"We all get told stories by our parents as we grow up.  The strongest memories I have of stories told by Sandi, my Mum are of Budokan. 

 

A child of the 50's with a rebellious streak I know she was difficult for her parents to handle as a young woman, running away more than once - and running with a colourful crowd.  When Budokan came into her life, the discipline and the people meant more to her than anything she had felt before.  

 

Sadly we lost our Mum too young. I wish she had kept with the practice and the people - but it was not to be. A spiritual person, she connected with the practice, the teacher (Dave Passmore) and fellow student (Dave Wills), from my memory this was perhaps the happiest period of her life.

 

A great mum to my three sisters and me, a character with strong opinions, we miss her greatly.  If she were alive now she would be so proud to be on this list amongst the other yudansha whom she loved so much. "

 

My own recollections follow;

Sandi was bold, headstrong, true to her convictions, and very forthright.

Starting her karate career in her late teens at the original 1972 Northolt dojo, with Sensei Passmore, then Nidan, she rapidly showed a talent for martial arts. She can truly be considered a founder of the Northolt dojo.  She had excellent technique and became the inspiration for many more ladies and girls to join the dojo, and the subsequent Harrow dojo, in those early days. She also worked with Sensei to develop "feminine" versions of the basic kata, though this experiment eventually stopped. Typically, Sandi herself preferred the traditional forms! She was graded to Shodan. 

Sandi moved to Cornwall when her first child, Lee, was born and eventually settled in Devon. 

She became an accomplished gardener. 

She was a diehard supporter of animal rights and humane animal husbandry. She was a staunch and loyal supporter to those she identified as friends, and of course, her family. 

She brought up her four children mostly on her own, all of whom, unsurprisingly, given her own character, became strong, independent, and successful individuals in their own spheres. 

She died unfortunately young, leaving her son, three beautiful daughters, and three boisterous grandsons.