The founder & master (Hanshi) of our organisation is Steve Arneil (9th Dan).
Born in South Africa in 1934. As a boy he studied Shorin Kempo, Judo, boxing and was a keen rugby player. Hanshi Arneil has led an interesting and varied life by anybody's standards. He was capped for Northern Rhodesia's rugby team at age 16, completed National Service and has trained the Jordanian Royal bodyguards in Kyokushin Karate. In addition to this he also starred as bad guys in Japanese films in order to help finance his stay in Japan in the sixties, under the screen name of Steve Mansion.
Hanshi Arneil is recognised all over the World for his amazing understanding of martial arts and his dedication to Karate. He spent many years training in Tokyo, Japan under the founder of Kyokushin Karate - Kancho Mas Oyama.
Hanshi Arneil was the first person to ever complete the 100 Man Kumite - a rigourous test during which one man fights 100 other men full contact. Each fight lasted two minutes or until Hanshi's opponent could no longer fight - if less than 2 minutes. This was seen as the ultimate test of courage & strength.
Kyokushinkai Karate started in London when Steve Arneil and Bob Boulton returned to Great Britain after four years of study at the Kyokushinkai Honbu in Tokyo. The first Kyokushinkai Dojo was the London Karate Kai and this club was soon to become the premier club of Great Britain. In 1965 they founded the British Karate Kyokushinkai.
Within two years the British Karate Kyokushinkai had over 17 students who had qualified as British International Representatives. Steve Arneil became the British and English Team Manager and Coach and when the British Karate Team won the World Championship (the first country outside Japan to do so), he won the award for the World's Best Coach.
