Graham Thomas & The Road to Shodan
“My karate journey started in 1974 when I was 24 years old—overweight, unfit, and tired of being bullied. Karate had just arrived at Pembroke Drill Hall, right in the centre of Pembroke, and from the moment I stepped onto the mats, I knew this was the path for me. For three solid years, I trained daily, even turning a spare bedroom into my own mini-dojo with a punch bag hanging from the ceiling”.
Early Training and Competitions
In those early days, I travelled all over the UK, attending classes, competing, and taking part in residential training camps, both in the summer and winter. Each grading (belt promotion) was a tough but rewarding milestone, pushing me to improve constantly.
Shodan
Achieving My Black Belt
The big moment came in February 1977 when I travelled to London for a gruelling week-long course, concluding with my 1st Dan Black Belt grading. Students from across the country gathered, and facing off against top fighters chosen by our Chief Instructor was no small feat. It truly was blood, sweat, and tears—but I passed on my first attempt, becoming the first person from Pembroke to earn a Black Belt in karate. Texaco News even featured my achievement, as I was employed there at the time..
Late 70s – 80s Brutal Training & Our First Dojo
Training back then was brutal, with minimal or no safety equipment. Strikes to the groin, shins, and face, along with harsh takedowns, were all too common. Our training halls had concrete, wooden, or rough slate floors—and one even had holes in the roof. After each session, washing our feet in the sink was normal practice.
My first dojo was under Albion Church, next door to the local weightlifting and boxing clubs. We often had visitors—pigeons left their mark all over the place. To stop ourselves slipping on the sweat, we painted the floors and mixed in sand.
Extending Our Club Reach
I set up additional clubs in Carew Memorial Hall, Tenby School, Crymych School, and Cardigan Youth Club, where I also helped as a guest instructor. On top of that, I supported Tony D’Arcy at Penally Karate Club (also a Texaco colleague).
Our Very Own Dedicated Dojo
When the Albion Church building was demolished, we moved our dojo to the old Coronation School Gym, but that building was also at risk of being torn down. This is when Texaco stepped in to help. They provided us with the former Snamprogetti planning offices, which we were able to convert into our very own dojo.
Armed with gloves and hard hats, I led the team to dismantle the building. We transported it to Pennar Robins Football Ground. We built everything ourselves, including digging the footings and installing utilities like water and electricity. We even had to lay the flooring—though, when we arrived, we discovered that half of it had been stolen to make pigeon lofts.
Since then, we’ve made continuous improvements. We added a fitness room, showers, toilets, and a small kitchen, making it more comfortable and functional.
Current Dojo Facilities
Today, our main training area is 40ft by 30ft, featuring competition safety mats, wall bars, kick and punch bags, strike towers, and all necessary safety equipment like focus pads and gloves. where it has remained our permanent dojo for over 35 years.