John Napier-Winch, JP, GCOB
Inducted into the A..M.A.H.O.F.(Inc) for 1999
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE MARTIAL ARTS
Inducted into the W.K.U.H.O.F. for 1999
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE MARTIAL ARTS
Sensei John Napier-Winch was born on 29th December, 1947, in Subiaco, Western Australia. He is married with three children and has a varied background in areas of engineering, martial arts instructing, writer and genealogy during his working life. He has held various managing and directorships in his professional carreer.
Sensei Napier-Winch started ju-jutsu at Johnson’s Nollamara club training under Frank Tydeman in 1956. Three years later he started Shotokan Karate at Nollamara training under Masutaro Kanegai from Broome and in 1963 became a founding member of the W.A. Karate Association (inc). For the following three years he studied Judo as well as karate and became an assistant instructor. In 1972 he was promoted to Chief instructor for the W.A. Karate Association and the following year elected President and held the position until 1986.
From 1973 to 1986 Sensei Napier-Winch won every W.A.K.A. Kata championship. In 1974 he was Elected Chairman for the W.A. Martial Arts Council and held this position until 1994. In 1975 he was a Judge & referee at the W.A. Kempo-kai championships. In 1978 he was awarded the W.A.K.A. Black Belt of the Year and he produced a documentary film on Karate. During the same year he was selected to be the personal bodyguard for Bob Hope and Sammy Davis Jnr during their respective tours to Perth. In 1979 he was awarded the Parmelia-Hilton Achievement Award and in 1980 he was again selected to act as bodyguard for Sammy Davis Jnr.
He was a Judge for the Australian Open Martial Arts Championships in 1981, and in 1983 was Chief Judge at the W.A. Martial Arts Federation State tournament and a Judge for the W.A. Budokan Karate Championships in both 1984 & 1985 and also the Chairman for the W.A. Martial Arts Federation State Tournament in 1985.
In 1985 he assisted Goheki Sensei in a demonstration of Iaido at Mt. Lawley. Later that year he was selected to be the personal bodyguard for Tom Jones while he was touring Perth. In 1986 he travelled to Japan and demonstrated karate and laido in Tokyo and Osaka. The following year he assisted Master Matsuno in a demonstration of laido and Kodachi-jutsu at Mt. Lawley during his visit to Perth. The same year Sensei Napier-Winch was selected to represent the W.A. Karate Association at the headquarters of the Shotokan, Tokyo, Japan and became President of the Traditional Shotokan Karate-do Association (inc) and held that position until 1990.
Sensei John Napier-Winch was awarded the title Lord in 1987 by HEH Prince Jah, Nizam of Hyderabad, with whom he was employed as an adviser between 1982 and 1995.
In 1989 he was appointed as Chief instructor for Karate for the Takenouchi-Hangan-Ryu-Matsuno-Kan (Shin-no Shinto-ryu), Kobe, Japan by the Headmaster Sensei Tsuneyoshi Matsuno who in 1995 granted the title of Headmaster of his own school – the Matsuno-Winch-ryu. In 1990 he became the President for the Society of Ancient Martial Arts and has held that position since.
In 1994 he was appointed a Justice of the Peace was also appointed Deputy Chairman for the W.A. Martial Arts Licensing Board Steering Committee by Wayde Smith JP, MLA who was the Chairman. While on this board John was involved in drafting recommendations to the W.A Government and compiling the Act for Parliament on behalf of Wayde Smith.
In 1996 he helped found the Australian Martial Arts Federation (inc) and was elected President. During his years in the Martial arts he has been the Editor for all the newsletters for both the W.A. Karate Association and the W.A. Martial Arts Federation. And has been the author of:
- W.A. Martial Arts History, 1989
- Nyumon Nishikai Shotokan, 1981
- Shotokan Karate-do, 1991
- Budo-jutsu, 1993
- Winch Origins 1991 and Winch & Associated Families 1997
- Many articles for Australian and International Magazines.
He has been Included in:
- Who’s Who in the World 1993/ 94/ 95/ 96/ 97/ 98
- 500 Leaders of Influence 1995
- Dictionary of International Biography, Cambridge 1995
- Australian Roll Of Honour – Justices of the Peace 1998
Main instructors of Lord John Napier-Winch who influenced him the most:
- Frank Tydeman, Perth’s first Japanese trained ju-jutsu instructor.
- Masutaro Kanagai, Perth’s first Karate instructor. A student of Funakoshi.
- Brian Waites, who ran Perth’s first Kyokushin Karate school.
- Jim Kirk, Perth’s first JKA Shotokan instructor. A student of Tanaka. Motonobu
- Hironishi & Motohiro Yanagisawa of the “Shotokan” Japan.
- Master Tsuneyoshi Matsuno, headmaster of the Takenouchi-Hangan-Ryu-Matsuno-Kan. Master Matsuno has been Lord John’s instructor in traditional Japanese martial arts since March 1986 and specialises in Iai-tameshi-giri-do, Kodachi-jutsu & hanbo-jutsu. Lord John has been designated to succeed Master Matsuno as Headmaster of the Takenouchi-Hangan-Ryu-Matsuno-Kan.
Sensei Napier-Winch has been awarded the following grades:
4th dan Iai-tameshi-giri-do, 1997, awarded by Master Matsuno.
5th dan ju-jutsu, 1989, approved by Master Matsuno.
6th dan Karate, 1991, approved by Master Matsuno.
Headmaster of own school, 1995, awarded by Master Matsuno.
7th dan Karate by the Society of Ancient Martial Arts, 1994.
7th dan Karate by the Australian Martial Arts Federation, 1997.
8th dan Bujutsu by the Sekai Budo Renmei, 1998.