Kevin Thurlow-Criss 8th Dan, Worldwide Chief Instructor to SKKK has been training in Shotokan Karate since 1975 when he started training under Sensei Pauline Bindra 8th Dan in the Karate Union of Great Britain and then continued with Pauline Sensei under her association, Thames Karate International (TKI).

The years that followed saw Kevin Sensei train with many of the great Shotokan Sensei such as the late Enoeda Sensei, Asano Sensei and Kanazawa Sensei. Kevin Sensei concentrated his training on the Budo elements of Shotokan Karate with less emphasis on the competition side although he did compete at local and National level, winning several medals and went on to become a recognised English National competition Referee under the English Karate Governing Body (EKGB).

Around this time, he also held the position of National Team Coach for Seishinkai Shotokan Karate International (SSKI) a Nakayama JKA based Shotokan group under the leadership of Malcolm Phipps Sensei 9th Dan and was presented in 2005 with an award for coaching the SSKI National Team to its most successful competition year ever. Whilst with SSKI, Kevin Sensei enrolled and subsequently graduated from the World Traditional Karate Organisation (WTKO) Instructor Training Programme based on that of the Japan Karate Association (JKA) under the intense personal tutelage of Richard Amos Sensei 8th Dan, with Kevin Sensei becoming the first ever international graduate of the programme.

In 2006 Kevin Sensei was inducted into the International Shotokan-Ryu Karate-Do Shihankai (International Council of Shotokan Masters) and awarded the Shogo (Samurai title) of ‘Renshi’, meaning ‘Polished Expert’. Kevin Sensei continued to train with top class Shotokan instructors and has had the privilege of training with the late Enoeda Sensei, the late Namiki Sensei, Ohta Sensei, Saito Sensei, Steve Ubl Sensei, Jan Knobel Sensei, Dave Hazard Sensei, Simon Oliver Sensei, Terry O’Neil Sensei, Colin Putt Sensei, Jim Wood Sensei, the late Cyril Cummings Sensei, Murakami Sensei, Sugimoto Sensei to name but a few and is honoured to call many of these friends. Kevin Sensei made the difficult decision in 2007 to leave his current organisation and form his own independent JKA based Shotokan group the English Shotokan Ryu Karate Kyokai (ESKK) which then changed its name to Shotokan Ryu Karate Kyokai Kokusai (SKKK) in 2011 when the group went international with its first Dojo opening in Budapest, Hungary.

Kevin Sensei continued his own Karate development and in 2011, graduated from the World Japan Karate Association (WJKA) Instructor Programme gaining International A-Class Instructor, Examiner and Judge status. Kevin Sensei was subsequently promoted to the rank of 7th Dan with the WJKA in 2013, following an assessment of his teaching ability at various events and Gasshuku, his karate career and his Budo attitude and was also voted into the role of WJKA Chairman and Chief Referee positions he held until 2017. Kevin Sensei has an open-door policy with regards to Shotokan training and is happy to work with any association, club or individual regardless of affiliation and is himself recognised and accepted by several high-profile organisations. In 2020, Kevin Sensei was awarded the title of Kyoshi (meaning Professor) by the ISKS and went on to be awarded 8th Dan after a physical and teaching examination by the WJKA President, Jan Knobel 9th Dan.

Kevin Sensei has appeared in a number of news articles and publications including Traditional Karate Vol.20, No.7 and also released his first Karate Book in 2012 which is currently under revision.

Kevin receiving his 8th Dan from Jan Knobel 9th Dan WJKA