Hanshi Marc Howes IBK UK

IBK Special Advisor to the President of the Kyokushin Budokai All-Round Fighting section and Examination Committee.

Founder of Kyokushin Budōkai Goshin Dō

Hanshi Marc has been training in martial arts for over fifty years. He began training in Wadoryu karate in 1973 in Pembroke, Wales and was twice junior Welsh Champion. He has fought in Knockdown Karate and represented his country fighting all over the world, including Russia, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, and Greece. Hanshi has won two AKA British titles and also won his category in Scotland’s first independent Knockdown Championships. In the 1980s, when kickboxing was in its infancy, Hanshi Marc fought in several bouts throughout the UK. In the early 90s, he was the first to introduce Ashihara karate ‘The Fighting Karate’ to Scotland. In 1993 he began ground-fighting, learning from Pancrase VHS videotapes (Catch Wrestling) sent from his friend Colin Whitehead in Japan and he is acknowledged to be one of the first teachers of MMA in Scotland. During this time he met Kaicho Bluming and his Kyokushin Budokai system and at last, Hanshi found the complete karate system he had been looking for. He has been a direct student of Kaicho since then.

Hanshi Marc Howes 1974 – West Wales Karate Club

Hanshi Marc 1976 – as part of the West Wales Karate Club Fighting Team

Hanshi Marc 1980s – Doing a board-breaking display for charity

In 1992, Hanshi completed his 40-man full-contact fights and then a year later, in 1993, he completed his 50-man fights, one of the few to do 90 fights in two years.

Hanshi Marc (L) kick-boxing in London in the early 1980s

Competition sparring 1980s – Hanshi Marc with a head kick (jodan mawashigeri)

**1995 and Kaicho Jon Bluming demonstrating on Hanshi Marc Howes**

In 1998; at the age of 40 and just as he was completing his Master’s at Aberdeen University, Hanshi was asked by David McNally, the captain of the University Judo Club to compete on behalf of the University in the Scottish University Judo Championships at the Kelvin Hall Sports Arena in Glasgow. Somewhat dubiously Hanshi agreed (he only knew wrestling) and with a borrowed Judo gi entered on behalf of Aberdeen University, he won all his fights and brought home the only Judo gold medal for the University.

1993: Hanshi Howes on his 50th fight with Morton Wagner

**Hanshi Marc Howes and his sensei, friend, and mentor Kaicho Jon Bluming (1933 – 2018)**

Hanshi Marc has taught worldwide and is one of the few instructors to have taught in Cuba at Julio Carmenate’s dojo in Moron. He has taught at various summer camps all over Europe and taught up to 400 students at a time! At the summer camp in 2006 at Budapest, Hungry, Hanshi was awarded his Rokudan (6th Dan 六段), by Kaicho Bluming. On 15th May 2012, he was awarded his Hachidan (8th Dan 八段) and title of Hanshi (範士: はんし).

**Kaicho Jon Bluming discussing techniques with Hanshi Marc Howes**

Academically, Hanshi was the first to write an empirical sociological thesis on the UFC, entitled ‘The Civilising of the UFC’, which was published and has since been cited many times in other works and books. In 2021 his book ‘Budō – The Book of the Way’ rose into the top ten in Amazon’s martial arts genre. In 2022 his book ‘Child Development – The Budō Way’ was published and rose rapidly into the top twenty. In 2023, his third book; a reference book entitled, ‘Budō Virtues in World Religions – Exploring the Interconnection of Warrior Principles and World Faiths‘ was published to critical acclaim. It was in 2024, when he released his first collaborative work ‘Budo Reflections – Paths of Discipline and Honour’, which broke into the top twenty on two separate occasions. Finally, after much work, he published his magnum opus Kyokushin Budōkai Goshin Dō – A Comprehensive Guide, which is considered the ‘bible’ of the philosophical aspect of the system. See https://ibkuk.com/kyokushin-budokai-goshin-do-book/

**Kancho Eric Van Vaerenbergh (Belgium), Hanshi Marc Howes (UK), Kaicho Jon Bluming**
**and Shihan Todd Reeves (Shin Atemi – Japan)**

Hanshi has for over 30 years working with young people. While currently, he is working with gifted young people, much of his work has been with young people with social, emotional, and behavioural problems. He is CALM (Crisis Aggression Limitation and Management) trained, is a qualified first aider, and holds a PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups).

**One of the last photos of Kaicho Jon Bluming**
**With his appointed Board: Hanshi Tom Madsen, Kancho Eric Van Vaerenbergh, and Hanshi Marc Howes**

Grades: Kudan (9th Dan 九段) Kyokushin Budokai Goshin Do, Hachidan (8th Dan 八段) Kyokushin Budokai, Yondan (4th Dan 四段) Ashihara Karate, Sandan (3rd Dan 参段/三) Tsuyoi Ryu Karate and a Shodan (1st Dan 初段) Wado Ryu Karate