The Nineties
Featherstone Castle Course – early 90’s, organised by Bill McCluskey 2nd Dan (2nd right) & Brenda Walker 1st Dan.
Front cover & main feature in Traditional Karate Magazine 1990
Doug started the nineties by being invited to join the English Karate Referees Commission formed by Chief Referee Terry Pottage to help train and develop our English Officials.
Doug Refereeing the 1991 British Grand Slam Final
Martial Arts in the UK was by now a very serious sport and this was reflected by Doug’s outstanding 6th Dan Black Belt award in 1993, endorsed by the World Governing Body.
He opened Leisure/Fitness Centre in Carlisle ‘City Fit’ with son Steven managing the business and opened new club in Dumfries. Still retaining his interest for Karate in the North of England he founded the Northern Open Championships, near Darlington, Co Durham while allowing his international responsibilities to grow.
He officiated at European Junior Champs and European Senior Champs in Germany, the European Cup of Clubs in Yugoslavia and the Villa-De Madrid International Trophy in Spain.
with Chojinkai Squad @ Belgium International Cup 1991, l to r, Brian Allen, Ray Hind, Steve Chaplow, Doug, Damien Chicken, Jon Little, Lee Wilson, Guest fighter Tim Stephens & Martin Kammeier.
Doug achieved a World Judge qualification at the World Senior Championships in Spain. He went on to Officiate at European Senior Championships in Holland, Czech Republic, England, Finland, France, Tenerife, Yugoslavia and Greece, Malaysia, Germany and South Africa, and the European Junior Championships in Wales, Spain and Turkey.
1993 Summer Course at Minehead, from 6th Left Bill MCCluskey 2nd Dan, Steve Chaplow 2nd Dan, Doug, Paul Curwen 1st Dan, Iain Abernethy 2nd Dan, Gordon Harrison 2nd Dan.
1993 Course demo with favourite technique – Hook kick with Steve Chaplow 2nd Dan.
1994 Spain Invitational Zaragoza – front row Eugene Codrington, Dianne Reilly, Trish Duggan – back row, Doug, Gavin Foster, Junior Campbell, Greg Francis & Willie Thomas.
Local TV Profile of 20th Anniversary of Cumbria Open Karate Championships.
Front cover & inside feature in martial Arts Illustrated Magazine 1995
with Referee Team (above) & the British Squad (below)
World Championships in Sun City, South Africa 1996
The Karate for everyone message was still important resulting in the production of a second training video entitled Beginning Wado Ryu Karate. Doug worked hard to continually develop VMA, along with Tim Eyrl , and expanded production to include all Karate Styles and Martial Arts including work by Hee II Cho, Bill Wallace, Dan Inosanto, Ohtsuka II etc – Catalogue cover below
As the reputation for quality grew so did the list of clients which included instructional and training work for Sports channels on BBC,ITV, SKY as well as working with celebrities such as Movie Star Jackie Chan, Footballer John Fashanu, World Boxing Champion Barry McGuigan, Comedy Actor Norman Wisdom & World Strongest Man Geoff Capes & Bill (Superfoot) Wallace
In 1998 his former Instructor Toru Takamizawa sadly passed away after a short illness at the age of 56. Toru, as he liked to be addressed, was a pioneer, an innovator & the Sensei that most inspired Doug to achieve & maintain high technical standards.
Doug concluded the millennium and an excellent martial arts decade with achieving World Referee Qualification at the World Senior Championships in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in 1998, a fitting tribute to Toru Takamizawa & the Tera Karate Kai, who started him on his 30 year plus, Karate Refereeing career.
Doug, 3rd right, with Great Britain Squad in Rio De Janeiro, Copacabana Beach 1998 – achieved World Referee
Doug spent a memorable day in 1999 reminiscing with his first Instructor from late 60/early 70’s, Fred Kidd aged 80.