Philip Smith Senior instructor of Dojo Samurai.

Sensei Philip Smith began training in Wado Karate in 1982 under the then Drogheda Karate club instructor, Philip Nulty, who was then a 3 rd kyu browm belt. After a year or so of training, the club instructor invited Iwasaki Sensei 5 th Dan, our then chief instructorand his squad, to a competition in Drogheda . As a keen karateka Philip was selected on to the Drogheda squad to compete aginest the Dublin team. This was his first experience with a 22 yearr old 1 st kyu called Robert mc Grath. Needless to say Robert done what he did best and well beat Philip, but this was to set in Philip's mind a want to fight and train with this brown belt, whose skill over whelmed everyone at that competition.

The next move for Philip was to train in Gardiner Street Dojo with the elite of Wado karate in Ireland . Some time later when he achieved his 6 th kyu, weekly squad training beckoned. Weekly squad training with Derek Desmond the squad coach was the norm. Eventually getting selected to fight for the national A.I.K.W and O.N.A.K.A.I squad. Winning the All-Ireland men's senior championships in Bolton street college the next year, and runner up in the all-styles men's open weight

Through the years he has trained with many great Wado Senseis and after many years of hard training he graded for his first Dan in 1995 a month after getting joint 3 rd in the Wado Kai European championships in London . 2 nd Dan came 1998 under Wado Kai instructor Mr Sakagami.

In 1996 Philip opened a Dojo in his home town of Drogheda . Philip was all ways drawn to Sensei Robert McGrath's style of teaching since his first experience fighting this legend of Wado back in 1983, and when he learned about the Wado International Karate-do Federation in Ireland, Philip contacted the federation and proceeded in joining the federation and training regularly under Sensei Robert McGrath and this has allowed him to progress to third Dan in 2002 and his Fourth Dan in 2007 under Sensei Tatsuo Suzuki.

Sensei Philip Smith has competed with success at National, European and World WIKF tournaments. Over the last 13 yrs he has helped many karate-ka to obtain both National and European Champion status. Sensei Philip Smith has assisted as Instructor on many of WIKF in Ireland Training Courses.

In 2009 he named his karate school Dojo Samurai , in keeping with the traditional budo, to serve our Irish Chief Instructor, Sensei Robert McGrath 6 th Dan and the founder of W.I.K.F. Professor Suzuki. Under his guidance and disciplined training, the Drogheda School has a number of Shodan and Nidan Grades (first & second dan black belts) to its prestige. Some 40 plus students train regularly at Dojo Samurai. The school has made representation at all training camps under Sensei Tatsuo Suzuki in Europe over the last 3 years, with the intention of maintaining the standard that our Chief Instructor Sensei Robert McGrath demands. The school has now 6 regular training black belts. Peter Kelly 1 st Dan, Karl Doyle 1 st Dan, Sonia Howell 1 st Dan, Padraig Cooney 1 st Dan, Brendan O'Keefe 2 nd Dan and Sarah Lynn 2 nd Dan and Oliver McHugh 2 nd Dan.