Martial arts battler is UK's first woman 'master'
Monday, 10 August 2009
A martial arts expert who has been in a long battle against cancer has become the first woman in the UK to become a master in the tsuyoi ryu form of karate.
And as if that wasn’t enough, Sandra Beale has taken on a myriad of other responsibilities.
When she was aged just nine, she found a tennis ball sized lump under her arm which eventually led to having two ribs removed, long stays in hospital, and a doctor telling her parents she only had a 50-50 chance of pulling through.
But she showed what a dramatic fighter she was going to become, and beat the cancer, for now at least.
She has been director of operations at the Herne Bay based National Association of Karate and Martial Art Schools for 17 years.
Now the 41-year-old has passed the 5th Dan karate grade in tsuyoi ryu karate – making her a master, or ‘shihan’.
Sandra, from Herne Bay, said she used to accompany her husband’s trips to karate lessons and did things like take the register.
She said: “I get bored, and thought I would try it out, and found I loved it.
“It is a great honour to achieve my 5th Dan. I could never have imagined achieving this level. Without the support of my husband and the constant dedication and loyalty of my students, I wouldn't have reached this stage.”
She is married to Joe Ellis, the chairman of NAKMAS, which has 73,000 members.
As a youngster Sandra was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare form of cancer.
After surgery, radiotherapy and two years of chemotherapy she survived, but the extensive treatment caused other illnesses, including damage to the heart.
As Sandra grew older, she developed skin cancer, and recently needed hip resurfacing, which is an alternative treatment to his replacement.
She said: “I still have to go back for checkups every year, and it was only in the last four years that I stopped being under the paediatric unit, which was quite amusing.
“I told them that perhaps it was time I went to the adult unit.
“I am hoping everything is behind me now, but all this has gone on for so long I am used to it and just take it all in my stride now. I can’t dwell on it. I just got on with it.
“The consultant who saved my life and has been treating me all my life sadly died fairly recently, ironically from a brain tumour, so that was very sad for me.”
Sandra has been practising karate for 18 years and is also the joint chief instructor to the Kent Karate Schools.
She teaches classes in Ashford and Canterbury, specialising in teaching children, including those with Asperger Syndrome and those with other special needs.
Away from her many martial arts commitments, Sandra's true passion is dance and she has competed in professional dance competitions since she was four years-old. She continues to dance, practising and teaching alongside her father, Alan.
Sandra is also an academic and attained a Master of Arts in education from the University of Kent. She is about to commence study for a doctorate in education at the Sheffield Hallam University, specialising in autism within sport and physical activity.
“I like to keep myself busy,” she said.
Richard Fowler, deputy chairman of NAKMAS National Governing Body, said: “Not only is Sandra a valuable asset to the NAKMAS team, she is also an inspiration to others faced with adversity, a role model for other women and an example of someone who commits themselves to overcoming any challenge.
"To become the first woman shihan is testament to Sandra's determination and, add to that what she has achieved for NAKMAS, illustrates her importance to the martial arts in the UK.
NAKMAS has taken giant leaps in developing a nationwide strategy for martial arts, and Sandra can take a lot of the credit for being one of the architects of that progress."
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