User:Dywayne Thomas/sandbox

Dywayne Thomas is a British Karateka, aspiring actor, Media Security Advisor and a lover of great movies. He has a black belt in Karate and is a winner of multiple National, English and British Karate Championship awards. He is a former Junior British Individual and Team Kata Champion, who represented the Traditional Karate Association (TKA) London Goju Ryu team between 1987 and 1992.

In the early 1980s Thomas had commenced training on a daily basis in Judo from adolescence with a very distinguished teacher only to later on realise that it wasn't the right martial art for him. A few years later, in January 1985, he began learning Goju-ryu karate under the instruction of Shihan Chris Rowen, 7th dan, who was a 3rd dan Sensei at the time and also a student of Kaiso (Founder) Gogen Yamaguchi, 10th dan. Yamaguchi sadly passed away on May 20th, 1989. He is the founder of the International Karate-dō Gōjū Kai Association.

In 1987 Thomas was graded to Shodan (1st Dan) Junior Black belt by Shihan Chris Rowen. Shihan Rowen would occasionally invite special guest instructors over to train his students in Okinawan and Japanese Goju-Ryu Karate. Thomas would've also received specialist instruction from Gōjū Kai masters, Shihan Ingo de Jong of Sweden (Vice-President of the International Karate-do Goju Kai Association) and Saiko Shihan (Grand Master) Goshi Yamaguchi (8th Dan, Hanshi) of Japan, who is the current President of the International Karate-dō Gōjū Kai Association.

Thomas took a break from competing and training in 1992 to focus more on his academic studies. After a two year gap, in 1994, he returned to Karate training under the instruction of Shihan Vic Charles MBE where he was taught Wado-ryu Karate at the N-16 Fitness Centre, opened by Charles in 1992, in the heart of Stoke Newington, Hackney.

Since retiring from Karate competitions Thomas has been working in the private security industry as a close protection and Media Security Consultant.