About David Webb
Like most other kids of his generation, David’s first experience of the martial arts was a traditional one and began in 1991 with Shotokan Karate. In a short space of time he gained his black belt under the Japanese Sensei Kienosuke Enoeda, 9th Dan and subsequent 2nd degree black belt under Sensei Andy Sherry, 9th Dan.
After years of travelling the world to learn from others and instructing at his own dojo, David became a little despondent with the structure and validity of Karate, so in early 2000, founded the Tōukon Submission Fighting Academy in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire and began training mixed martial arts and submission wrestling in Kilburn at the gym of the London Shootfighters.
Mixed martial arts (MMA) had not been in the UK long at this point so it was a great time to be training; along with sessions at the London Shootfighters, David also trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Ronaldo Campos at the Tokei in London Bridge and Muay Thai under Ralph Beale and later, Dave Scarborough at the Minotaur gym in Welwyn Garden City.
On Saturday 13th October 2001 David fought his first ‘No-Holds-Barred’ bout winning at 70 seconds of the first round. Culminating in a British title fight against Paul Jenkins and a European super-fight against Javier Garcia from Spain, David’s MMA career was abruptly ended in 2003 due to a knee injury with a record of 4-5-0.
In 2008, now with the Tōukon Academy® established and whilst coaching Judo, David stumbled across a website that was to dramatically change his training methods and outlook – the Jiu Jitsu Brotherhood – after an initial seminar with Roger Gracie black belt, Nicolas Gregoriades, a new direction and energy for the academy was created.
David’s Credentials
- Black Belt Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (3º degree) (Mauricio Gomes)
- Black Belt Judo (British Judo Association)
- Black Belt Karate (2º degree) (Japan Karate Association)
- IBJJF London, Rome, Turin, Milan & Paris International Open Masters Champion
- BSc Sport Science
- Level One Yoga for BJJ Instructor
- XPT Performance Breathwork Coach
- Level One UKJJF Referee
David has had the opportunity to train under some of the world’s best fighters and coaches from all over the world from many different disciplines, all of which have shaped his enthusiasm and methodologies.
Now acting as the CEO and full-time head coach at the Tōukon Academy® headquarters in Bedford, David oversees a growing network of affiliate and associate academies and competes regularly in the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation Open events across Europe.
The logical approach to Jiu Jitsu that David Webb conveys at The Tōukon Academy has been pivotal for my own development. When relocating to Norwich I wanted to start my own Jiu Jitsu Academy and it was a straightforward decision to approach David about becoming an affiliate to The Tōukon Academy – I knew that if I could implement a similar community and culture in my Academy to the Tōukon Academy HQ, I would be able to enjoy my own journey as an academy owner.
David has a tried and tested curriculum, which I follow to coach my students, enabling them to develop competent Jiu Jitsu skills in a safe and effective manner and as coaches, we meet on a regular basis to discuss the curriculum.
One of the most daunting things when starting an academy is all the paperwork! David saved me a lot of time, providing templates and support on risk assessments, and safeguarding, this has enabled me to enjoy more time on the mats.
Marketing is one of my weaknesses, as an affiliate I have benefited from support in this area as well. The ‘Introductory Course’ template from David that I used when starting my academy, meant that I had 18 adults in my first ever class.
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