Hanshi Marc Howes IBK UK

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

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 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.

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

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.

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).

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. In 2024 he released his first collaborative work ‘Budo Reflections – Paths of Discipline and Honour’, which broke into the top twenty on two separate occasions.

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).

Grades: 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

Hall of Fame 2019 UK Martial Arts Instructors Award

Hanshi Marc Howes accepts his award, which he dedicated to Kaicho Jon Bluming

Hanshi Marc with his Instructors Award