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About Us

Who are Nine Circles?

Established in 1994, Nine Circles has proudly grown to become Europe's leading supplier of traditional Japanese Budo equipment. Our mission is to supply top quality Budogu at competitive prices, delivered with an outstanding customer experience.

In 2021 we opened Nine Circles EU, a branch of Nine Circles based in the heart of Europe in southern Germany. Nine Circles has been created to improve our service to our EU customers and to offer the same fast, simple EU purchases our community is used to receiving.

Our new EU website and distribution hub mean that we can support the European Kendo, Iaido and Aikido communities better than ever before. Importantly, as a company, we are re-joining the EU, which means that our EU customers will not incur extra import costs or delays on arrival of their orders.  It’s business as usual despite Brexit and our aim to make life as simple as possible for our beloved EU communities.

We cater primarily to Iaido, Kendo and Aikido customers, however our extensive product ranges also provide for the needs of Jodo, Ninpo and Koryu Bujutsu practitioners the world over.

Nine Circles are the sole European distributors for a number of the world's leading Budogu manufacturers and we continue to invest in the development of an ever improving product range.

Our experienced team offer an unrivalled sales and advisory service. If you require advice or assistance on any aspect of our products ranges or service, don't hesitate to contact us.

 

Quentin Ball

Founder & Managing Director

In 1994 Quentin returned to the UK after spending four years in Japan, studying the Gendai and Koryu Budo arts at their origin. Soon after, Nine Circles was conceived with the aim of fulfilling the demand for high quality Budo equipment directly from Japan. A respected practitioner and teacher, Quentin has been involved in classical Budo for over 35 years and regularly visits the Far East to both further his practice and to source equipment capable of satisfying the high standards expected by our clients.

Wendy Davis

Financial Director

Involved as an advisor and accountant to Nine Circles since its inception, Wendy has now assumed a direct role in the business, managing financial and budgetary responsibilities and company policy. With her immense experience, accumulated over a long career working with corporate clients and SME’s, Wendy’s input is invaluable to the future growth of Nine Circles as we develop and diversify to best serve our customers present and future needs.

Martyn Reeves

Sales Manager

Joining the company in 2001, Martyn’s role has evolved naturally as Nine Circles has grown into the mature business seen today. With over 22 years of combined study of Koryu Japanese and Taoist internal martial arts, Martyn’s intimate knowledge of the Nine Circles range enables him to offer expert advice and guidance to beginners and experts alike. Client relationships and an outstanding customer experience are a top priority for us at Nine Circles and Martyn and his team are available as your first point of contact for any assistance required.

Tais Moreno

Customer Champion

Originally from Brazil, Tais is a talented Kenshi, a member of the Portuguese national team and two time Portuguese national champion. Tais relocated to the UK in 2018 and is a very active member of the Denshinkan Kendo Dojo in Cardiff. Speaking fluent English, Portuguese, Spanish and basic Japanese, Tais is not only our customer champion but chief content creator and social media guru. Joining the Nine Circles family in 2020, Tais depth of product knowledge, friendly nature and first-hand experience make her the perfect person to trust with the happiness of our highly valued customers.

Neville Bond

Warehousing & Distribution Manager

Responsible for all aspects of warehouse management and stock distribution, Neville joined the Nine Circles team in 2017. An avid Taiko drummer and Japanese culture enthusiast Neville handles everything from goods in, though stock taking, warehouse organisation and engraving production, to picking, checking and packing. Neville is an efficient and central facilitator in guaranteeing our fast delivery times and the availability of our comprehensive range.

Lee Marshall

Sales Advisor

The latest addition to our sales team joining in 2017, Lee has a working background in the stationary industry but now stands ready to prove the sword is in fact, mightier than the pen. A keen martial artist, Lee's outstanding customer service skills have strengthened our sales and advisory service still further in our quest for excellence.