
In 1980 I assisted Morioka Sensei 6th Dan at a three day training course in Leicestershire,this turned out to be such a good course that I invited him to Wallsend to give a judo course for the British Judo Council (MAC) Northern Region.
The course was arranged for the 27th/28th June 1981 at the Europa Lodge Hotel, Wallsend on Tyne. Mike Illot came with some of his students from Oxford and Ian Tanser came from NDLB Judo Club Hull, as well as junior and senior judoka from our area, in among the group we had a total of ten Dan grades.
Morioka Sensei spent a number of years at the Kodokan, Tokyo, Japan but now taught judo extensively throughout Europe as well as at Blackheath Judo Club, his own club in South London.
As you would expect the standard was very high and everyone thought the course to be a very good experience as this was the first time any of the kyu grades had experienced tuition from a Japanese sensei.
On the way back to Newcastle Central Station on the Sunday evening professor Morioka invited Alan Shaw and I to his home for a Japanese meal the next time we were in London, but we never made it.
Photo, Dan Grade line up, Left to Right, Back Row, Chris Dawson, Alan Shaw, Bob Patterson, Mike Illot, Les Jones, Peter Doherty.
Front Row, Ian Tanser, Steve Makin, S Morioka 6th Dan, Name Unknown,Name Unknown.