My father on the other end, didn't show much interest in my boxing, and never came to see me fighting. I was really hurt inside.  I left Boxing after a while to go back to Karate, and in 1979 I gained 1st Dan (first degree Black belt) with an Italian Karate federation. By then I had caught the bug, I knew that it would be hard to achieve such a goal in Sardinia, but I was determined to learn more, and after some struggle I got some money together and bought a ticket to travel to England in 1980. I managed to join the BUDOKWAI a London based martial art centre (the oldest club outside Japan for Judo). I started to train there in both Shotokan Karate and Judo. I used to finish Karate at 19:30, go downstairs to change into my Judo-gi and train in Judo with champions like Neil Adams, Ray Stevens, the majestic Yamashita and Kashiwazaki Sensei, on Monday night and the legendary Tony Sweeney and Dicky Bowen on Saturdays and Wednesdays respectively, for another hour and a half. Sometimes I used to follow my then instructor Caesar Andrews to one of his other clubs (the Imperial College) in Kensington and train there for a few more hours. Caesar used me as his example to show how it should be done, and slowly introduced me to teaching for him. Twice a year I take part in courses run by Professor K. Enoeda for the JKA at the Crystal Palace Sports Centre, in May and September (some years back the May course was a two week course and the National Championship used to take place there on the Saturday between the courses) I also started to train privately with Caesar's instructor a person that I now consider my SENSEI his name is Dave Hazard (it is really his name) and from then on I was hooked.

In 1983 I started teaching in my very own club in Pimlico (Sasori SKC) and at the Budokwai. Then in 1984 moved to another club the Millbank School, for one day a week. It was now 1985 and I was training with the KUGB (Karate Union of Great Britain) a British association affiliated to the Japan Karate Association, and I had to retake my 1^st Dan with them in order to teach in my clubs. So I went to one of the courses that Professor Keinosuke Enoeda runs for the JKA at the Crystal Palace Sports Centre, and after one-week training with the top instructors in the world (Kase, Shirai, Enoeda, & Kawasoe Sensei) I passed my first Dan JKA/KUGB.

That year (1985) I also started to teach at the City of London School, that was because Caesar left the Budokwai, and I took over his two clubs. Two years later (1987) I gained 2^nd Dan with the JKA/KUGB, and qualified as Judge for the KUGB. I also coached at the Cambridge University Shotokan Karate Club, that was the beginning of my involvement with the OXFORD v CAMBRIDGE VARSITY GAMES, which I still Referee every year with some of my colleagues, (as the chief referee).

In 1988 I wrote an article "The Sardinian Way" which was published by SKM (the only Magazine in UK dedicated solely to Shotokan Karate).

In 1989 I taught self-defence at the Notre Dame (Girls) School for a number of weeks. That same year I was asked to teach at the Blackfriars club (one of the first clubs in England where famous Senseis the calibre of Kanazawa and Enoeda used to teach in the late sixties). This club is in the Colombo Street Sports Centre. It was moved there from the Church Hall opposite the Church in Blackfriars Bridge Road. I then renamed that club in honour to Enoeda Sensei. It is now known as Fukuoka SKC.

It was in 1990 that I gained my 3^rd Dan with the same Japanese Masters, at the Crystal Palace Sports Centre. That year I also achieved my Referees qualification from the KUGB.

1991 I took a Team to Sardinia for an International Tournament during the summer. At the tournament the Team took 2^nd place after Holland. SKM published another article of mine, this was entitled "Teaching Shotokan Karate The Sasori's Way"   1992 and I took another Team to Sardinia for the same Tournament as the previous year. The Team ended in third place and I was awarded a shield for "Best Referee". In June that same year I entered my last competition at the Essex Trophy and ended 2^nd in the Kata event.

1993 was a sad year for me as I left the BUDOKWAI after 12 years spent there studying Judo, Karate & Aikido. I was then approached to teach at the now famous "Harbour Club" (where princess Diana used to train) that same year I started to teach at the Chelsea Sport Centre in Kings Road London, and at the Fountain Leisure Centre in Brentford. It was now 1994 and after another week of training at the Crystal Palace Sport Centre, Senseis Enoeda, Tabata, Osaka and Ohta awarded me 4th DAN JKA/KUGB. That year I attended a course for Assessors and passed (the course is for 4^th Dan and above) I am now qualified to assess instructors of the KUGB.

Cambridge University asked officiate at their Varsity Games versus Oxford, and I became their Chief Referee. In 1995 I was asked to teach at the famous "Marshall Street SKC" Dojo, (Sensei Enoeda's Hombu Dojo in London) of which I have been a member for many years now. During that same year I appeared on "The Big Breakfast" Channel 4, (I broke a number of wooden planks). I also started a class at the "First Step School of Dance" in Fulham. The very same year I organised a Seminar with another Italian Sensei (Lino Papetti) the Seminar was run by Shihan Nando Balzarro 7^th Dan of the Italian National Olympic Federation, his assistant was Sensei Sauro Somigli, himself a well respected member of the Italian Karate fraternity and a 5^th Dan since 1980 and a brilliant Tai-Chi Master. I now run the Seminar every year at the Fukuoka's Dojo, in Blackfriars SE London.

In 1996 I was Sensei Ohta's assistant in the Harrington Studios (former Pineapple Studios). SKM published my article entitled "Hikite" (pulling back arm). One year later Sensei Ohta moved to my club "Sasori" at the Chelsea Sports Centre, he was teaching every Tuesday/Thursday and taught there until 1998. In 1997 I wrote an article about referees and judges and sent it to SKM but because of problems with the editorial department the article got printed only in 1999, this was titled "The Unsung Hero of Karate Competitions". This Summer I plan to take my 5^th Dan at the Crystal Palace course that Sensei Enoeda 8^th Dan (Chief of the Japan Karate Association in Europe).

In my 16 years of professional teaching I have raised more than 30 Black Belts. I hope to develop a CD-ROM of Karate, with drawings of techniques and Katas. Every year since 1985 I have refereed the Southern Region, the Essex Trophy, the West London Tournaments, the Students Championships, the Shotokan Cup, the South London Open (Elwyn Hall's Championship), Roy Tomlin's Tournament, the Varsity games (Oxford V Cambridge), and the National Championship in Birmingham. I also attend all the Referees/Judges courses in Coventry, to help candidates to progress and eventually qualify first as judges and after some year's practice, try to qualify as referees.