The Warrior Women Series - Pauline Bindra 8th Dan

The first in a series of articles compiled by Sensei Pam McMahon on the Warrior Women of Martial Arts.

Sensei Pauline Bindra is an extremely influential figure in the world of karate.  She was the first woman in Britain to grade to Shodan, she eventually reached the rank of 8th Dan and was one of the highest graded female practitioners of Shotokan in the world.

Sensei Bindra was born on 8th January 1945 in Middlesbrough and began training in Judo at the age of 12.  She first discovered Karate through the Middlesbrough British Karate Foundation and was initially funded by her sister as her parents would not have allowed her to train.  At this time, Karate was a male dominated martial art and was considered to be inappropriate for women.

Sensei Bindra began training in Shotokan in 1963 and in the same year, moved to London for work.  She attended Sensei Vernon Bell’s dojo at the Horseshoe pub in the hope of continuing her training.   Sensei Bell was reluctant to accept her into the dojo in the beginning, but she persisted and became one of his students.

In 1965, members of the JKA began to tour Europe and were so successful that Sensei Bell arranged for Sensei Hirokazu Kanazawa to remain and teach for the BKF. When Kanazawa’s year-long contract came to an end, some of the BKF students broke away and founded the KUGB with chief instructors, Senseis Kanazawa and Sensei Enoeda.  Among these students were Sensei Pauline Bindra, Sensei Eddie Whitcher, Sensei Chris Adenou and Sensei Nick Adenou.

In 1967 Sensei Bindra made history by becoming the first woman in Britain to be awarded the grade of !st Dan.  She was graded by Hirokazu Kanazawa and the JKA.

Sensei Bindra developed the reputation of being a tough but fair teacher.  She believed in hard training, stressing the importance of technically correct basics.  She competed in tournaments as well as teaching.  

In the early to mid-1970’s in Britain, women were not allowed to participate in Karate competitions.  Sensei Bindra therefore travelled to New York to compete in a tournament there.  She was only allowed to compete in the male black belt Kata category and she achieved second place.

In 1979, Sensei Bindra married Lee Bindra and the family moved to San Francisco where she taught Karate for three years.

In 1983, the family returned to the UK and Senseis Bindra formed their own association, International Shotokan Karate.  In addition, they later founded Blitz, one of the largest suppliers of Martial Arts equipment in the UK.

Sadly, on 21st July 2010, Sensei Bindra passed away at the age of 65.  She had left an important legacy, particularly as regards the empowerment of women within Karate.  At a time when Karate classes were overwhelmingly male dominated, she ensured that women had the opportunity to train in a supportive environment.  Under her guidance, women of all ages could learn not only Karate, but also the confidence to stand up for themselves in every aspect of life.

Sensei Pauline Bindra’s legacy has transcended the Martial Arts community and annual seminars in her memory continue to unite women and students from all over the world.  She taught courage, strength and self-belief, breaking down barriers and building confidence. Her memory and teachings continue to inspire and challenge us to be better, stronger and more compassionate Martial Artists and individuals.

Sensei Pam McMahon - May 2026