INSTRUCTORS
Sensei Phill Sedgmond 4th Dan
Chief Instructor
Secretary General of So-Kyokushin UK
Sensei Phill Sedgmond is the Chief Instructor of Barry Kyokushin Karate Club. Barry Kyokushin is the club that Sensei Phill started in at the age of 11, when Sensei Richard Males was the Chief Instructor at the time.
Sensei Phill trained for 20 years under Sensei Richard and at the age of 33, a then Senpai Phill stepped in as Chief instructor when Sensei Richard Males retired. He achieved his 1st Dan in July 2008 and was made Assistant Instructor, and achieved Nidan (2nd Dan) in June 2013. In April 2017 Sensei Phill passed his grading for the rank of Sandan in Japan at Mitsumine Shrine under Kancho Matsui.
In March 2021 Sensei Phill made the difficult decision to move Barry Kyokushin away from IKO, he felt the way it was changing Kyokushin Karate was not right for him or his students. He joined So-Kyokushin UK under Shihan Mac Robertson, Shihan Mac quickly made Sensei Phill Secretary General and Executive Committee Member for So-Kyokushin due to his great organisational skills. Soon after, Shihan Mac, being so impressed with the way Sensei Phill conducts his dojo he named Barry Kyokushin as the Headquarters of So-Kyokushin UK. Sensei Phill also sits on the National Grading panel for So-Kyokushin UK. In March 2023 Sensei Phill was successful in his grading to Yondan (4th Dan) which he took in front of the UK So-Kyokushin Grading panel. Sensei Phill is the only person in the History of Barry Kyokushin to Achieve this grade.
Sensei Phill is a qualified National Referee and an International Judge. Sensei Phill has performed these duties for many years in the UK but also in Bulgaria, Poland, France and Germany, but also at the very prestigious World Tournament in Japan.
Having spent many years building relations in many countries and having a very diplomatic approach Sensei Phill was made Secretary for Europe where he helps with the communication between Europe and Japan and manages the European Social Media and website to help promote all the European Events.
Having spent many years building relations in many countries and having a very diplomatic approach Sensei Phill was made Secretary for Europe where he helps with the communication between Europe and Japan and manages the European Social Media and website to help promote all the European Events.
Senpai Rhian Evans 2nd DanDeputy Chief Instructor
Senpai Rhian began her training at Barry Kyokushin at age 16, and has been training for 12 years now. In that 12 years, she has won 10 National tournament titles in Kata, and 1 in Knockdown, in that time. Her latest win was at the 2019 Welsh Championships.
Senpai Rhian gained Shodan at the 3 day weekend IKO Summer Camp in July 2018, which was held in Brecon (Wales). This grade made Senpai Rhian the 2nd Senior female black belt, and the 13th Shodan, in the clubs 40 year history. In March 2022 after the club moved from IKO.
Senpai Rhian gained Shodan at the 3 day weekend IKO Summer Camp in July 2018, which was held in Brecon (Wales). This grade made Senpai Rhian the 2nd Senior female black belt, and the 13th Shodan, in the clubs 40 year history. In March 2022 after the club moved from IKO.
Senpai Rhian has attended Referee courses, summer camps, weapons seminars, Kudo seminars, Iain Abernethy Seminars, has judged at national tournaments and is also the Barry Kyokushin Karate Club Student of the Year for 2013 and 2014.
She is now a fully qualified National Judge. Rhian competed at World Championships in Japan for Kata in April 2017. Rhian also competed at the European Championships in Lyon France in May 2017, and Bulgaria in May 2018, and Poland in 2019. She is currently 5th in Europe. She was the first individual in the history of Barry Kyokushin to compete at this level.
Rhian also attended the Mitsumine camp along with Sensei Phill duriing his Sandan grading in April 2017. Also in April 2017, Rhian was nominated for and won, an award for Competitor of the year at The British Martial Arts Awards.
Senpai Rhian attended the So-Kyokushin national grading on the 27th March 2022 where she was successful to the rank of Nidan. Senpai Rhian is the first female in the history of Barry Kyokushin to achieve this grade.
Senpai Rhian attended the So-Kyokushin national grading on the 27th March 2022 where she was successful to the rank of Nidan. Senpai Rhian is the first female in the history of Barry Kyokushin to achieve this grade.
Aimee Seaward 4th Kyu
Assistant Instructor
Aimee has recently become our Assistant Instructor.
She has been an integral part of our Little Spartan's program for quite some time taking a lead roll and developing other staff members to follow in her footsteps.
Her skills there have transferred perfectly to mainstream Kyokushin classes where she now takes the lead instruction in Beginner classes. Aimee has been developing students to a very high standard and this shows in her classes producing many to be accepted to attend their first grading.
Aside from her teaching, Aimee has been competing in Kata since Orange belt and has placed in every Kyokushin tournament we have held. She begins her Knockdown experience this year n various tournament but also looking to follow in the footsteps of Senpai Rhian Evans where Aimee hopes to represent So-Kyokushin UK on the World Stage in Japan in 2027.
