Facebook Instagram Youtube
Book a Free trial

Meet our Instructors

 
Avatar

Trevor Steward Renshi 5th Dan

National Coach for Children’s Training GB

I am the National Coach for the development of children within Great Britain. I have been training in the art of Ishin Ryu Ju Jitsu since 1995 and have been teaching children from the age of four upwards since March 2000.
I first met our founder and chief instructor, Kevin Pell (Soke) in 1989 at my local Jiu Jitsu club in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire. I then moved to Norfolk to be with my instructor and pursue my teaching career and immediately joined him at our headquarters (Honbu Dojo) in Caston, Norfolk, where I became the first student to pass the coveted Ishin Ryu Black Belt in November 2000.

I have had the honour of accompanying Soke to teach in the United States, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, Croatia, Ireland, Finland, and here at home within the UK. I have also been exceptionally privileged to take part in many high-profile courses and close protection contracts with Kevin Pell Soke including:

• SAS “Surveillance and Anti – Surveillance Close Protection Courses”
• SAS “Practical and Advanced Firearms Courses”
• Appearing alongside Soke on London Weekend Televisions Saturday nights primetime
  game show – “You Bet”
• SAS Survival Courses
• Worked alongside Soke on High Security Close Protection Contracts
• Combat Magazine Photo Shoots
• Combat Hall of Fame 2011
• Martial Arts Illustrated Hall of Fame 2015
• SKY Television
• Since 2002, Represented Martial Arts at “The Presidents Day” for Disabled children from
  Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex.

I continue to teach weekly and from April 2021 I will become the children’s instructor at the national training centre in Caston, Norfolk, a challenge I relish and can’t wait to get started.

Avatar

Tom Garvin Renshi 3rd Dan

Assistant National Coach GB

My name is Tom Garvin Sensei and I currently hold the rank of Black Belt 3rd Dan and I am the assistant National Coach for Great Britain.
I became a student of Kevin Pell (Soke) in 1996 aged just four years of age studying the art of Ishin Ryu Ju Jitsu and was the first student to make it to Black Belt, having started as an infant student.

In 2011 I became a full time professional instructor teaching children and adults in London, Hertfordshire and Norfolk six days a week and haven’t look back.

I started my training within Ishin Ryu jiujitsu at the age of four in the Borehamwood dojo where I lived until the age of 8. My family then moved to Milton Keynes but my Mum, for which I will be eternally grateful for, drove me to my classes every week until I reached an age where I was able to drive myself…

I am privileged to be one of Soke Kevin Pell’s personal students and I continue to travel internationally both as an instructor and student and now spend a large part of my professional working life with Soke at his home and Honbu Dojo (HQ) in Norfolk where I take the opportunity to learn everything I can from my friend and teacher…

I love my job beyond belief and it continues to be my life mission to train and inspire others wishing to learn our fantastic style of jiujitsu especially our younger members as I feel I have an infinity with them having started so young myself…

Avatar

Sam Gladdy Sensei 3rd Dan

I was born in 1977 in London where I have lived ever since.
I started my martial arts training in 2009 where I was instantly taken with the no-nonsense style of Jiu Jitsu that is Ishin Ryu. The austere tutelage suited me from the outset, and although I went home limping on both legs and aching all over, I was hooked.
Following that first night I began training twice a week in the Borehamwood dojo in Hertfordshire, where I went on to partake in every chance for extra training courses, and moved up through the gradings at every opportunity.

Since then I have been privileged to travel to many countries as part of Kevin Pell Hanshi’s team, where we have taught to international audiences and performed demonstrations of our style.
Under Kevin Pell Hanshi’s guidance I went on to attempt my Shodan grading in 2016, which, after much blood, sweat and toil, I passed. I have continued to both train and teach on the mat, and have since been awarded the rank of 3rd Dan.

My personal philosophy on the martial arts are closely aligned with the club ethos. I believe strongly in developing mental resilience, fortitude and agility, maintaining fit and strong physical conditioning and combat endurance, and developing realistic stress-proven techniques and resolute principles to base them on. While my main focus is on contemporary self-defence, I embrace the history of our ancient martial art and look towards the future of a constantly evolving system

Del Shannon Sensei 3rd Dan

Born in Ireland, moved to England in 1984. grew up in London and moved to Norfolk in 2001.

After leaving the Armed Forces in 2001 and moving myself back to London, I decided to move to the East of England where I currently reside. Having spent a few years living in the area I decided to venture back into Martial arts.

During my youth, I dabbled with different martial arts, having lessons in Judo, kick boxing, watching all the martial arts movies I could get my hands on. Come to think of it, I think I even believed I was a ninja at one point, but what child didn’t think that…

Now that I was an adult, I wanted to try something again, so myself, alongside a few friends decided to venture into the world of Ishin Ryu Ju Jitsu. 12th January 2004 was our first lesson. Unknown to us, we were about to experience one of the best thrills and excitement you could get, especially when our first lesson was free. Some may look at me at being a little crazy thinking that excitement is getting sweaty, having joints being manipulated and shouting the word OSU!

To be fair, it didn’t matter what people thought, I was hooked and every night after finishing training decided to make my partners ears bleed with the excitement and thrill I had that evening.
Ishin Ryu was very militaristic, lots of etiquette, lots of fitness and the never-ending hill there was to climb to achieve your next belt. I loved it and continued training and steadily made my way through the belts.

After reaching the dizzy heights of Shodan Ho, the mountain was to climb further; the 17th of January 2010 was to become the hardest thing I would ever undertake. My SHODAN (Black Belt), no money was required, just the outright courage to go through with it. After two days and a few ups and downs, I would become an Ishin Ryu Black belt and be able to wear the coveted Sun & Kanji. A special tattoo worn to those that have been before.

Having achieved such greatness, I started to teach classes in the London and Norfolk regions. Gaining knowledge and learning the art, especially when passing on to others. I continued teaching for a few years, getting great fun and excitement from this. Watching children grow with confidence, succeed with their ambitions.

I spent many years travelling with Soke Kevin Pell, the Ishin Ryu black belts and mudansha. I have had the pleasure to train with some fantastic instructors. Having moved up the ranks to 3rd Dan (Sandan), I currently train at the fantastic Honbu dojo, a home from home…

Mark Hyden-Smith Renshi 4th Dan 

           16th May 1957 – 12th December 2012