A History of the Club
Tae Kwon Do instruction in Watton and Shipdham began in 1985, taught by Ian Soame (the current Chief Instructor of SMA) under the umbrella of the Dereham and District Tae Kwon Do club.
Saracen Martial Arts was founded in 1988 by Ian and his co-instructor Ray Morley, after their instructor Mr John Wright left Norfolk to start a new life for himself in Scotland. Ian and Ray, already interested in the United Kingdom Martial Arts Federation (UKMAF) with its insurance schemes and coaching courses, decided to break from their colleagues in Dereham (formerly part of the Eastern Region Tae Kwon Do Association, ERTA).
A senior student in the old club, Dave Robb, became Saracen Martial Arts’ first Black Belt for Ian and Ray. Unfortunately Ray, who worked in the RAF, was promoted and posted to Germany. This handed the sole running of the club to Ian, with able assistance from Dave Robb, to continue the gradual expansion of Tae Kwon Do in the area.
The growth of the club accelerated following Black Belt promotions in the mid 1990s of instructors, who then opened new clubs in both Norfolk and Suffolk. So it continues today, with the many experienced and friendly team of instructors who are proud to be part of the Saracen Martial Arts ‘family’.
Ian’s Martial Arts History
Ian has been practising Tae Kwon Do since 1982 and achieved 1st Dan in 1987 with the Ji Do Kwan, run locally in East Anglia by Master Richard Cox and club instructor John Wright. Following a break-up of the association shortly afterwards, Ian joined the UKASKO / UKMAF in 1988 and was promoted to 2nd Dan in 1990.
Ian was in the UKMAF top ten instructors since 1997, in the top five since 2001, and in the top two since 2003 (often being the top instructor in the UK). This level of success has been made possible with the help and co-operation of the club’s many capable instructors.
In 2013, Ian and his senior team of instructors took the difficult decision to leave UKMAF – certainly not through any issues with this wonderful association, but because the time was right for the club to stand on its own two feet.
Ian has always maintained that Black Belt gradings should be carried out by an independent Grandmaster – this not only gives Black Belt candidates a greater experience, but it also keeps Ian and his team ‘on their toes’! So it was fortuitous that, through international competitions at the time, the club struck a lasting friendship with Grandmaster Freddy Kleinschwaerzer, who agreed to be our guest examiner at our Black Belt gradings.
Ian’s Dan grading successes have culminated in his promotion to 8th Dan in 2024, under Grandmaster Freddy.
Apart from holding an 8th Dan Black Belt, Ian is a qualified Black Belt examiner (initially through UKMAF, latterly through KIAB) and undertakes many Dan gradings. He also holds a Level 3 coaching qualification (Coaching Assessment Officer) and conducts regular instructor coaching courses.
Following on from the teachings of his instructor, Ian believes in cross-training with other styles, believing that with mutual respect and appreciation all can learn and develop. Ian has trained in many different styles, including Shotokan Karate, Wing Chun Kung Fu, Capoeira, Kickboxing, Tai Chi, Ju Jitsu and Kombat Kobudo. He has also welcomed self-defence experts from the military and national and international police forces to conduct seminars.
Ian’s success as Chief Instructor can be measured by the success of our club’s students – as at July 2025, the club has produced 310 Black Belt Dan grade passes:
Ian founded Saracen Martial Arts in 1985 with Ray Morley, a serving NCO in the RAF. Following Ray’s departure to foreign soils, Ian took over the running of Saracen Martial Arts in 1988 with the capable assistance of Saracen’s first Black Belt, Dave Robb, now 7th Dan.
Saracen Martial Arts has created ‘An Encyclopaedia of Tae Kwon Do’ CD-ROM with the help of producer Dr Phil Davies, and large numbers have been sold across the world.
Ian is married to Teresa and they have 3 children – Portia, Connor and Sadie. Portia holds a 2nd Dan and Connor holds a 4th Dan Black Belt (Sadie is quite handy with a hockey stick, apparently!).
Dave’s Martial Arts History
Dave started training with Master Ian Soame, 8th Dan Black Belt, in 1984 and achieved 1st Dan Black Belt status in 1989, culminating in his 7th Dan in 2021. Apart from Tae Kwon Do, Dave has enjoyed training in various martial arts, including Wing Chun, Judo, Aikido, Rapid Arnis and Jujitsu.
Dave achieved his Level 1 Coaching in 1996, Level 2 Coaching in 1998, and his UKASKO / UKMAF Black Belt Dan Grading Examiner qualification in 2000. Dave is also a qualified First Aider.
Dave was Saracen Martial Arts’ first Black Belt and is currently running training classes at Great Hockham in Norfolk.
Dave is married to Lynne (also a 6th Dan Master and Level 2 Coach) and has 2 children, Lauren & Megan. Lauren & Megan are 4th and 3rd Dan Black Belts respectively.
Saracen Martial Arts – The Name
Many people have queried the name ‘Saracen’ over the years. To help understand the reasoning behind the name, you need to know a little about the state of Tae Kwon Do in Norfolk in the mid-80s (plus a little bit of English history).
Tae Kwon Do was taught as a very ‘hard’ style at the time, with a large element of contact, painful forced stretching and ancient warm-up techniques. Many students were forced to stop training, not due to accidents but to inadequate and inappropriate stretching and warm-ups. This was ‘the way it had always been done’ and not to be questioned.
During the Great Crusade, our Christian fighters called the Saracens (who were defending their holy land) the ‘unbelievers’. This was because they did not believe in Christianity and had their own God. The Saracens did believe in a god, but not the same one – and because of this, the English considered them unbelievers. No one questioned their fighting ability, though.
At Saracen Martial Arts, we did not believe that things always had to be done a certain way – insurance for all should be encouraged, warm-ups should reflect the most modern scientific ideas, and a Tae Kwon Do club should interact with other martial arts styles. We were the ‘unbelievers’ in the then-current world of Tae Kwon Do, and hence Saracen was adopted as the name of our association.
Of course, recent history has proven us correct, with most martial arts styles now being forced to modernise or risk the possibility of legal proceedings.
Tae Kwon Do is taught here with traditional respect and discipline, and with no weakening of techniques – they must still work. It’s just that members are all protected by quality insurance, instructors undergo quality coaching qualifications, and complacency is outlawed!
