Currently the club instructors are Carl Spiller (1st Dan, Black Belt), Rebecca Moreland (1st Kyu, Senior Brown) and Rob Barrett (1st Kyu, Senior Brown). The Club secretary is Lorraine Spiller.

The senior instructor for the association is Sensei Barry Wilkinson (7th Dan, Black Belt).

He passed his first belt (yellow) in July 2000, orange in 2001, green in 2002, blue in 2003, purple in 2004, junior brown in 2004, middle and senior brown in 2005. In 2004 when Carl became a purple grade and more senior he progressed to training 3 times a week.

In 2005 Carl was awarded the Reading Wado-Kai Club's Student of the Year Trophy.

In May 2006 Carl passed his black belt grading achieving a highly respectable 79% in the written paper. Carl also received private tuition from Sensei Russell Kenyon to which he will be eternally grateful. He is now one of the youngest Black Belts in the country for this style of karate and most definitely the youngest in Reading.

The driving force behind Carl wanting to do karate is that it is a good way of keeping fit. Also Carl's older brother used to train in Wado Ryu, also obtaining his black belt, but unfortunately not training anymore. Carl wanted to go that one step further and better his brother, which he has now achieved.

In July 2006 Carl was selected along with 3 other boys for the unique opportunity to go to school and train in Japan for 2 weeks by Sensei Barry Wilkinson. Carl travelled to Japan in September 2006 and he returned with a wealth of knowledge, a keener eye and much sharper techniques.

Carl enjoyed living the Japanese life and the experience so much that he is now busy saving to repeat the trip in the summer of 2008 with his friend Stephen Woods who went with him. This time he would like to experience more of the Japanese culture as well as visiting his host family and sensei Haru.

He has represented England in the art of Kata in Tipton May 2005, 2006 and 2007, Belfast Feb 2005, Feb 2006 and was selected to do so again Feb 2007, but this time also in kumite, and Bristol 2007. His tally of trophies and medals won include 3 gold and 3 silver medals and a bronze. In October 2006 Carl was selected for the England squad competing in Luxembourg. Carl has also appeared on television and has been in the newspapers several times.

Carl's ambitions for karate are to go as far as possible, and he has set his sights on reaching the top. His next grading opportunity will be when he is 18, this is because he can’t take his 2nd Dan before that age. Carl is also looking forward to when he is older and can open his own dojo.

His other interests are playing football on Sundays (karate permitting) for Shinfield Rangers. Carl is also the team captain for his football team.

Rebecca Moreland
Rebecca started karate in the January of 2002. It was her sons who originally wanted to start karate so Rebecca bought them along for a taster session. She decided to take it up herself after seeing what went on even though her sons weren’t interested. She also decided that it was time to keep fit.

Rebecca’s sons have since taken karate up and have progressed to junior brown belts.

After 6 months Rebecca passed her yellow belt in June 2002, orange in Sept 2002, Green December 2002, Blue May 2003, Purple December 2003, Junior Brown December 2004, middle Brown September 2005 and Senior Brown in December 2006.
 
In October 2006 Rebecca took on the responsibility along with Rob to run the Reading club and become a senior instructor, teaching children at the South Reading Youth and Community Centre after the departure of Sensei Wilkinson.
 
Rebecca gets personal satisfaction from passing on what she’s learnt to the lower grades and has a massive sense of achievement when the youngsters pass their syllabus gradings.
 
Rebecca is also a full time wife to husband Gary and mother to three boys aged 15, 13 and 10. She also works as a LSA (learning support assistant) with disabled children at Ryeish Green Comprehensive School.
 
Rebeccas other hobbies when she has time are riding her Harley Davidson motorbike, rock ‘n’ roll conventions and cooking.
 
Rebecca is aiming to pass her 1st Dan (black belt) grading in the near future along with passing her NVQ level 3 as a teaching assistant.

Rob Barrett
In April 2000 Rob agreed to start karate training during a drunken night out with old university friend, Richard Moore. Sensei Moore had recently taken on the Wokingham Karate Club and was keen to increase the number of members. After being reminded of his promise the next day, Rob had his very first karate lesson the following Friday and after a few weeks was hooked, grading for his 8th Kyu (Yellow) later that year.

At the start of 2001 Rob started additional training at Bracknell under Sensei Jannet Bowden achieving 7th Kyu in March that year.

Following a move to West Reading, Rob started additional training at the Reading Wado Club under Sensei Marcus Bowden, achieving 6th Kyu (Green) in December 2001, 5th Kyu (Blue) in March 2002 and 4th Kyu in December 2002.

In the summer of 2003 Rob started training at Thatcham Karate Club under Sensei Paul Knight and has been training there and at the Reading Club ever since.

After Sensei Marcus left the Reading Club, Rob continued to train, being taught by Senseis Barry Wilkinson and Russel Kenyon; achieving 3rd Kyu (junior brown) in December 2004, 2nd Kyu (middle brown) in December 2005 and 1st Kyu (senior brown) in March 2007.

Currently Rob is instructing the Children's classes at Reading Karate Club and is working towards his 1st Dan (black belt).

When he isn't karate training, Rob works as a graphic/ web designer and spends his spare time participating in, and coaching, white-water kayaking with the Adventure Dolphin Centre in Pangbourne as a Coach Level 3 (kayak).

Rob is also a qualified first aider (Royal Berkshire Ambulance Service Trained) and has been CRB checked.

Lorraine Spiller
After watching her son Carl progressing through the Kyu grades, Lorraine decided that 'if you can't beat them, join them' and took on the role of Club Secretary in 2002. Since then she has seen us through several Senseis and organised our relocation to the South Reading Youth and Community Centre in May 2006.

Lorraine's duties include bookkeeping, banking, the purchase of club equipment and clothing, putting up posters, delivering flyers, taking karate fees and much much more. As Club Secretary, Lorraine is the hub of the Reading Karate Club and even manages to keep the instructors in line!

After constant nagging by her son Carl about starting karate. Lorraine finally gave in and started training in February 2007.
In May 2007 Lorraine passed her 8th Kyu (yellow) grading.

Lorraine holds a child protection certificate in sport and a paediatric first aid certificate.