2025 marks the 47th year of Konjaku Shin, but Sunday 2nd March 2025 will be remembered as a significant and emotional day in the club’s history.
After more than three decades at Lower Spring Street, Grimsby, Konjaku Shin closed the doors of its iconic dōjō building for the final time, hosting a farewell seminar, Dan grading and social gathering to celebrate the many memories created within its walls.
The Lower Spring Street dōjō had been home to Konjaku Shin since 1993 and, for countless students, instructors and visitors, became far more than simply a place to train. It was a place where friendships were forged, challenges overcome, grades earned and life lessons learned.
Final Seminar with Dave Kershaw Sensei
The main event of the day was the final seminar led by Konjaku Shin founder and Chief Instructor, Dave Kershaw Sensei (8th Dan).
Training was divided into two sessions, with a break in between that allowed old friends and former students to catch up, share memories and enjoy the dōjō cafeteria one final time.
The first session focused on the fundamentals of Shotokan karate, covering kihon and kumite practice. As always, Kershaw Sensei emphasised the importance of strong basics as the foundation of all karate training.
The second session moved into kata practice, with students working through Meikyō, Kankū Shō, Hangetsu and Gojūshiho Shō. It was a fitting way to conclude training in a dōjō that had witnessed thousands of hours of practice over the years.
At the conclusion of the seminar, Kershaw Sensei was presented with a bonsai tree, a thoughtful gift symbolising patience, dedication and growth—qualities he has embodied throughout his decades of teaching.
Final Dan Grading
Following the seminar, several students undertook Dan grade assessments under the Konjaku Shin banner.
Congratulations to:
- Andrew Smith – 5th Dan
- Jacquie Smith – 5th Dan
- Rose Keane – 5th Dan
- Dave Pennington – 3rd Dan
- Peter Taylor – 1st Dan
- Joshua Corken – 1st Dan
It seemed entirely appropriate that one of the final events held within the Lower Spring Street dōjō was the recognition of students continuing their own karate journeys.
A Personal Reflection
For me, it was a strange day.
Walking into the dōjō and lining up where I had done so many times before felt familiar, yet different. Every corner of the building held memories accumulated over decades of training.
The distinctive wooden floor, worn smooth by countless footsteps. The airy atmosphere of the training hall. The familiar surroundings that had changed little over the years.
Yet perhaps the strangest moment came at the very end.
Picking up my bag, slinging it over my shoulder and walking out through the doors for what may be the last time.
It is, of course, only a building.
But for many of us it never felt like just a building.
It was a place where people learned confidence, discipline and respect. A place where friendships were formed and maintained across generations. A place where many of us experienced both our greatest challenges and proudest achievements in karate.
As I stepped outside, I found myself looking back one final time at a dōjō that had become an important part of my own karate journey.
An Evening of Memories
Later that afternoon, many of those who had attended the seminar gathered once again, first at the Yarborough Hotel in Grimsby before moving on to The Spice of Life restaurant for an evening meal.
The occasion provided an opportunity for students, instructors and friends from different eras of Konjaku Shin’s history to reminisce and celebrate the club’s achievements.
During the evening, Barry Waby spoke on behalf of those present, thanking Dave Kershaw Sensei for the discipline, skills and guidance he had provided over many years. Barry reflected on the many lessons learned through karate training and observed that perhaps the most important were self-control and respect for others. He also recognised the support provided by Dave’s wife, Angie, throughout the years.
Flowers were presented to Angie, while students also contributed cards, gifts and messages of appreciation for both Dave and Angie.
Not the End
While Sunday 2nd March 2025 marked the end of the Lower Spring Street chapter of Konjaku Shin’s history, there is hope that it will not be the end of the story itself.
Buildings close. Karate continues.
The true legacy of Konjaku Shin has never been contained within bricks, timber and mortar. It lives on in the people who trained there, the friendships formed there, the values taught there and the generations of karateka who continue to carry those lessons forward.
The doors of the Lower Spring Street dōjō may now be closed, but the spirit of Konjaku Shin remains very much alive.
Almost from the beginning of my karate journey life took me away from Grimsby and I eventually founded Kyōtō in Bristol back in 1996. Looking back now, I realise that although I left Konjaku Shin, Konjaku Shin never really left me. The lessons learned, the standards expected and the values instilled by Dave Kershaw Sensei continue to influence my teaching today. In that sense, the Lower Spring Street dōjō may have closed its doors, but its influence continues through the many students and instructors who once passed through them.
