Sakai Karate | Club History | Martial Arts Club based in Kilmarnock

Our History

David Coulter 8th Dan is the Chief Instructor of the Sakai Karate Club. He began his Karate journey in 1969 at the Kisan Karate club in Kilmarnock with John Kerr (who has since passed away). He then moved to the Kobe Osaka Karate Club in Glasgow in 1974 where his instructor was the renowned Tommy Morris. Dave later opened a branch of Kobe Osaka with Ivy Rennie. In 1979 David left the Kobe Osaka Club and in the same year founded his own club naming it the Sakai Karate Club after an area in Japan.

The Sakai Club began in the Buchanan Centre then moved to the Shanks Hall, then another move to the Arts Guild and then to Grand Hall in Kilmarnock in 1984. A move followed in 2009 to St Josephs Liesure Centre. And in 2016 David and Kris moved again to our present location and opened the full time facility in the Former Crookedholm Community Centre.

The Sakai Karate Club has also expanded over the years to be an association of clubs under the banner of Sport Karate Sakai. This association is a full member of the Scottish Karate Governing Body. The Honbu Dojo in Crookedholm (Kilmarnock), along with Richard Mallinson 5th Dan one of our Senior students and S.K.G.B Coach has opened his dojo in Dundee Sport Karate East and is part of Sport Karate Sakai.