Senior Instructors

Yondan Liam O'Hara

Yondan Liam O'Hara 4th Dan is a senior instructor who teaches karate and kickboxing classes in Eastbourne and Bexhill. He also oversees and runs the Ashford area classes. His classes are diverse and high tempo including strength and fitness work and he leads by example.

He started his karate training at the age of five under Hanshi Alan Gibson in Brighton and then expanded into assisting at classes and training with Renshi Lee Gibson whom he now teaches under.

Always training hard to keep in top shape he has had success in both full contact kickboxing as well as karate tournaments over the years and is looking to compete again soon.

Years Training: 25 Years
Passed Karate Black Belt (Shodan): 2000
Passed Karate 2nd Dan (Nidan): 2010
Passed Karate 3rd Dan (Sandan): 2015
Passed Karate 4th Dan (Yondan): 2021
Fought in Full Contact Kickboxing
Competed in Karate tournaments
Graded in Kobudo with Southern Kobudo Association

Sensei Matt Harford

Sensei Matt Harford 3rd Dan is a senior instructor who teaches karate classes within the Hastings area.

He started training with SAMA at the age of 6. When he passed his black belt at the age of 14 he began helping out at classes and gradings to gain as much experience as he could.

At the age of 15 he expanded his training into kickboxing. He has also graded under Hanshi Gibson in Kobudo (Weapons training) with the Southern Kobudo Association.

He has also taken part in many demonstrations as well as having refereeing experience at competition.

Years Training: 22 Years
Passed Karate Black Belt (Shodan): 2004
Passed Karate 2nd Dan (Nidan): 2011
Passed Karate 3rd Dan (Sandan): 2016
Competed in karate competition
Graded in Kobudo with Southern Kobudo Association

Sensei Kyle Hobgen

Sensei Kyle Hobgen is a 3rd Dan instructor teaching karate and kickboxinng classes in Hastings, Bexhill and Eastbourne. Sensei Kyle has quickly established himself within his classes and is very popular with his students.

Gaining his black belt in karate in 4 years due to training nearly every day of the week within classes in his area of Hastings he has always put in 100% when it comes to his martial arts. Also a black belt in kickboxing he has competed in both karate tournaments as well as numourous times within the ring in kickboxing fights. Sensei Kyle is training hard looking to compete again along side his teaching.