Daniel Kean-Cockburn: Aem Hai Martial Arts

When it comes to Martial Arts, few figures embody the blend of skill, passion and dedication quite like Sensei Daniel Kean-Cockburn, better known as the infamous Sensei Dan. A world silver medalist, 5th degree black belt in Karate and founder of Aem Hai Martial Arts, Sensei Dan’s journey is nothing short of inspiring. Starting his Martial Arts path at the tender age of six after being captivated by a Bruce Lee movie, he has since accumulated a wealth of experience across various disciplines, from Karate and Judo to swordsmanship and Kickboxing.

In this exclusive Q&A, we delve into the life and philosophy of Sensei Dan, exploring his early inspirations, the challenges he faced and the profound impact he has made on his students. From his humble beginnings in Karate with Sensei Bailey to becoming a respected figure in the Martial Arts community, Sensei Dan’s story is a testament to perseverance, passion and the transformative power of Martial Arts. Whether you’re a seasoned Martial Artist or just beginning your journey, this conversation promises to offer valuable insights and inspiration from a true master of the craft.

Background in Martial Arts

Let’s start with you! Share a brief summary about yourself and your journey.

My name is Sensei Daniel Kean-Cockburn (known fondly as the infamous Sensei Dan, mainly due to the playful insanity I bring). I’m a world silver medalist and a 5th degree Blackbelt in Karate, 1st degree in Laido and numerous coloured belts in various arts. I am the founder of Aem Hai Martial Arts.

The Beginning: How did you first get involved in the wonderful world of Martial Arts?

I got into Martial Arts at 6 years old due to watching a Bruce Lee movie and I was convinced it was the only thing I wanted to do. I started Karate with Sensei Bailey and met Enoida Sensei, though I was very young. Then, I moved to Taekwondo as wanted to train with people my own age and all the shouting freaked me out as I was only 6. In years to come, I would get into a lot of fights as I would not be bullied or attacked by anyone. 

I went back to Sensei Bailey and Karate at 10 as my Taekwondo school closed. I was member of the Norfolk tigers Kickboxing team when we won the team British title off the Ipswich meteorites.

Inspiration: What inspired you to take the leap and become a Martial Arts instructor?

I tried my best to not actually teach Karate as everyone told me you never can earn living out it. I tried being a psychologist, and a few other career paths. Once I was informed by my old instructor, Sensei Bailey, that a lot of families in the Tuckswood area were being exploited by a con-artist who was teaching Karate but had no real qualifications, I said I would set up in a school near by and give people the choice, but only do one lesson per week.  I was very reluctant to teach Martial Arts as it is a big responsibility. Within 3 years it had turned into a full time business.

Your Journey: Can you share a bit about your training journey and any certifications you’ve proudly obtained?

I have a 5th Dan black belt in Shotokan Karate, a 1st Dan in Toyama Ryu, a 1st kyu in Sueshin Ryu, a blue belt in Judo, a blue belt in Taekwondo, a green belt in Jikeshin Jiu Jitsu, a 2 tag white belt in Gracie Jujitsu, a 1st kyu in Jujitsu Kobudo and a 10th Kup in Hamudo. I’m also grade 1 foil, grade 1 sabre and grade 1 foil stage performance.

I achieved gold at club level Judo, I’m a 4 times Norfolk Karate champion, a former British Kickboxing champion and, competed in many Judo and Jujitsu matches alongside many mixed combat rules matches. I’m also a World silver medalist representing Great Britain in Los Angeles, USA in 2012 and in the Genbukai International 45th, hosted by Shihan Fumio Demura.

Teaching Experience

Teaching Timeline: How long have you been sharing your passion for Karate and teaching as an instructor?

I started training at 6 years old. I began teaching professionally from 18 years old. I have been in business 27 years in total.

Rewards of Teaching: What do you find most rewarding about teaching Karate to your students?

The greatest reward for me personally is having students that started with me years ago, still here with me now. Their time and presence means the world to me. Especially the three I am closest to, who have been with me 15 years plus. It is like I have 3 surrogate daughters – Cody, Ava and Mia.

Memorable Moments: Can you describe a memorable experience you’ve had as an instructor that still makes you smile?

I always worried that after I was 36 years old that I had missed my mark in Martial Arts, even though I have won more than my fair share of contests and titles. I’ve had many setbacks and nearly been killed a fair few times, from knocking the hell out of someone who tried to kill me once. To being crippled for three years when I was 26.

I originally thought the greatest moment in my Martial Arts career was in 2012, winning silver for Britain in Tameshigeri (test cutting) in the USA at Shihan Fumio Demura’s open annual tournament. There is a film called ‘The Real Miyagi ’ – that was on Netflix – which talks Demura being the stunt double for Pat Morita (Mr Miyagi) and fight choreographer. It was a huge tournament that took two weeks to complete. I was encouraged by my sword teacher Sensei Steve Iles, head of Fujiama school, to enter the competition and go with him to Los Angeles to attend; whilst he wanted to speak with Demura about progressing Batto Do in Europe.

On day one, we had our swords withheld by customs so, not a good start. We then could not find the rules for kata or test cutting, or any of the events I was looking to compete in. Every day we had to find out which bracket I was entering so, I could not plan ahead for anything. Everything was very stressful, plus I had some issues going on back at home in the UK. I trained in Demura’s Dojo which has been knocked down in LA, due to wanting to widen the roads there. There is a documentary called ‘The Last Dojo’ on YouTube about it. I attended many of the seminars in Kobudo, Batto do and Karate.

We eventually got our swords out of storage. The tournament was huge! 2000 very serious and highly experienced competitors across brackets, through the space of two weeks. I cannot remember how many rounds I got through. I made a good friend from America called Andrew and he was really helpful explaining rules to me and just being friendly in general. I think I was experiencing quite high anxiety at time and he was very supportive. I believe he won the bronze in Batto do Kata.

In my final round of the competition, I was really feeling the pressure. There was between 1000 to 1500 people watching. Some rounds were won with skill and others with luck, due to my opponents messing up their cuts or – believe it or not – accidentally wounding themselves in the process of test cutting. It was normally done during returning the sword to the Scabbard. One guy actually scalped himself with a fancy Chubi (blood shake).

In my final round, I was against the man who had won the Batto-do kata section of the tournament and who was very skilled. He did a perfect first cut and only half cut through the tatami mat. I had a chance at beating him. I envisioned the War Goddess, Morigainne, helping me by making him mess up. 

I approached the mat. I had been having real trouble with the hidari Kesa Gerl (left to right diagonal cut). The right to left diagonal was ok. I imagined her beside me saying ‘just breathe and hit it a fraction harder and don’t knock the stand over, you can do this….wait, wait, wait not yet, breathe and cut through… Now!’

I managed to get through both sides with two good cuts so, I thanked the War Goddess mentally and questioned my sanity. After beating the Batto do Kata champion and ending up – at the time – believing I was competing for bronze, I was shocked when my name was read out for silver. Shihan Fumio Demura handed me the medal. 

I went up to Sensei Steve Iles and thanked him for getting me here and, acknowledged I would not have been able to do it without his help. Later that week, Demura would make Steve Iles head of Europe for the Genbukai International. One thing I forgot mention I had only ever practiced tameshi geri twice in my life before the tournament.

However the real greatest moment in my Martial Arts career happened later. Last year, I was preparing Cody (who started with me at age 5 and at the time was 19 years old) for one of her full contact tournaments. Halfway through training she broke down crying. She is a real tough girl and this was out of character so, I took her to one side and asked what was wrong. Had I hit her too hard? Or was she tired and needed a break? 

No. She explained as I was teaching that, I was ranting and raving things like ‘you are going to be great, you are going to be victorious, you will stand out in crowd, you are destined for greatness’. These are the type of things I bombard key students with when they are training one-to-one, to get them to believe in themselves. I only say it if I believe it to be true. It’s designed to find their archetypal self.

She then explained as she was sobbing that I’ve always believed in her, even though a lot of her family don’t always seem interested in her or offer encouragement. I highlighted her mother was always encouraging her but, she said I didn’t fully get it. So I inquired further.

She explained that all her achievements in Martial Arts are down to me being there for her, from her British gold medal to her recognition in many Martial Arts circles. I give my time (quite often for free) and the fact she is highly successful in her job is because I’ve always encouraged her to know her worth. I helped her get into acting and gain recognition through my performance artist alter ego, Anthrax the Clown, and my connections through shows that, I’ve done in London and further a field.

In that moment, hugging her and trying to settle her down – as she was quite vulnerable and emotional – I realised I hadn’t missed my mark.

Philosophy and Approach

Teaching Philosophy: How would you describe your approach to teaching Karate?

It always starts by being about the moves, then over time it becomes about people.

Karate’s Uniqueness: In your opinion, what sets Karate apart from other Martial Arts?

‘Ossss’ – Anyone in Karate will understand that.

Balanced Classes: How do you keep your classes fun and accessible for beginners while challenging more advanced students?

They require structure but, also the art of reading the room and really listening to what peoples needs are; I mean really listening. Being aware of what people’s needs are on a theraputic level. What story are they trying to tell?

Martial Arts Techniques and Training

Karate Fundamentals: What are the key principles of Karate that every beginner should embrace?

Get used to the idea of life path and work hard. There are smart ways but, there is no easy way.

Training Evolution: How does Karate training evolve as one progresses from a novice to an advanced level?

That largely depends on age and injury. Usually something like this. At first, people don’t want to be afraid anymore or at least know what to do in a fight. Then, it becomes about moves and what you need to learn and what you want to be good at. Then, about what you enjoy and what adventures you go on. Where you travel, what you do, who you train with. Eventually, if you’re lucky, you get older and then it’s about what you can still do, what you can learn to do and who is in the Dojo. It’s always about people.

Funakoshi the founder of Shotokan understood well from the backdrop of World War 2. He used to dread it when soldiers came back from leave during the War as, many faces would not come back. He did not like an empty dojo. If the greatest champion has an empty dojo, no matter how great their achievements, it’s still an empty dojo.

Preparation Practices: Are there any specific conditioning or mental preparation practices you recommend to your students for peak performance?

At the start of every session, I make the students sit down and check in on how they are feeling. This is to help me with names and be aware of any issues that may come up. It’s also an opportunity to share news and acknowledge achievements. This is also a chance to tell the students what they are doing that lesson and make them aware of anything I feel is necessary. Sometimes it can take a bit of time as we cover issues and concerns in media, and general worries in society.

Club and Community

Your Club: Tell us about the Martial Arts club you run. How long has it been a hub for Karate enthusiasts?

We run a Martial Arts school more so than a Karate club. As we teach multiple arts as well Judo, Kombat Kobudo, Batto-do and Kickboxing. It has been running for 20+ years.

Community Building: How do you foster a sense of community and camaraderie within your club?

We have a lot of competitions and try to find good groups to work with at such events, as we host our own tournaments. They normally attract people from all over the country and also internationally.

Our logo has a raven in the centre representing my Irish heritage in the form of The Morrigan, The Irish Celtic War Goddess. It doesn’t come as a surprise that so many of girls and women have become champions.

Safety First: What safety measures do you implement to ensure a secure and positive training environment?

Some accidents are unavoidable however, we have matted areas where ever we can and are very careful around head contact. Child protection is one of our top priorities. Even if something minor happens in a lesson, we sit down and assess what went wrong to slow everything down and break the pattern of events that lead to it occurring.

Advice and Perspectives

Starting Karate: What advice would you give to someone who is considering starting Karate and might need a little encouragement?

To someone starting out, create smaller more achievable goals for yourself. Learning a kata can be a daunting task, break it down. Learn the first patern of 8 and work on that. Only move onto the next steps when you feel confident and ready.

Future of Karate: How do you see the future of Karate evolving within the Martial Arts community?

Karate Combat has become popular and drawn a lot of competitors from MMA and Kickboxing. This has brought a lot of freestyle and high level point fighting competitors. This seems to be where a lot of interest is going at the moment.

However. not everyone wants to fight in competitions as this is not what Karate is all about. A lot of people really are interested in the history and the art form as a way of self development and health. This will always be there, even when people tire of contest.

Equipment and Supplier

Essential Gear: What type of equipment is essential for someone just starting their Karate journey?

Suit, gum shield, groin protector, shin pads, hand pads and copy of Gichin Funakoshi – ‘Karate Do My Way of Life’.

Choosing Blitz: Why did you choose Blitz as your equipment supplier for the club? Are there any particular products from Blitz that you highly recommend for Karate training?

When I chose Blitz, I wasn’t aware of any other supplier at the time almost 20 years ago. This shows good marketing on Blitz’s behalf. I am still with them regardless that there are other competitors, as I feel they really listen to any issues and sort them out quickly and come up with very good deals regularly.

We buy a lot of full contact sparring batons as we run a contest at our tournament called ‘Kombat Kobudo’. It’s something I developed myself from sport Kobudo, fencing and re-enacting battles. It’s very popular and many groups nationally have joined us in developing this, for example Tigertastic Karate, Saracens Taekwondo, London based fighting fit, Fujiyama sword school, Norwich United Karate and many more.

Stay Connected and Get Involved with Aem Hai Martial Arts

We hope you had a blast reading this Q&A with Daniel Kean-Cockburn! His epic journey as a Martial Artist and instructor is proof that with enough grit, passion and a little bit of sweat, anything is possible. We’re beyond proud to have such an outstanding leader in our community and are thrilled to keep supporting Aem Hai Martial Arts.

Curious to know more or itching to get involved? Don’t be shy – reach out! Swing by the Aem Hai Martial Arts website, give them a follow on social media or better yet, drop by the club and soak in the energetic, welcoming vibes for yourself. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just taking your first steps into the Martial Arts world, there’s a spot waiting for you at Aem Hai Martial Arts. Stay connected, and let’s keep the momentum going as we celebrate the awesome work Daniel and his team are doing!

Aem Hai Martial Arts

Official Website: www.aemhai.co.uk

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Aem-Hai-Martial-Arts-Home-Page

Instagram: @aem_hai_martialarts