Lee Lamb's love of karate started 30 years ago as a "hyper kid" with undiagnosed (until recently) ADHD.
Now he runs an inclusive club, Kensho Karate in Team Valley, teaching others the martial art he fell in love with all those years ago.
From starting to learn karate at Gateshead Leisure Centre to having his own club, Lee's journey has been laden with success. While he was teaching at the Leisure Centre, he explored the possibility of teaching at schools and from there the popularity grew to the point where a standalone club became a viable option.
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He said: "Karate has given me so many different life lessons. It has taught me discipline and was so valuable as a way to set short-term targets and goals that I could achieve.
"When I was at school it was pretty much just you were on the football team or nothing. It is great to be a part of offering kids exciting opportunities through school."
Kensho Karate have had a very successful year competing at the highest international level. They brought home an impressive 11 medal haul from the World Karate Championships in Turkey in July, even while having limited numbers due to the distance. They also earned 20 medals at the European Championships in Italy a few weeks ago.
One of the most important aspects of Kensho Karate to Lee is the inclusivity of the club. When Lee was teaching Karate in Dryden School he received training on how to work with students with mental disabilities.
"We have classes for people with disabilities so that they can learn at their own pace. A particular success story of these classes is one of our students Alastair Milburn, he has Down's Syndrome and has achieved his black belt."
It is this kind of all-inclusive mindset that sets Lee apart as a man and Sensei. Fellow Sensei at the club, John Gough, 55, has a high opinion of Lee as a competitor and as a man.
"Lee is a very modest man, so I don't think he realises just how good he actually is. He is recognised by everyone in the karate world and they all watch in awe when he performs his kata. I have a huge amount of respect for him," he said.
Looking ahead to the future, Kensho Karate will soon begin to prepare for the World Championships next July in Dundee. With this competition being a lot closer to home than in previous years, the plan is to get a lot more competitors ready for it over the next six months.
Lee added: "We will now be looking to start fundraising for the competitions coming up, and I would just like to give a special thank you to UpNorth Group for providing us with the money for our tracksuits."
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