Association.
'I trained at Mick's club in Skegness quite regularly, more often in the mid 90's. I had known Mick previously in the early 80's when I was with the Yorkshire Karate Association and we trained in their squad regularly. Mick was a strong karateka and was a good technical coach. He would always welcome me into his classes at Skegness. Quite often, I would see Mick when I worked the doors in the city'. - Jed Pollard, Head Coach, TKU.
Mick was tragically killed whilst doing security work in a night club incident in October 1998, aged just 47 years.