Howard Collins

Collins was born in 1949 in Mountain Ash, Wales, around 20 miles from Cardiff. His father died when he was eight years old. As a schoolboy, Collins played rugby and trained in athletics. He began training in Kyokushin karate at the age of 15, at the Cardiff School of Budo. It was around this time that he first read about Masutatsu Oyama and decided that he would eventually travel to Japan to train. In 1967, Collins decided to join the London Metropolitan Police—but only three weeks after he had set off on this endeavour, his mother died. He worked in London for two years before joining the merchant navy, with the aim of working his way to Japan. Collins was 21 when he eventually left for Japan. ==Karate career==

In 1971, Collins arrived in Japan and, at the rank of 3rd kyu, began training at the Kyokushin honbu dojo (headquarters training hall) under Oyama. According to Collins, he completed the 100-man kumite two years after beginning training in Japan, In any case, he became the first person to complete the test compulsorily in one day. Collins later recalled: "At the start it was easy my condition was excellent as I had been training every day for two years. Slowly though I was becoming tired the referee would ask me if I wanted to give up (I can not print my reply). I thought what can they do, kill me. Three and a half hours later, it was all over." In September 1973, Collins was ranked 3rd dan. In November 1975, he competed in Kyokushin's 1st World Tournament, but was defeated by Toshikazu Satō on a judge's decision, following several extensions and a rematch. Following an invitation from Attila Meszaros, Collins emigrated to Sweden in 1977. In 1980, Collins was ranked 4th dan. Oyama promoted him to the rank of 7th dan in 1993. During the World Tournament in Japan October/November 2015 or rather during the seminar afterwards, he got 8th dan.The Shodan (2003), and The Gateway (2004). Currently, he is the head of the Gothenburg Kyokushin dojo in Sweden. ==References==