Nationality: Scottish
Keith’s karate journey started in 1968 aged 14 when he joined the Aberdeen Shotokan Karate Club (ASKC), training under Sensei’s John Anderson and John Allan. His association with Kato Sensei began in 1970 when Sensei visited Aberdeen to teach, for the first time. The genius that was Kato Sensei was obvious to see, even though Keith was just a young kyu grade.
Since that first encounter, when circumstances allowed, Keith’s loyalty and dedication to follow Kato Sensei has taken him to many countries where Sensei was holding seminars or tournaments namely, Australia, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Southern Ireland, Switzerland and Turkey. Practising Shotokan karate since its early days in the United Kingdom, Keith’s dedication has also brought opportunities to train with many Japanese masters, namely, Abe, Asai, Enoeda, Kagawa, Kanazawa, Kase, Kawazoe, Mura, Ochi, Shiri, Tanaka, Tsuyama, Yahara and Yamaguchi (senior).
Keith has successfully represented ASKC and Scotland at World, European and domestic level in both Kata and Kumite. Keith followed Kato Shihan for 50 years until Shihan’s sad passing in April 2020.
Keith’s Dan Grade history
1st 1973 (Kato Sensei)
2nd 1975 (Kato Sensei)
3rd 1979 (Kato Sensei & Y. Tomita sensei)
4th 1985 (Kato Sensei)
5th 1992 (Kato Sensei)
6th 2005 (Kato Sensei)
7th 2013 (Kato Sensei)
Keith has been Chief instructor at ASKC since 1975 and also for several years during that timescale at Aberdeen University Karate Club. In November 2020 Keith was elected Chief Instructor of IJKA UK.
Keith’s Tournament History
| Scottish Shotokan Association Championships 1975 | Member of winning team kumite |
| Scottish Shotokan Association (Highland tournament) 1976 | Senior individual kata runner-up |
| Scottish Shotokan Association Championships 1976 | Member of winning team kumite |
| Senior individual kumite winner | |
| Scottish Shotokan Association (Tiger Cup) 1977 | Member of winning team kumite |
| Member of winning team kata | |
| S.K.I.S Championships 1977 | Member of winning team kumite |
| Member of winning team kata | |
| Senior individual kata, runners-up | |
| Peterhead Championships 1978 | Member of winning team kumite |
| S.K.I Italy v Scotland 1978 (Imperia) | Senior individual kata, winner |
| S.K.I.S Championships 1978 | Member of winning team kumite |
| Member of winning team kata | |
| Senior individual kata 3rd place | |
| S.K.I.S London and Area (Kanazawa cup) 1978 | Member of team kata, runners-up |
| Cheshire and North Wales championships 1979 | Member of winning team kata |
| Kodokai Championships (Kanazawa cup) 1979 | Member of winning team kumite |
| Member of winning team kata | |
| Senior individual kumite runner-up | |
| Cheshire and North Wales Championships 1980 | Member of winning team kata |
| Cheshire and North Wales Championships 1981 | Member of team kata runners-up |
| North of Scotland all Styles Karate Championships 1984 | Senior individual kata, winner |
| North of Scotland all Styles Karate Championships 1985 | Senior individual kumite, winner |
| Aberdeen Seishin kai Invitation Tournament 1988 | Senior kumite runner-up |
| Senior kata 3rd place | |
| North of Scotland all Styles Karate Championships 1988 | Member of team kumite runners-up |
| Kodokai National Championships 1988 | Member of winning team kumite |
| Highland Karate Association Championships 1989 | Senior individual kumite winner |
| Hara-Shotokan Invitation Championships 1989 | Member of winning team kumite |
| Senior individual kumite runner-up | |
| Kodokai National Championships 1989 | Member of winning team kumite |
| senior individual kumite runner-up | |
| Kodokai National Championships 1990 | Member of winning team kumite |
| Kodokai National Championships 1991 | Member of team kumite runners-up |
| JKA/Kodokai National Championships 1992 | Member of winning team kumite |
| JKA World Championships (Johannesburg) | Member of winning, veteran team kumite |
| JKA European Championships 1994 (Budapest) | Veteran individual kumite winner |
| JKA/Kodokai National Championships 1994 | Member or winning team kumite |
| JKA Invitational Championships (Moscow) 1996 | Member of team kumite. 3rd place |
| JKA (GB) National Championships 1997 | Member of winning team kumite |
| Senior individual kumite winner | |
| JKA (GB) National Championships 1998 | Member of winning team kumite |
| Individual veteran kata runner-up | |
| IJKA World Championships (Asai cup) 2000 (Budapest) | Individual veteran kumite winner |
| IJKA National Championships 2000 | Member of team kumite runners-up |
| IJKA European Championships 2003 (Cork) | Member of veteran team kumite, runners-up |
| Member of veteran team kata, runners-up | |
| IJKA European Championships 2007 (Budapest) | Member of team Kata winners |
| IJKA European Championships 2008 (Lignano Sabbiadoro) | Member of the team Kata 3rd place |
| Veteran team Kata winners | |
| IJKA World Championships 2013 (Burgas) | Veteran team Kata 3rd place |