Meet the team.
Darrel Bedford
Founder & Chief Instructor
Martial Arts Background & Role at the Dojo
Darrel is the founder of MMA and oversees all technical elements, including syllabus and content. He has trained for 41 years and taught for more than 30, covering karate, kickboxing, kobudo, jujitsu, judo, and close-quarter combat. He also oversees all first-aid training at the Dojo.
Achievements, Influences & Contributions
Darrel has travelled worldwide for nearly 15 years to learn from top instructors and bring their knowledge back to the Dojo. He recently transitioned the dojo to a more functional karate style that blends with other arts. Darrel also established a UK branch of the Goju Ryu Kenpoukai, creating direct links to Sensei Yoshio Kuba at the Kenbukan Honbu Dojo in Okinawa, Japan. This is a fantastic achievement for the Dojo, and he is currently the Head of the UK Branch of the Kenpoukai. He has been inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame on several occasions for his contributions to the martial arts.
Life Outside Martial Arts
Darrel is a frontline paramedic with 20 years in the Yorkshire Ambulance Service and previously served as a nurse, totalling 26 years in the NHS. He enjoys travelling, training, walking, video games, and 3D printing. He is an 80's child at heart and has a large LEGO and Transformers collection.
Darrel is the founder of MMA and oversees all technical elements, including syllabus and content. He has trained for 41 years and taught for more than 30, covering karate, kickboxing, kobudo, jujitsu, judo, and close-quarter combat. He also oversees all first-aid training at the Dojo.
Achievements, Influences & Contributions
Darrel has travelled worldwide for nearly 15 years to learn from top instructors and bring their knowledge back to the Dojo. He recently transitioned the dojo to a more functional karate style that blends with other arts. Darrel also established a UK branch of the Goju Ryu Kenpoukai, creating direct links to Sensei Yoshio Kuba at the Kenbukan Honbu Dojo in Okinawa, Japan. This is a fantastic achievement for the Dojo, and he is currently the Head of the UK Branch of the Kenpoukai. He has been inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame on several occasions for his contributions to the martial arts.
Life Outside Martial Arts
Darrel is a frontline paramedic with 20 years in the Yorkshire Ambulance Service and previously served as a nurse, totalling 26 years in the NHS. He enjoys travelling, training, walking, video games, and 3D printing. He is an 80's child at heart and has a large LEGO and Transformers collection.
Sarah Moss
Co-Founder and Senior Instructor
Martial Arts Background & Role at the Dojo
Sarah is the co-founder of Modern Martial Arts and serves as Joint Chief Instructor. With around 35 years of dedicated training, she has spent the majority of that time teaching across multiple disciplines, including several styles of karate, kickboxing, kobudo, kobujutsu, and Japanese jujitsu. She also acts as our Designated Safeguarding Lead, ensuring the safety and well-being of all our students.
Achievements, Influences & Contributions
Sarah is a 5th Dan black belt in karate and holds black belts in several other martial arts. She is the creator of our Little Champions programme, developing it from the ground up and seeing it grow into one of our most popular offerings.
She has travelled and trained in Okinawa, Japan and Thailand, honing her skills on the mat at every opportunity. She is a member of the Black Belt Hall of Fame.
Life Outside Martial Arts
Outside the dojo, Sarah has built a successful career in education and is currently a Senior Leader in a secondary school. Her strong background in teaching, coaching, and child development consistently shines through on the mat, where her sessions are known for being engaging, structured, and supportive.
Sarah is the co-founder of Modern Martial Arts and serves as Joint Chief Instructor. With around 35 years of dedicated training, she has spent the majority of that time teaching across multiple disciplines, including several styles of karate, kickboxing, kobudo, kobujutsu, and Japanese jujitsu. She also acts as our Designated Safeguarding Lead, ensuring the safety and well-being of all our students.
Achievements, Influences & Contributions
Sarah is a 5th Dan black belt in karate and holds black belts in several other martial arts. She is the creator of our Little Champions programme, developing it from the ground up and seeing it grow into one of our most popular offerings.
She has travelled and trained in Okinawa, Japan and Thailand, honing her skills on the mat at every opportunity. She is a member of the Black Belt Hall of Fame.
Life Outside Martial Arts
Outside the dojo, Sarah has built a successful career in education and is currently a Senior Leader in a secondary school. Her strong background in teaching, coaching, and child development consistently shines through on the mat, where her sessions are known for being engaging, structured, and supportive.
Helen Longfield
Senior Instructor and SENCO Lead
Martial Arts Background & Role at the Dojo
Helen is a Senior Instructor at Modern Martial Arts and serves as our designated Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO). Highly skilled in kickboxing, she is also a qualified Boxercise Instructor, bringing energy, structure, and technical precision to every session she leads.
Achievements, Influences & Contributions
Helen has taken the lead on our Little Champions programme, adding her own unique expertise and nurturing style to further develop it into a well-rounded, engaging system for pre-school martial arts. Her dedication and impact have earned her our prestigious Instructor of the Year award, as well as several other recognitions for excellence.
Life Outside Martial Arts
Outside the dojo, Helen has spent much of her career teaching in primary education, which shines through in her exceptional rapport with our younger students. Her sessions are warm, supportive, and expertly structured thanks to her deep understanding of child development.
A passionate fitness enthusiast, Helen can often be found heading out on one of her “small” runs—though most people would need months of training to keep up! She also enjoys long walks with her beloved dog, Stella. In addition, Helen is a talented amateur photographer who regularly captures fantastic moments in and around the dojo, using just her trusty camera phone!.
Both her children, whilst now grown up, hold black belts in multiple styles from MMA, having trained with us for many years.
Helen is a Senior Instructor at Modern Martial Arts and serves as our designated Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO). Highly skilled in kickboxing, she is also a qualified Boxercise Instructor, bringing energy, structure, and technical precision to every session she leads.
Achievements, Influences & Contributions
Helen has taken the lead on our Little Champions programme, adding her own unique expertise and nurturing style to further develop it into a well-rounded, engaging system for pre-school martial arts. Her dedication and impact have earned her our prestigious Instructor of the Year award, as well as several other recognitions for excellence.
Life Outside Martial Arts
Outside the dojo, Helen has spent much of her career teaching in primary education, which shines through in her exceptional rapport with our younger students. Her sessions are warm, supportive, and expertly structured thanks to her deep understanding of child development.
A passionate fitness enthusiast, Helen can often be found heading out on one of her “small” runs—though most people would need months of training to keep up! She also enjoys long walks with her beloved dog, Stella. In addition, Helen is a talented amateur photographer who regularly captures fantastic moments in and around the dojo, using just her trusty camera phone!.
Both her children, whilst now grown up, hold black belts in multiple styles from MMA, having trained with us for many years.
Wendy Garton
Senior Instructor and Compliance Officer
Martial Arts Background & Role at the Dojo
Wendy is a Senior Instructor at Modern Martial Arts and serves as our designated Compliance Officer, ensuring all regulatory processes are managed with her sharp eye for detail. Skilled in kickboxing, karate, and kobudo, she has a broad and versatile skill set that allows her to teach confidently across multiple disciplines within the dojo.
Achievements, Influences & Contributions
Wendy has recently been undertaking rigorous training to assist with the transition of karate styles within the dojo and travelling to Okinawa several times. A former competitor, she has earned multiple titles throughout her martial arts career — including success at the World Championships.
Life Outside Martial Arts
With a diverse background spanning property, transport, and other business ventures, Wendy brings a wealth of organisational and practical skills to MMA, making her exceptionally well-suited to her compliance role. She is a qualified Emergency Medic and is currently studying to become a Counsellor.
Outside the dojo, Wendy enjoys staying active through running and walking. Martial arts is very much a family affair for her too — her teenage son, who began training in MMA at around 4 years old, now holds black belts in both karate and kickboxing and has travelled to Thailand with his Mum twice to train with some of the best Instructors in the world. Something he took in his stride.
Wendy is a Senior Instructor at Modern Martial Arts and serves as our designated Compliance Officer, ensuring all regulatory processes are managed with her sharp eye for detail. Skilled in kickboxing, karate, and kobudo, she has a broad and versatile skill set that allows her to teach confidently across multiple disciplines within the dojo.
Achievements, Influences & Contributions
Wendy has recently been undertaking rigorous training to assist with the transition of karate styles within the dojo and travelling to Okinawa several times. A former competitor, she has earned multiple titles throughout her martial arts career — including success at the World Championships.
Life Outside Martial Arts
With a diverse background spanning property, transport, and other business ventures, Wendy brings a wealth of organisational and practical skills to MMA, making her exceptionally well-suited to her compliance role. She is a qualified Emergency Medic and is currently studying to become a Counsellor.
Outside the dojo, Wendy enjoys staying active through running and walking. Martial arts is very much a family affair for her too — her teenage son, who began training in MMA at around 4 years old, now holds black belts in both karate and kickboxing and has travelled to Thailand with his Mum twice to train with some of the best Instructors in the world. Something he took in his stride.
