Sei Shihan Terry (Terence ) Ellery (6th Dan)

My martial arts journey started whilst in college with self-defence training, then Judo. I started Seido Karate in 1981 at Nelson Dojo, Parere Street under then 4th Dan Sensei Andy Barber (who later became 8th Dan Eiko Hanshi Andy Barber) and other seniors.

The thing that lead me to karate was a fascination with unarmed combat. I searched for anything I could find in books or old movies. This may have been because I experiencing serious bullying throughout my whole schooling. Hence my primary drive in karate is to learn and teach from the view of self-defence.

The primary point is to give myself permission to take action to protect myself – on all levels, be it physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and its circumstance. A permission that I had been disconnected from as a child.

Of course you need good skills and strong technique to back this up and Seido karate provides that in a progressively expanding training system. The only requirement: to keep trying, to do one’s best, one’s 100% effort – not anybody else’s 100% – just yours!