Details surrounding Mr Thornton are vague (Picture: Facebook)

Leading British martial artists were perplexed when a karate ‘master’ was awarded an MBE – because none of them had heard of him.

‘Professor’ Alan Stanley Thornton – a self-described 10th Dan Red Belt in ‘Sensai Seisshinryu Shihandokai’ karate – was awarded the accolade in the Queen’s birthday honours list, but leading figures in karate from across the UK had heard of neither the man, nor his branch of the sport.

‘I have no idea who he is,’ David ‘Ticky’ Donovan OBE, who coached the English and British karate team for more than 20 years, told the Daily Mail.

‘If he’s a 10th Dan, then I would have heard of him.’




Wayne Otto OBE, who won five World Championship gold medals, was also confused by the 53-year-old’s award.

It has been suggested Mr Thornton is not who he says he is (Picture: Facebook)

‘I can honestly say that I have never heard of him.

‘A 10th Dan is pretty rare – there are only very few in this country and I’m pretty sure I know who they are.’

Both British Council of Chinese Martial Arts secretary Bob Weatherall and a spokesperson for the English Karate Federation also said they had not heard of him.

Mr Thornton, from Brentford, told the Daily Mail he was awarded the title of professor by a Japanese organisation called ‘Juko-kai’

He also claims a BSc and a doctorate in ‘naturopathic studies’ but could not initially remember the institution before citing the ‘Institute of Natural Therapy’ in India.

Mr Thornton also claims the title of The Most Noble the Duke of Clermont de Tornesse, given to him by ‘a friend’.

‘Anyone can invent an organisation or a martial art and label themselves a 10th Dan,’ said Mr Otto.

A Cabinet Office spokesman told the Daily Mail:

‘The nomination for Professor Alan Stanley Thornton was considered on merit by the relevant independent committee, in this case the Sport Committee.’