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Sensei Masao Kagawa 8th Dan JKS
Chief Technical Director of the Japan Karate Shotorenmei, Masao Kagawa sensei is considered to be one of the best technicians ever to have graduated from the infamous JKA instructors’ course.
Having competed successfully both nationally and internationally, winning everything there was to be won; Kagawa sensei now concentrates his efforts on the JKS and the JKF national teams. Considered to be one of the best instructors in Japan at the present time, he is head coach for the JKF national squad and chief instructors of the JKS Hombu Dojo and JKS Instructor’s Course. With support from the elite members of JKS Hombu Dojo instructors and having studied Asai Sensei’s karate for many years, Kagawa sensei is well prepared to take the JKS to its next level of development.
Sensei Malcolm Murphy 3nd Dan JKS
Born in 1965, Malcolm was a schoolboy International athlete in Track & Field.
In 1985 he started Karate in Monaghan with the only club at the time and as a beginner won his first National Tournament outright. Taking category combat winner, Overall combat winner and Team combat winner.
In 1986 he moved into Mugendo Kickboxing in which he holds the rank of 1st Degree Black and trained with the local club of which he was a founder member and later instructor. He also trained privately with the founder of Mugendo, 'Prof. George Canning'. By 1988 he had founded another two clubs in the North Monaghan area.
It was around this time he began working in Hotel Security as a doorman. There were no systems or courses available at that time so drawing on his Martial Art training and encounters in the hotels devised a basic system for Response & Restraint which he taught to all that worked with him.
Owing to a change in his main employment conditions he moved to Private Martial Art Instruction and furthered his own development with studies of Muay Thai, Bio-Energy. Diet & Nutrition and the incorporation of Sound Athletic Principles to Martial Art Training.
1996 saw a move to Galway where he continued to train alone and over the following years spent considerable time in the gym, Tri-athlon and Marathon training. After competing in a number of marathons and other events he returned to Karate.
Malcolm now trains with Sensei Scott Langley 5th Dan who is the technical director of The JKS in the UK and Ireland and attends monthly seminars around the country run by The JKS.
Malcolm returned to competition in 2009 and won the Irish International Karate Championships in the Kata division. Has been a member of the JKS National squad and competed in the 2011 JKS World Championships reaching the Semi-Finals in Kata. He along with his Wife Marie founded Tuam Karate Club 'Faolchú Martial Arts' in 2010. He graded to the rank of
1st dan in 2010 under the JKS ireland comittee of Dermot O'keeffe 5th Dan, Scott Langley 5th Dan, John Shanahan 5th Dan and Paul Giannandrea 5th Dan.
2nd Dan was achieved in 2011 at the JKS World Championships under Senseis Kagawa, Yamaguchi and Kanayama.
3rd Dan was achieved in 2014 under the panel of Sensis Kagawa, O Keeffe, Campbell and Gianndrea
Sensei Marie Murphy
2nd Dan JKS
Marie Murphy is formerly from Co. Monaghan and began karate at the age of 7, continuing until she was 16 years old.. She moved to Galway in 1996 to go to college and studied as a Montessori teacher.
Today she is married to Malcolm with two children aged 7 and 9 years old. After becoming a mother she returned to karate.
Marie studies Shotokan Karate under the guidance of Senesi Dermot O Keeffe 6th Dan Technical Director and Chairman of The JKS Ireland.
Marie is a professional Karate Instructor, registered with Galway City and County Childcare committee, Garda vetted, HSE Certified in child protection and has child specific first aid training.
Being a competitive Martial Artist, her achievements for 2009 include IJKA National Championships medal winner, East Coast International Karate Championships runner up, IMAF European Championships (Germany) runner up, IMAF World Championships (Belgium) runner up.
In 2010 Marie competed in the JKS Spring Tournament placing 3rd in Kumite and in the Autumn JKS competition she took home a Team Kumite silver. She was part of the Irish team to travel to Poland to take part in the Kong Soa World Championships and won Team Kata Gold and a Silver in Semi-Contact Kickboxing.
Marie has spent many years trying to find suitable classes for her own children within the martial arts but could only find classes in galway city and these classes did not always provide what she wanted.
So she has decided to research and develop her own system of teaching martial arts for children using her experiance within childcare and martial arts and promote it for the first time here in Tuam" | 
