
The Blackpool Budokan is a fulltime dojo located in the city of Blackpool,
in Northwest England. It is owned and operated by Sensei Rob Campbell and
Sensei Shirley Clarke.
Rob Campbell is the member / sponsor of the Blackpool Budokan TSYR Study Group.
Rob holds a 5th Dan in Jujutsu plus various ranks in other disciplines including
Karate, Kempo, Aikijujutsu and Kung Fu. Rob's partner in the dojo is his wife
Shirley Clarke, who holds a 4th Dan in Wado ryu Karate plus additional ranks
in Jujutsu, Kempo and Okinawan weaponry.
The Blackpool Budokan is associated with the WKA while Rob functions as the
World Karate& Kickboxing team manager. Despite signifcant successes in competitive
budo sports, Rob and Shirley's main interest remains traditionall Japanese
Budo. Trips to Japan exposed Rob & Shirley to authentic Nihon jujutsu. With
this experience their interest in classical budo deepened leading to further
interest in traditional Jujutsu and Aikijujutsu. Eventually their common interest
in Wado ryu Karate led them to embark upon a more comprehensive investigation
of the jujutsu elements within the Wado ryu Karate syllabus. This interest
eventually led Rob and Shirley to travel to Mallorca, Spain in 2003 to meet
Toby Threadgill, the senior exponent of Takamura ha Shindo Yoshin ryu. This
meeting impressed Rob & Shirley greatly convincing Rob to pettition for membership
in the Takamura ha Shindo Yoshin Kai. In the summer of 2004 Rob was accepted
as a TSYR member and given permission by Threadgill Sensei to lead a formal
TSYR Study Group at the Blackpool Budokan.