Fudoshin Karate Instructors

John McLauchlan 4th Dan

John began karate training in 1983 and instantly thrived on the hard work and discipline that traditional karate is founded on. He’s the founder and Chief Instructor of Fudoshin Karate, established in 2008.

In the early days, John attended national championships, becoming the National champion in both kata and kumite, with his sights set on international competition.

1989, however, saw a traumatic turn as John was involved in a serious motorbike accident, taking around 2 years to recover mobility and slowly return to training.

In 1992, John joined the Humberside Police as a Police Officer. John says –

“Joining the Police was a real eye-opener for me. I was so naive at 20 years old! One thing I realised is how Karate can either prepare you for the real world, OR leave you vulnerable… The only time you get to find out is when you’re confronted with a violent offender wielding a knife, baseball bat or worse.”

While in the Police, John was asked to join the new Officer Safety Program, a system named Unarmed Defensive Tactics developed by the late Pete Boatman.

“Before this system, recruits were taught something called ‘Tao Jitsu’, a complicated and ineffective way to defend yourself with a truncheon.”

This new system took into account stress reactions and the psychology of personal protection.

At this time, John’s understanding of Karate and self-defence was taken to a new level because it worked. His passion is something he shares with his students in a safe, positive and productive way.

John has a love and respect for all fighting arts, but his foundation is rooted in tradition with a pragmatic approach.

“It’s important to question everything in the martial arts, which is why I use the word pragmatic. You never stop learning.”

The world is changing fast, attention spans are getting shorter, and people want results without the effort. This is why John loves traditional karate… “In a world of AI and fake people, there’s something fabulous about the simplicity of training barefoot in a dojo and improving yourself in all areas of your life.”