Joe Ellis speaks of working with then-prime minister Tony Blair as Karate England chairman, his links to Ashford, working on anti-bullying campaigns and what’s next for the 63-year-old

In almost 50 years, Joe Ellis has done plenty in his martial arts career.

He chaired Karate England, the All British Karate Organisation and the National Association of Karate and Martial Art Schools. He has also worked closely alongside then-Prime Minister Tony Blair.

With an extensive martial arts background, the former school pupil from Ashford - now a Reverend - started out in the 1970s when the discipline was enjoying a purple patch.

“We had the Bruce Lee era where there was a big boom of karate and martial arts,” he explained. “The take-up in that period was far greater than it is nowadays.

“Covid has done a lot of killing to sports right across the UK.

“The Europeans call the head of each governing body a president, although we call it a chairman in the UK.

“Everywhere I went, we had all these chauffeurs outside airports with ‘Mr President’ signs and, when I saw things like that, I thought it’s a bit more serious than I expected!

“When I decided to take the chairmanship with Karate England, that was the highest point in my career. I was working with Tony Blair and [sports minister] Richard Caborn to unify the sport.

“Because I had a very strong passion for grassroots participation in children, Blair aligned with me quite closely on it. I worked quite closely with Roger Draper at Sport England, as well, for about three years.

“That was the highlight of my career from a political point of view, taking the chairmanship of that body. That allowed me to put my finger on the pulse at national level and to make sure children at the grassroots weren’t being ignored because of the elite performers.

“It helped me influence the direction of the sport in relation to children.”

Ellis’ national roles have presented him with the