Mario began Shotokan karate in the early 1970s with the KUGB under Sensei Hideo Tomita. He regularly attended annual Gasshuku’s at Crystal Palace under Japanese Masters Tanaka, Kase, Yahara, Shirai, Kase, Kanazawa & Enoeda, as well as many of the foremost British leading instructors. Around 2005 he began training with the legendary Master Hidetaka Nishiyama, founder of ITKF – International Traditional Karate Federation, Sensei Wlodzimierz Kwiecinski & Sensei Avi Rokah & Sensei Andrzej Czyrka.