Instructors

Main instructor Clare Bonello, 2nd Dan. Clare has been practising karate for almost 15yrs. She started at the age of 10yrs old when she lived in Wimbledon, London and studied Kyokushinkai for 6yrs. She got her first black belt at the age of 15yrs in March 1999. Clare then went on to join a wadoryu karate club where she studied some wadoryu and some shitoryu karate. This is when she started competing in kata and teaching classes and the squad. She won several competitions including the British International Championships in 2006 and she travelled to many European countries to compete. Many of the students she coached won national and international titles in kata and Clare hopes to continue this success under her new club, Shitoryu Karate Academy. In December 2007 Clare joined Hanko-Ryu Karate Association and now trains under Sensei Nariman Jeddi, 6th Dan. Hanko-Ryu is a shitoryu karate association and Clare is enjoying learning shitoryu karate in more depth than ever before.

Simon Bonello, 1st Dan is also an instructor for Shitoryu Karate Academy. He started karate in 1993 along with his sister Sensei Clare. (In fact if it wasn’t for Simon, Sensei Clare would not have started karate!) Simon has also studied different styles. He did Kyokushinkai for 4yrs and then when he moved to Basingstoke he joined a Shotokan karate club for a further 2yrs. Simon then rejoined Clare where they were studying wadoryu and shitoryu but he now also concentrates on shitoryu karate. Simon has been a successful competitor medalling at National and International competitions and has travelled to many European countries to compete.