When these “Kanji” characters are read together they say:
“THE PLACE WHERE WE TRAIN THE SPIRIT THROUGH THE USE OF THE FIST” or in japanese “kenshinkan”

The history of the York Kenshinkan Karate Club
Although we claim that the Kenshinkan started in 1961 this is not strictly true. Kenshinkan was formed following Gordon Thompson’s return from South Africa in 1970 to the club he started in 1961. For various reasons he left and started another club which Sensei Kanazawa named the Kenshinkan.

Kanazawa SenseiHowever it can be fairly said that the roots of the Kenshinkan Karate Club can be traced back to as early as 1955 when Gordon purchased a book called Karate written by Nishiyama & Brown. That evening Gordon attempted the awesome feat of standing in zenkutsu dachi in his front room. This was the first time any style of Karate was ever practised in the North East of England, possibly the UK.

The Kenshinkan was one of the founder members, along with the Red Triangle among a few other renowned clubs, that broke away from the BKF and formed the Karate Union of Great Britian back in 1966.

As a young man Gordon started out as a boxer in the Army, following his discharge he worked as a Coach Builder in the local Carriage works. He and a couple of friends took up Judo in the newly formed club in the Railway Works in 1953. When Gordon asked about Karate in the club the senior grades condemned it strongly saying the people who practised it were nothing but homicidal lunatics. This had the opposite effect of discouraging him and he and a few ‘rebels’ began to look more seriously at Karate. He sought out Mr Vernon Bell (possibly the only person who knew anything about Karate in this country at the time) and joined the British Karate Federation. After training at his fist real course under Sensei Murakami at St. Osyth in July 1961 he was so impressed he and a few friends left the Judo club and formed the York Shotokan Karate club.

Gordon emigrated to South Africa in 1968 and returned to the UK in 1970, as mentioned earlier he left and started the Kenshinkan as we know it today in 1971 at Imphal Palace Army Barracks where we trained until 1990. We then moved to Moor Lane Community Centre and trained there for 9 years. After this period of time we opened another dojo in Queen Anne’s School for a short period and from there moved the club as a whole to our current location Canon Lee School in 1999 with the merger of the schools.

Below: Gordon Thompson with Mr Kanazawa to his right eating Fish and Chips in Scarborough!

Kanazawa Sensei and Gordon having fish and chips in Scarborough