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 chance to spend time overseas.

He said: “I managed to single-handedly secure £500,000 in funding over a three-year cycle - so £1.5million - that included for the World and European Championships. I spent a lot of time in New York and still do.

“I’ve always been more passionate about grassroot levels and the kids rather than the elite performers, which only covers 1% of the sport.

“But we did it because the government likes the country coming back with gold and silver medals. It lifts the nation up.

“But I’m more passionate about the children - and the disabled children in particular - in the community.

“I have a very large passion for autistic children because I was clinically diagnosed with autism in 2006. I teach a lot of autistic children, particularly at the Stour Centre on a Saturday.”

Now 63, Ellis, an eighth Dan black belt, faced severe bullying throughout his school years and has been involved in anti-bullying campaigns. He runs a campaign known as “Isn't It Nice...Being Nice?” aimed at being kind to everyone and undertaking random acts of kindness.

He noted: “I have really been at the forefront of anti-bullying initiatives over the past 32 years.

“My last recollection, when I left Towers School in 1977, I was jumped by four youths. They duct-taped me and chucked me down a ditch.

“Since then, I’ve been championing anti-bullying initiatives right across the country.”

Ellis plans to step aside as chairman of the National Association of Karate and Martial Art Schools in the coming years - but has taken up a part-time paid role as chief executive of the Ashford-based body. He took semi-retirement, aged 54, in 2014.

“I’ve known for some time that I wanted to step down to allow more talent and thoughts to go into the chair,” he stated.

“I want to make an exit at some time, probably within the next three years.

“I’m 63 now and I’ve been in karate in Ashford since I was 16 - and now that I’m getting near retirement, I’m pretty much worn out with it, not from the physical side of it, it’s just the hard work of chairing three national bodies.

“There’s all the rules and government legislations that you have to comply with. It’s not an easy job.”

Ellis has maintained relationships with several of those he has coached.

He recalled: “I was walking down Ashford centre a few weeks ago and this man walked towards me with his wife and two kids.

“He said ‘Hello Joe, how are you?’ and he was 6ft6in, so I shook his hand and we started chatting. After about three or four minutes, he said ‘You don’t remember me, do you?’ and I said ‘I’m trying to think’.

“Then, he put his index finger and thumb together to form a circle - it’s something that I do with the kids and say ‘poke your head through that hole’ - and I said ‘Crikey, that joke has got to be 40-years-old!’ Maybe I need to start changing them!

“He’s now married and his children have started with us.

“There was another child that started with me at Park Farm Recreation Centre in Kingsnorth and she is well into her 20s, and she’s getting married with a baby. She’s one of our black belts.

“Another of our black belts, he started at four and he’s now 26. They have been with us for all of those years.

“All of those years, they just fly by.”