About me
Ian came to martial arts the way many great things start: someone who believed in him pointed the way. With a background in football and wrestling, he already knew what it meant to push through resistance, but it was stepping onto the mat that showed him a different kind of discipline. Over 11 years in martial arts and a year and a half instructing at Action Karate Telford, Ian has made it his mission to meet every student where they are and give them exactly what they need from every class. When he’s not on the mat, you’ll find him running, hitting the weights, or out for a walk with his dog.
Teaching philosophy
Ian believes that every student comes to the mat with something different going on: a different comfort level, a different way of taking in information, a different reason for being there. His job, as he sees it, is to figure out what each student needs and deliver it. That’s not a philosophy he developed in theory. It’s something he’s lived out class after class. He doesn’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach, and he doesn’t rush the process.
Some students need a little more time. Some need a different explanation. Some just need an instructor who notices them. Ian is the kind of instructor who notices. He’s also guided by something he’s seen proved true again and again on the mat: winners don’t quit. When a student wants to give up, whether on a technique, a belt, or showing up on a hard day, Ian is the steady presence reminding them that the effort they’re putting in right now is exactly what will make the difference later. That belief in his students is what separates a class from an experience.
