Instructors
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Karen Dowse
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Karen Dowse  Karen started training in Taekwondo in September 2001 at the age of 14. within six months she won gold at the British Championships. Since then she has gone from strength to strength winning many different national titles. Four years later she was graded for her 1st degree black belt achieving a high credit pass, one of only six awarded in the whole of the UK. In 2006 Karen qualified as a
That year she also made preparations, working with Mr Skidmore and Master Gayle, to make the PUMA England Squad as well as being picked to fight in the four nations international fight night returning with Silver on her first outing. Karen was selected for the ITF squad to fight for England at the 2007 ITF World Championships winning a bronze medal in one of the toughest tournaments in the world. Karen also passed her 2nd degree black belt in 2007 once again achieving a high credit pass. Karen then passed her 3rd degree black belt with another high credit pass in April 2010. All these achievements by the time she was 21 years old! Karen teaches at both the Midsomer Norton and Bristol schools and enjoys this aspect of her training by passing on her knowledge and experience to others. She feels very proud to play a part in the achievements of other students when they pass gradings or or do well in tournaments. Taekwondo has become a huge influence in Karens life and she has always enjoyed her training and her role within DES TKD and PUMA which has given her a purpose and somewhere to channel her talents to reach her goals. "Mr Skidmore teaches us to be highly motivated and we all enjoy representing the school at tournaments, demonstrations and seminars as well as the social aspect of the club." One of Miss Dowse's proudest moments in Taekwondo is seeing her Little Pumas progress in their training. "When some of them start they won't even talk and are so shy, seeing them a few months later thriving and full of confidence is fantastically rewarding. Every time they pass a grading or do well at a tournament it makes you feel very proud of them." One of Karen's most personal memorable achievements was the day when Mr Skidmore told her that she had passed her 1st degree black belt and when she first tied it around her waist. "After you spend so long working so hard for something that means so much, the feeling doesn't get much better. Some people perhaps don't understand it until they do it for themselves." Awards
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