I’d been interested in martial arts since I first became aware of karate and kung fu as a small child. Unfortunately my parents weren’t keen on my enrolling in classes. I spent my pre school childhood running pretty wild in a rundown country Manor House, situated in around 200 acres. At about the time I started school we moved to a large seaside town and I got involved in a some scuffles with local kids. Often the kids were a year or two older and I hadn’t come off too badly. My parents didn’t know much about martial arts and were worried that if I started training I might get myself into more serious trouble. (Ironically, I am now very aware that the reality would have likely been very much the reverse. As training in quality martial arts with good instructors, accountable to a reputable governing body, helps students develop practical skills building justified confidence with discipline and high levels of self control).

Consequently I didn’t start my martial arts career until I became an adult and started moving from the construction industry to working in the security industry. I initially worked pub and nightclub doors, at a busy seaside resort, under the supervision and training of a couple of doormen of local renown. Before also providing event security and close protection. Later I trained in social work and provided safeguarding services and training for organisations dealing with some of the UK’s most violent and dangerous social/health care service users.

I initially started Taekwando with the TAGB, before sampling several different martial arts. In the late nineties I found the British Traditional Karate Association and began studying Washinkai. The style, the local clubs and national association were a good fit for me and I stuck with it, ultimately attaining 4th (Yon) Dan black belt with the group. I trained in the South West at clubs run by Paul Hacker and was graded by the founder of Washinkai, Chris Thompson. As I progressed towards blackbelt I increasingly trained at other Washinkai clubs, attending various events competitions and courses outside of the South West. I attained my 1st (Sho) Dan black belt in the early 2000’s and started teaching at my own club whilst also assisting and covering teaching at Paul’s other clubs in the South West. As I progressed through the Dan grades we started taking students from the South West to train with top instructors from other disciplines and bringing other martial arts experts, from outside the association, into our clubs to teach.

I’ve experienced dealing with violence and dangerousness in my work life and have always taught that competition fighting requires high levels of skill and ability, but is a completely different animal to self protection, and/or violence and dangerousness management.

However, I was concerned that I could be open to criticism if I couldn’t evidence I had sufficient expertise with competition fighting.

Consequently I started training to compete in World Karate Federation rules (semi contact) competition. After becoming association international champion, during to 2000’s, I felt I was qualified to speak reasonably authoritatively about the differences between WKF competition fighting and dealing with ‘real life’ violence. Around this time I was finding the demands of working in health & social care increasingly stressful. I changed direction and started a small property development business with my brother. I had also significantly reduced my involvement with other security work. I took advantage of having a little more free time and qualified as a referee and adjudicated at competitions to ensure I had as full an understanding of WKF kumite (fighting) as possible.

However, I was concerned that I didn’t have much experience with full contact competition fighting. Consequently I trained to compete Semi-Pro MMA. This is where I came to understand the importance of ground work. The need to develop a ground game whilst seeking to avoid the ground so far as possible, in real life non-competition situations. In 2016 I won my last MMA fight, beating a gentleman 10 years my junior, in a televised bout. I felt by that point I’d gained enough experience (whilst not having been hit in the head too many times) to discuss the subject with some authority.

By 2018 Paul, Steve and I had reached a point where we had reluctantly concluded that we would need to break with Washinkai; In order to realise our ambition of teaching an effective versatile eclectic, self protection based, martial art that would enable individuals of different ages, sizes, shapes and levels of ability to reach their full potential. Consequently Nishikan Martial Arts was founded.

My 5th (Go) Dan was the first blackbelt assessment I underwent within the new Nishikan organisation. My grading was registered under the auspices of the WKF. This was in 2019 before we registered with the British Martial Arts & Boxing Association (this change in registered body was largely due to BMABA’s fit for purpose structured accredited coaching and qualification programme, and drive to achieve properly regulated martial arts in the UK).

I worked with Paul and Steve to incorporate option for a Personal Training Routine (individualised form/kata) to be incorporated into senior Dan gradings and acted as guinea pig to road test the new element during my 5th (Go) Dan grading.

The PTR concept continues to develop giving students the option to create an individually tailored training form which evolves with them throughout their martial arts career.

We have also been developing a competition format utilising the ‘Combat Karate’ model, to give students a safe enjoyable platform to compete at different levels of ability and contact, which compliments our predominantly self protection based approach. I adjudicated at the AKA Combat Sports competition in 2023 and look forward to more of our own competitions.

Even so, I emphasise the difference:

In the most ferocious competition there is a referee and if you runaway and escape the fight, you lose. Quite the reverse is true in a real life, non-competition situation.

Have a look around the rest of the website to see what we’re about and meet the rest of the team. Then book a session and come and experience Nishikan.

EXTRA INFO:

Brett’s skill set has developed from a hybrid Wado Karate base
augmented by an extensive varied study
of other arts including:

Aikido
Archery
Bartitsu
Boxing
Brazilian Ju-jitsu
Catch wrestling
De-escalation
Escape & Evasion
Greco-Roman wrestling
Karate
Kick boxing
Knife defence
Knife fighting
Judo
Jujitsu
Lawful physical intervention
Lawful Restraint
MMA
Muay Thai
Muay Boran
Taekwondo
Tai Chi Chuan
Tameshiwari

He has a varied experience of competitive martial arts, combat sports and professional real life confrontations,
violence and danger management. In his 20’s Brett was British Traditional Karate Association international champion, fighting under World Karate Federation rules. In his 30’s Brett fought full contact, televised, mixed martial arts. He qualified as a Sport England Karate Coach and also as a referee adjudicating at various national competitions including, for several years, the UK Armed Forces annual inter-services martial arts competition.

Brett’s also had a varied history of relevant work, from providing security for celebrities as well as working security at various venues and events including the British Motor Sport VIP section at the Le Mans 24 hour race, he’s also provided close protection for vulnerable witnesses during gang related court proceedings.

Brett has also been involved in developing and delivering, safeguarding, physical intervention confrontation and violence and dangerousness management, interagency training to professionals across the private and public sectors.

Whilst the knowledge and standard of martial arts within NMA is outstanding; Brett has also been taught by and/or trained with some other top martial artists, and experts in relevant fields, including:

Alec Hay
Annette Turpin
Alison Thompson
Bjorn Saw
Charly D Miller
Christina Lyon
Chris Thompson
Danny Da Costa
Don Came
Geir Store
Iain Abernethy
Neville Smith
Nick Foot
Niel Benton
Matt Folain
Matt Parish
Rosi Sextan
Roy Gould
Roy Taylor (Jnr)
Roy Taylor (Snr)
Shaz Shahid
Sken Kaewpadung
Vince Morris
Yoshinobu Ohta

Brett has attained 5th (Go) Dan and is a qualified BMABA recognised Nishikan Martial Arts Coach and Instructor