Last laugh on school bullies: What it's like to be a karate instructor

“I was being bullied by two kids, every day they waited for me after school and beat the hell out of me,” he tells Weekend.

And now he’s had the last laugh after building a successful career in marital arts including coaching at national level.

He started training in the Wado-ryu style at the age of five and began representing England in the sport a year later.

While growing up karate gave him the opportunity to challenge himself in a way he couldn’t do outside of the dojo (room where you train). “I wasn’t very confident, I missed out on a lot because I was too scared,” says Matthew.

The Wado-ryu style was founded by Master Hironori Ohtsuka in 1934 after he developed his own techniques by combining his own innovations and natural movements found in the other martial arts.

“I started at five under Sensei Alison Hughes and Sensei Rob Hughes from the English Wado-ryu Sport Karate Association (EWSKA) – an amazing couple who taught me everything I know, the way I am and my way with students.

“I also trained under multiple sensei within the EWSKA organisation including Neil Poynton and Clayton Murrain and then wanted to give back to the sport that gave me so much so I started teaching when I reached 18,” says the 34-year-old.

Over the years Matthew, who is a 3rd Dan Black Belt, has won numerous British local and national titles as well as European titles.

He is also the head coach for the WKU England traditional karate squad and head Sensei at his own dojo in Lichfield, which opened its doors 10 years ago.

Students train to a Wado-ryu syllabus that is loosely-based on Matthew’s own upbringing in the EWSKA.

He gets a great deal of job satisfaction from teaching at the dojo which is called Lichfield Sport Karate Club, based on the city’s Greenhough Industrial Estate.

“It’s a safe place kids know they can come if they are ever in need. Sensei will be there,” says Matthew, who is married to wife Rachel.

One of the best things about being a martial instructor for Matthew is knowing he is making a positive difference for his students and over the years he has helped get them back on track when they have faced difficulties.

“I know I get to have a big influence in their lives and it’s important to me,” he says.

His says one of his biggest achievements has been “stopping kids and teenagers doing silly things when they are low”. “Nothing to do with actual karate but karate is a way of life I believe,” he says.

“I’m trusted by the parents of the children to do my job my way, I rarely advertise so a lot of my students come from word of mouth and that’s the biggest mark of respect,support and achievement I could hope for,” adds Matthew.

He’s also proud of his students, including Holly Gould, 18, and Steph Hart, 17, – Holly is a five times world champion and Steph is a six times world champion.

In 2015, Lichfield Sport Karate Club became part of the WKU – the World Karate Union which has links with 17 clubs with over 800 members across the country.

It was set up to promote the study and practice of karate, which it says can provide confidence, self esteem and a level of fitness to each student’s own ability, and organises karate competitions, tournaments, courses and events every year.

The WKU is open to all styles of karate and is a not-for-profit organisation with any proceeds being put back into the work of the association.

Membership means Matthew’s club can offer its students trials for the England team giving them the chance to attend the European and World Championships each year.

Since 2016, Matthew, who previously attended two World Championships in Venice and Birmingham, reaching the final on both occasions, has been head coach of the England squad.

“I feel completely privileged to have this role, I get to work with children from all different clubs around the country who support the WKU circuit and compete internationally at a World Championships as their head coach.

“I am eternally grateful to the students’ own sensei, if they’re not my own students, for their training of their students and we have won more golds each year I’ve been in the job.

“I’m just kind of the access route for the children and I look out for them when we are abroad and introduce them to other countries’ martial artists. WKU is on one big world family,” he explains.

During lockdown Matthew has been using zoom to carry on giving lessons to pupils from his home – he has a split screen where he can see all students he’s even had a youngster in the US join in too.