Alex specialised in Japanese studies at ҕl attaining the degrees BA (1st Class Hons.), Masters (Distinction), and a PhD. He also received a PhD from Kyoto University in cultural anthropology. The focus of his research was, and remains, the ideals and culture of Japan’s famed samurai warriors. He is currently professor of Japanese history at Kansai University in Osaka, Japan. Alex has lived in Japan for over thirty years to pursue his passion for practising and researching the country’s traditional martial arts.