About

Some information about our founder Sensei Nick Quilliam and see below for our other teachers.

Photograph of Nick Quilliam

Sensei Nick Quilliam is the Chief Instructor of the Wado Karate Association, who’s Hombu Dojo is in Stroud, Gloucestershire, England U.K. Sensei Nick began practicing Wado Ryu Karate in 1969 under Tatsuo Suzuki Hanshi 8th Dan, and in 1976 under both Sensei Tatsuo Suzuki and Masafumi Shiomitsu Hanshi 9th Dan. He became the European Wado Federation Kata champion in 1981 and 1983, and a member of the winning Kumite team at the 1981 European Wado Federation championships. He was both a E.K.F Kumite referee and Kata judge. In 1989 he was a founding member of Sensei Masafumi Shiomitsu’s Wado-Ryu Karate-Do Academy. He was the second non-Japanese student to become a member of the Wado Academy Dan grading panel. He has been the head organiser for many international Wado-Ryu Karate championships, including the first World Wado-Ryu Karate championship in 1989. He has been recognised for his contribution to the martial arts and is highly regarded for his deep knowledge of Wado-Ryu principles.

Photograph of Leeroy Ellis

Sensei Leeroy Ellis is the Deputy Chief Instructor of the Wado Karate Association. He began practicing Wado Ryu karate in November 1982 under Sensei Nick Quilliam and became a black belt in 1988. Some of the medals he has won are Team Gold in 1986 UKKW Championships, Team Gold in the 1990 Wado Academy Championships and individual bronze in the 1989 World Wado-Ryu Karate Championships. In 2006 Leeroy was appointed one of the three head competition Kumite and Kata coaches of the Wado-Ryu Karate-Do Academy. He has gone on to coach the Wado-Ryu Karate-Do Academy England team at the Wado Academy European Championships in Norway, Portugal, Italy and the World Wado-Ryu Karate Championships in Japan. In 1983 Leeroy also started full contact karate and went on to win the silver medal in the 1986 Ring National (full contact) Championships and returned the next year (1987) to win the gold medal.

Photo of Chris Gardner

Chris Gardner started karate in September 1089 with Nick Quilliam as his Sensei. He got his First Dan Black Belt in August 1996. Throughout his years of karate, Chris has taken part in many kumite and karate competitions. Chris started teaching children karate in 1991. He was sitting at the side waiting for his daughter and son to finish training, when Nick asked him to take some of the younger ones through some moves. Chris really enjoyed the experience and has been teaching ever since. Chris finds great satisfaction in giving knowledge to the younger ones and watching their progress. Over the past 30 or so years, he has seen many students obtain their brown belts and a few students have even reached black belt. Nick Quilliam has always been his instructor and continues to be.