Sensei Mark Carroll
Founder & Chief Instructor of Katsu-Mi Kai
Mark Carroll sensei has dedicated more than four decades to the study, practice and teaching of Shotokan Karate.
Throughout his karate journey, he has trained under many of the world's most respected instructors, including Keinosuke Enoeda sensei, Yoshiharu Osaka sensei, Hirokazu Kanazawa sensei, Dave Hooper sensei and numerous other leading Japanese and European karate masters.
Awarded his black belt through the Japan Karate Association (JKA), Mark Carroll sensei has continued to develop his understanding of karate through constant research, practical application and thousands of hours of training.
Alongside his Shotokan studies, he has spent many years training in Judo and Ju Jitsu. This exploration of related disciplines has contributed to his understanding of movement, combat and, particularly, the practical applications contained within traditional kata.
More Than 40 Years of Teaching
For over forty years, Mark Carroll sensei has taught karate to students of all ages and abilities. During that time, he has:
Delivered seminars throughout the United Kingdom and internationally
Coached successful competition squads
Examined students from novice through to senior grades
Developed instructor training programmes
Taught practical self-defence in schools and businesses
Delivered self-defence training to security professionals and public services
Continued to research the relationship between traditional kata and practical civilian self-defence
Founder of Katsu-Mi Kai
As Founder and Chief Instructor of Katsu-Mi Kai, Mark Carroll sensei's passion lies in exploring and restoring kata to its original purpose as a practical civilian self-defence system.
His teaching brings together the technical precision of traditional Shotokan Karate with an understanding of habitual acts of physical violence. Students are encouraged to look beyond simply performing the movements of kata and to explore the principles, strategies and practical applications contained within them.
The aim is not simply to know how to perform a kata, but to understand why its movements exist and how its principles can be applied under pressure.
A Lifelong Study
Mark Carroll sensei continues to research, refine and develop his training methods through daily practice. At the heart of his philosophy is the belief that karate is a lifelong journey of learning rather than a destination.
He encourages students to think critically, question respectfully and discover their own understanding through disciplined training and experience.
This philosophy sits at the heart of Katsu-Mi Kai and its approach to karate.
Kata As I See It
Mark Carroll sensei's book, Kata As I See It, brings together more than four decades of training, teaching, research and practical exploration.
At its heart lies the same question that fascinated him as a young karate student and has continued to shape his journey ever since:
What was kata really designed to teach us?
