DAI SEMPAI JEFF HURCOMB
I started Zen Do Kai in 2000 after a friend and I decided we needed something to do outside of working to pass our high school courses. We joined up with the Tsunami Club of Zen Do Kai located in Bishopdale taken by Shihan Sean Purcell. I had done Martial Arts before as a kid and got three belts away from Black, till I got bored of the style and left. I was glad to find that Zen Do Kai was a lot more real world orientated.
After I got my brown belt I became involved with instructing in the Kids Karate class, and soon began teaching Adult Blue Belts. Eventually I had to stop teaching to focus on training for my Probationary Black Belt, which I achieved in 2003. The following year I took over instructing the Kids Karate class completely and earned my Sempai title thanks to it – it was also the year I graded for full 1st Degree Black Belt. My biggest memory in training for 1st Dan was being over at Shihan Sean’s place all the time training Kata and only stopping to go to class, then after class it was straight back to Sean’s to continue training.
At the end of 2004 Shihan Sean handed the club over to Shihan Nigel and so the Tsunami Patch went to the bottom of the Gi and the Proactive patch went on. Over the next couple of years I got to work with a large variety of instructors in the teaching of Bishopdale students.
In 2007 I went for my 2nd Degree Black Belt – running, swimming and a lot of Martial Arts training prepared me for 19 x 3minute rounds. Successfully completing that goal and being rewarded my Dai-Sempai teaching title I went back to instructing both Adults and Children.
With the move to Cotswold School Bishopdale club has became Papanui club, and has also started a kickboxing class which I’ve became involved in both as a student and as an instructor.
One of my aims this year is to start up an Extreme Martial Arts class at Papanui (Karate class aimed at 12-15 year olds). I have found instructing to be one of the most rewarding things I’ve done. Helping students set goals and then meet them. Watching a student stumble through a technique and over time getting it. Or watching a student’s confidence grow as they realize limitations they thought they had, don’t actually exist. It is an amazing experience that I feel privileged to be a part of.

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