Article from "Irish Fighter" magazine Vol.4 no.4 March 1998

Paul Allan, formerly the senior instructor in Scotland for the Karate Union of Great Britain (KUGB), moved to Castlemartyr, Co. Cork in 1997.

Well known in Europe as an inspiring martial arts teacher, Sensei Allan has a club in Cork at the Source Activity Centre near the Moran Silversprings Hotel. Training is confined to adults and takes place every Monday and Thursday (8.00 pm). Instruction is in the specialised aerobics studio offering male and female students maximum comfort and safety while training along with an excellent range of other facilities at the Centre.

Sensei Allan has trained consistently since the early 1970s and has a wealth of experience in a number of styles and has developed skills in both unarmed and weapons systems. His open style of teaching incorporates his breadth of knowledge into Shotokan without restricting students by mystical smokescreens.

'Along Traditional Lines' "My classes are open to students from all styles and are conducted along traditional lines in the style of Shotokan," Allan explained. "Students are offered an opportunity to learn self defence, to train for increased self-confidence, to learn how to compete in Karate competition, or just to train for general fitness."

The black belt is an experienced international referee and has won numerous awards during his career both as an international competitor and as a coach/instructor. He is also a qualified school teacher and a weight lifting instructor.

Throughout his martial career he has researched both academically and practically the vast range of Karate styles and possesses and enviable knowledge of the application and meaning of techniques. He explains: "Kata must firstly be put in context so that students understand how, and more importantly why, kata has developed and also the relationship between katas from various systems"

"Students then need to understand the reasons for practising kata and be given a path to high technical attainment. Another thing that's very important is the application of technique. Students should be taught the classical meanings of technique, the self defence applications and the fighting applications," he added.

'In-depth discussions' Over the years, Allan has trained with a wide range of Japanese and European instructors. "When I took Professor Nakayama to Scotland, I was able to study with him and got the opportunity to have in-depth discussions about the history and design of Kata," Allan said.

A member of the Association of Sports and Medicine, former international ski patroller and Paramedic, Allan has a high technical knowledge - and practical experience - in the field of pre-hospital care. This has enabled him to incorporate his understanding of anatomy and physiology into his Karate instruction. This knowledge makes his classes particularly interesting as he can explain technique and training methods in depth. "The practice and application of technique are more effetive when students understand what and why they are doing something. Too often students are expected to stay motivated without any real explanation of what they are doing or why they are doing it".

Allan ran the highly respected Huntly Karate Club for 18 years until work forced him to 'emigrate' for a three-year spell to St. Helens in Merseyside. During this time he joined up with his old friend, former British and European champion, Ian Roberts. While training in St. Helens he coached a number of international competitors including Colette Glynn who became British, European and World champion. He has also trained and taught occasionally at the famous Red Triangle Club in Liverpool.

"I'm very happy to be living in Ireland. During my squad days the Irish and Scottish teams always seemed to end up having long 'technical' discussions after competitions and one of my fondest memories is my visit to Dublin in 1984 for the ESKA European Championships," Allan said.

"I'm excited by my move to Ireland because of my personal circumstances but I'm also excited about the opportunity to develop my own Karate ability and run a small non-political dojo" he concluded.

Note: Paul Allan is willing to visit Martial Arts clubs or associations as a guest instructor. He also offers 'First Aid Training for Martial Arts Instructors' and can be contacted on: (086) 8112281