Chief Instructor
Shihan Nick da Costa 7th dan, started Kyokushin Karate in 1978. Making rapid progress, within 6 months he won a national individual & team title for semi-contact and gained his England badge fighting in the all-styles karate championships of 1979 representing British Kyokushin Karate. He progressed to full-contact and won the British Middleweight title on his second attempt also winning the wood-breaking competition at the same time. The same year, 1982 he also passed his black-belt. Over the next seven years he won 2 European championships, 2 European Cups, 2 More British & the first Kyokushin Commonwealth Championship. Retiring from competition in 1989 at the age of 28yrs, he then went on to coaching the National men & women's teams of Kyokushin. In 1987 he started Docklands Karate Club with his wife Maria and as a further commitment to karate, started Ilford (formerly Newbury Park) dojo in 1999. He takes great pride in seeing his students develop and is recognised within kyokushin as a world class instructor. Directly below is a video of Shihan Nick fighting, in this case, mainly in Japans "Open Weight" World Championship..
Instructor
Shihan Maria da Costa 6th dan, Started karate in 1981. During her fighting career, she won many international titles in semi-contact and full-contact (finishing 3rd in the World) and was part of the British team that won the European team clicker championships in 1991. She helped shihan Nick da Costa found Docklands and also Ilford Karate Clubs whilst also training and competing at the dojo. Shihan Maria is a dedicated instructor who has been an inspiration to women karate exponents over the last 3 decades. During these successful years, she had 3 children who all now train in the club and who have won British and world titles. Shihan Maria da Costa is renown for her strong views on fairness and justice and is the Chairman/person of The British Karate Guild.