Renshi Liam Gorman 5th Dan Shotokan
Liam started his martial arts journey in 1982 in Tullamore training in wado ryu but left after a short period because of work commitments only to rejoin the martial arts in the late 90s training at Shotokan under Sensei Glenn Quinn and later under Shihan Brett Halliday 7th dan before teaming up with Soke Clay Worley 8th Dan Shotokan. He graded for his 5th Dan under Soke Clay in September 2019.
Shihan Brett Halliday 7th Dan Shotokan
Brett Halliday is a karateka who hails from South Africa and heads the Renshukan Shotokan karate association. His emphasis in karate is kime with pin point accuracy; speed, power, trajectory. What differentiates dynamic shotokan is the objective of executing ippon, and if that fails karate jutsu is applied. Brett has studied with eminent sensei like Taiji Kase, Kenneth Funokoshi, Hiroshi Shiriah, Norman Robinson, Gerry Breeze, Rob Ferrier, among others. He has also trained in other systems, but implemented these techniques into his mother system shotokan. He was the SASKA heavyweight kumite champion in 1997, captained both the winning English team at the Gichin Funokoshi World champs and coached and captained the Irish team that was runner up. His father the late sensei Laurie Halliday and later sensei Conrad Scheepers and Werner Matthe were his sensei at the Renshukan. Brett believes in building the fighting spirit of the exponent first, and as a Doctor of Chiropractic he understands how the bodies biomechanics and the correct technique are the physical foundation upon which to build karate.
Soke Clay Worley 8th Dan Shotokan
Clay Worley is a former U.S. Marine and Army paratrooper with combat experience in Iraq and a peacekeeping tour in Bosnia. Clay was the first to introduce Jeet Kune Do Concepts in Iraq and has taught unarmed combat to Army Rangers, U.S. Marines, Paratroopers and Pilots. When he is not teaching martial arts all over the world, he is a university professor who instructs graduate students seeking their Masters degrees in Business Administration (MBA).
Clay earned his 8th degree black belt in Dekimasu Shotokan Karate-Do and is a past inductee of the Universal Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He has earned black belts and/or instructor certifications in other arts to include Taekwondo, MMA Ground Fighting, Wushu Staff, and Jeet Kune Do Concepts.
Clay currently studies Yabe Jiu-Jitsu, Cacoy Doce Pares Escrima, and Pekiti-Tirsia Kali. He is an inductee of the Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Honors as well as receiving the American Martial Arts Alliance Legends Award. He is featured in a book called, Martial Arts Masters and Pioneers,and he has been published many times by magazines like “Kung Fu Tai Chi” and “TKD Times.” His DVD series (produced by Century Vision) was a featured headliner at the 2008 Martial Arts SuperShow, and remains a best seller. The DVD series is called, Stay Safe Self-Defence Drills with Clay Worley. For more information, please visit: www.fitfighters.club.
Sensei Trevor Kelly 2nd Dan Shotokan
Sensei Trevor has competed in tournaments representing The Irish Shotokan Academy on many occasions in Kata and Kumite.
He graded for his blackbelt under Sensei Liam Gorman and his 2nd Dan in September 2019 under Soke Clay and Renshi Liam witnessed by Renshi Michael O Keefe
Sensei Sean Osborne 2nd Dan
Sensei Ben Carolan 2nd Dan Shotokan
Sensei Marcus Flood 1st Dan Shotokan
