Association Assistant Chief Instructor
Tony Bunting Sensei 8^th Dan (Renshi)

• Lead Sensei for Watford Club
• Member of the Association Technical Committee

Assistant Instructor
Vicky Adams Sensei 5^th Dan

• Assistant Sensei for Watford Club

Assistant Instructor
Steph Farrer Sensei 4^th Dan

• Assistant Sensei for Watford Club

Association Assistant Chief Instructor
Tony Bunting Sensei 8^th Dan (Renshi)

Born in London in 1969, Tony was introduced to Judo at a young age. He quickly progressed through the belts, attaining his 1st Dan black belt in Judo in his early teens. He was an accomplished Judoka who competed at regional level and successfully won a number of junior championships.

In 1981, he was introduced to Shotokan Karate by his Judo instructor. His first Shotokan instructor in Borehamwood was Sensei Brian Field (2^nd Dan) within the Bukonkai Karate International association whose Chief Instructor at the time was the late Sensei Colin Williams (7^th Dan); Tony was an avid competitor who travelled the country competing for his club and association. It was in the early 80’s when he moved to a new dojo, which was affiliated to ASKA, that he was introduced to Sensei Malcolm Phipps (then a 3^rd Dan). Tony was part of the newly founded association in 1984 – Seishinkai Shotokan Karate.

       

Tony has been a loyal supporter and part of Seishinkai for many years and is the SSKI Assistant Chief Instructor. He currently holds 7^th Dan, which he was awarded by Sensei Malcolm Phipps on 13^th December 2015. Apart from being a Kyu and Dan grading examiner, a member of the association technical committee and part of the squad management team, he is also a qualified and experienced referee and is often asked to support in competitions nationally, as well as internationally on occasions.

Aside from all these duties for the association, Tony’s dedication to karate and Seishinkai goes above and beyond. He has been instrumental in the last few years in obtaining sponsorship for the association squad and has also travelled to other SSKI clubs in the UK, and assisted Sensei Phipps teaching on seminars in the USA. He believes that the only way to achieve your best is to train regularly and hard with the best instructors available. He continues to train at the Honbu dojo and maintains this practice by training a minimum of twice a week.

       

Tony has been an instructor for over 20 years now and confirms that his personal sense of fulfilment was achieved in 2011, when his club team, Slip End, won the SSKI National Championships for the very first time since the competition had begun back in 1984. He was once again the proud instructor when Slip End won the SSKI Nationals Championships again in 2012. The Slip End club moved and become the Watford club in 2015.

What Karate means to Tony in his own words: “SSKI is an integral part of my life, as I have studied and trained in Shotokan Karate for the past 30 years. I have been privileged to train with some of the best Japanese and English Instructors in the world and truly enjoy training and teaching at my dojos. I was also honoured to present Sensei Phipps with his 8^th Dan Certificate in 2011!”

Assistant Instructor
Vicky Adams Sensei 5^th Dan

Born in 1983 and from Harpenden Vicky became captivated with karate at a young age after watching the 80’s movie, Karate Kid. She joined the Sasori Goju Ryu karate club under Sensei Chris Green at the age of seven and attained Shodan at 14. A year later she badly injured during an accident (non-karate related), leading to some time out from training. Then education priorities took over with GCSE’s, A Levels and then moving away to university. Whilst she did take up kickboxing for a year at university, unfortunately karate took a back seat and sadly this led to a 11–year break.

After graduating from University, Vicky ventured off abroad for three years to snowboard in Austria during winters and live and work in Sweden during the summers. It wasn’t until she returned to the UK in 2009 to focus on her career that she decided she wanted to get back into karate. A friend introduced her to a local Shotokan club in Harpenden (M.B.K.D), where she spent two years refreshing her old skills. She soon outgrew this club and needed more advanced/challenging training. After observing a successful SSKI squad at a 2011 competition and then later discovering they were local, Vicky joined without hesitation and has been a dedicated member ever since.

       

Vicky is an accomplished competitor winning numerous medals in kata and kumite, in both individual and team events across multiple competitions – both SSKI internal as well as other established Shotokan events both nationally and internationally. Vicky is constantly seeking to improve herself and aside from regular training within Seishinkai, she also enjoys attending courses outside of the association and has had the opportunity train with many different well–respected karateka globally.

Vicky is passionate about her karate and believes it vital to keep pushing yourself to be the best karateka you can and not give up. Her ethos is: “Never be complacent, and if you’re not grinning from ear to ear after every lesson, then you’re not doing it right!” She is extremely privileged and thankful to have Sensei Tony Bunting as her Sensei, who has been instrumental to her training and growth and is proud to be his assistant instructor at Watford club. In June 2019 Vicky successfully graded to Yondan.

Assistant Instructor
Steph Farrer Sensei 4^th Dan

Born in Yorkshire, Steph then moved to London for several years and finally settled in a small village in Hertfordfordshire where she had her family. Steph only took up karate much later in life… when two of her children took up the sport. It was one of the extra–curricular activities for them and after spending several early evenings watching them practise, she realised she was interested in taking it up herself – as a busy working mum of three, the need to switch off everything and only focus on one thing appealed. After chatting with the Chief Instructor of Seishinkai, she decided to take the plunge… and was instantly hooked, and has been training regularly since 2007.

During this time she has taken part in several competitions, winning medals at both kata and kumite, and she will always be extremely proud of being part of the Slipend (now Watford) Club that won the Seishinkai Shield at the Nationals in 2011. Steph also enjoys attending courses when outside instructors are brought in, such as Sensei Dave Hazard and Sensei Simon Staples, which have given her the opportunity to stretch her karate abilities.

       

Steph attained Shodan in June 2011, Nidan in December 2013, Sandan in December 2018, and went on to successfully grade to Yondan in March 2025; she has trained throughout her karate life with several of the senior association instructors but Sensei Tony Bunting, who she has trained under since the beginning, has been, and always will be, an inspiration to her to aspire to a higher karate level, and she is very proud to be one of his assistant instructors.