Shihan Lieutenant Colonel J. W. David L. G. Clarke, GA, CVO, ADC

Lieutenant Colonel David Clarke, GA, CVO, ADC, IKD 7th Dan, He is the Medical Liaison Officer of the Barbados Defence Force and the honorary Aide de Camp to the President of Barbados. He is the former national coordinator for the COVID-19 vaccine programme in Barbados. Sensei Clarke was formerly employed by The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation from 1988 to 2020.
He started his karate training in 1978 at the Queen’s College Karate Club under Sensei Peter Harris and transferred to the Barbados Shotokan Karate Club in 1980. He represented Barbados from 1988 to 2000 and was a silver medallist in Kumite at the 1989 ISKF Pan American Championship. He was a member of the first Barbados team to compete at the World Shoto Cup in Tokyo, Japan, in 2000.

Sensei Clarke has been the founding President of the International Karate Daigaku (IKD) since its inception in 2011. He swore in Shuseki Shihan Frank Woon-A-Tai, and Fuku Shuseki Shihan(s) Dr. Dexter Shim and Maureen Woon-A-Tai, both now ninth dan.

He is one of the founding Trustees and chairman of the Barbados Youth Business Trust and the Jamaica Youth Business Trust chairman. He served as chairman of the advisory committee to the Minister of Education Youth and Culture in Barbados from 1994 to 2000 and has been an advisor to several Caribbean Governments on youth developments.

Sensei Clark was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) on October 14, 2003, by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth and promoted to Commander (CVO) in the Queen’s birthday honours on June 17, 2017. He is a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond and Platinum Jubilee Medals and was awarded the Gold Award of Achievement (GA) by the Government of Barbados in November 2021.

Sensei David is married to Dr. Shera Grant-Clarke, and they are proud parents of two children, Akela and Joseph.