Karate Instructors at
Winchester Karate Club
I’m Simon Budden, the Senior Instructor to the Winchester Karate club and I’m currently graded at 7th Dan Karate, 5th Dan in Goju Ryu karate and 4th Dan in Shotokan Karate.
My martial arts experience dates to 1968 when I started boxing with my grandfather Bill Clarke who was a boxing coach, before taking up Judo in 1970, where I obtained brown belt, was silver medallist at the 1974 BJA Southern Area Championships and trained with the BJA Junior squad.
In late 1974 I took up Karate, first in Wado Ryu style for two years before settling in Shotokan which I gained my 4th Dan. In 2002, I changed to Okinawan Goju Ryu karate under the banner of IOGKF and gained my 5th Dan under Sensei Morio Higaonna 10th Dan in July 2006. In March of 2013 I formed the CMA group.
I have also trained in several other martial arts including Tomiki and Yoshikan Aikido, Western Boxing, Kick Boxing (Graded 3rd Dan), JKD under my friend and teacher Guru Jason Boh, Pak Mai, Wing Chun Kung Fu and Kodo Ryu karate with my good friend and author Dr Nathan Johnson 6th Dan.
I am also a former international competitor, past Captain of the Shotokan of England Team and have also been a member of the England All Styles Karate Squad. In addition, I’ve worked with and taught members of the Armed forces including elite regiments and for private security companies where I spent over 17 years on and off on the doors and CPTs.
In 1983, I founded the Winchester Karate Club, which after over Forty years is now Winchester's oldest karate and Combat club.
In 1989, I decided that it was necessary to pursue my teaching career on a full-time basis, as my commitments were growing. In addition to being the senior instructor at Winchester Karate Club and the CMA group, I teach at Winchester College, St Swithun’s Girls School, .Princes Mead School
In the past I have taught at The Pilgrims’ School, the University of Southampton, Wycombe Abbey Girls school (High Wycombe), Regents Park school (Southampton) the Army Training Regiment (ATR, now Army Technical foundation college)) The Bedales school, Perrins school, The Westgate School, Eaton College, Charterhouse, IBM Hursley and Peter Symonds College.
I have also run various self-protection courses (F.E.D.S. System) for private companies, school’s colleges and private individuals and Hampshire county council. I’m also a licensed Trainer of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and certified councillor (Middlesex University), certified 500 HR Advanced Yoga teachers (RYT) and Shiatsu tutor. Plus I practice the English Longbow.
Our Karate Instructors
Casper Spencer
2nd Dan Nidan
I started Martial Arts aged 5, covering a range of styles across Karate, Taekwondo and Muay Thai. At the age of 14, I wanted to improve the technical quality of my Martial Arts learning and enrolled at three new schools including with Simon Budden at CMA.
It quickly became clear to me that the depth of CMA’s Karate and MACS programs was deeper and more technical than my previous learning and I shifted my attention to attending as many of Simon’s sessions as I could make. Simon was kind enough to let me assist him at school and college sessions for my A-Level work experience and I had the privilege of helping Simon with his start of school year College Demonstrations. I hold a Second Dan (Nidan) in MACS and a First Dan (Shodan) in Karate.
As the youngest member of the CMA team, I clearly have a huge amount still to learn from Simon and the rest of the CMA instructor team, but what I lack in experience I hope I make up for in energy, motivation and youthful good looks.
Martial Arts has always been my passion and I hope with Simon’s guidance to be able to make a career from what he has taught me.
Geoff Mitchinson
3rd Dan Sandan
Geoff began his martial arts training in Judo as a child. However, he began Karate in his 30s with Shotokan where he was able to worked his way up to Shodan. He later moved into Goju Ryu, where he achieved Sandan. In 2005, he competed in the Karate World Championships in Niagara Falls, Canada.
In 2012, Geoff was proud to be selected to be an Olympic torch bearer.
Following a few years out, where he was able to focus on competing in triathlons, Geoff is back training with Simon.
As well as being a karate instructor, Geoff is a qualified Level 4 Personal Trainer and has worked in the fitness and leisure industry for some years.
Jason Collings
5th Dan (Godan)
Jason has trained in martial arts since he was a child, beginning with Judo at the age of 10, then taking up Karate in his teens, having practiced both Shotokan and Goju Ryu styles. Over the years he has sought to find and develop effective techniques, regardless of their source, leading to him training in over a dozen different martial arts styles, western and Asian, armed and unarmed. He is a true believer in the adage that the best technique is the one that works.
Outside of training he balances his time between being with his wife and three daughters, and running his own recruitment company.
Jason has trained with Simon Budden Winchester Karate and
CMA since 2011.