Instructors

All of the club’s instructors have received their grades from Masao Kawasoe Sensei (8th dan) under the authority of the World Shotokan Institute. They all frequently travel abroad attending international training camps and seminars to ensure that their own karate, and the karate they teach, remains at a suitably high level. The current panel of instructors includes:

Instructors

• Joe Sweetman – 4th dan
• Liam Murphy – 4th dan (DCU graduate)
• Louis Tuttle – 4th dan (DCU graduate)
• Neville Reilly - 3rd dan (DCU graduate)
• Dr. Bryan MacDonald – 3rd dan (member of DCU academic staff)
• Maria Kearney – 2nd dan (DCU graduate)

Kyu (below black belt) gradings are conducted by Joe Sweetman (4th dan).

Liam Murphy - 4th dan

Liam started training in karate in 1989 in DCU and served as chairman of the club from 1991-93. In 1993, he was awarded his 1st dan by Masao Kawasoe Sensei. In 2001, Liam moved to Japan where he lived for a year, training in the Japan Karate Association’s headquarters in Tokyo. Here he had the opportunity to train regularly under some of the most highly regarded Shotokan instructors in the world, including Osaka, Tanaka, Kawawada and Ueki Sensei. While in Japan, he also studied the traditional martial art of kyu-do (Japnese Archery). In 2006 he obtained his 4th dan rank from Kawasoe Sensei. In addition to his traditional training, Liam has also represented Ireland several times at European and World Championship level in both kata and kumite.

Bryan Mac Donald - 3rd dan

Byran joined DCU as a lecturer in Mechanical Engineering in September 1997 and started karate at the same time. Bryan has been the President of DCU karate club since 1998 and was awarded his 1st Dan (black belt) by Kawasoe Sensei in Windsor, England in April 2001. He travelled to Japan and trained briefly at the JKA in 2001. He was awarded his 2nd Dan in August 2003 and his 3rd Dan in August 2006 in Edinburgh by Kawasoe Sensei. Byran has been an assistant instructor in DCU since 2001 and is currently a Senior Lecturer in the School of Mechanical Engineering at DCU.

Neville Reilly - 3rd dan

Neville Reilly began karate in DCU in 1990 under Sensei Joe Sweetman and held numerous positions on the DCU karate club committee as a student. Neville received his shodan (1st Dan/Degree black belt) in 1995 from Sensei Masao Kawasoe 8th Dan, the same year he graduated with a B.(Eng) in Electronic Engineering. Neville subsequently spent two years working in the semiconductor industry in southern Japan and trained with the Ogi Branch of the Japan Karate Association under Ken Fukushima Sensei 6th Dan for this period. On his return from Japan Neville obtained his Nidan (2nd Dan) in 1999 and his Sandan (3rd Dan) in 2008 from Kawasoe Sensei. Neville currently works in the telecommunications industry.