We are extremely fortunate at the Herald Island dojo to be guided by the highest ranking and most senior JKS Instructor in New Zealand.  Sensei Cooper Drent has been training since 1970 and has done so with some of the best the world has to offer, namely Shihan Kanazawa, Shihan Asai, Shihan Kagawa.

Sensei Ian started training in 1980 in England under ESKA (English Shotokan Karate Association).  In 1998 he attained the rank of Shodan with JKANZ under the guidance of Sensei Cooper Drent.  A few years later Ian reconnected with Sensei Cooper under the JKS banner and achieved JKS Shodan in 2017, Nidan in 2019, Sandan in 2022 and Yondan in 2025 at the JKS International Seminar in Tokyo, Japan.