Master Banham started martial arts training at age fourteen.  He joined the local Judo club and received training in both Judo and Kyokushinkai Karate from Mr. Richard Cox. Mr. Cox agreed to teach the youngsters Karate after the evenings Judo lessons had ended.  A short time later, a Korean instructor, Mr. Kwon Young-Woo, a 3rd Dan Black Belt in the Taekwondo, began teaching in nearby Norwich. After watching one of his demonstrations both Bob and Mr. Cox began training in Taekwondo. 

In 1972 Mr. Kwon returned to Korea leaving Mr. Cox, 4th Dan, and Mr. Banham, 2nd Dan, in charge of the school. Bob continued teaching and studying traditional Taekwondo for the next twenty years.  During this time he began researching other styles of martial art and subsequently graded to 3rd and 4th Dan in WTF Taekwondo.

Master Banham also pursued studies in shiatsu massage, acupuncture and herbal medicine, and began a career in natural healing which he found to be totally compatible with his martial art training. After spending seven years working at the largest acupuncture clinic in Norwich, Bob travelled abroad for the purpose of studying martial arts and traditional healing systems. He spent six months training and studying in Thailand, the Philippines, and Australia. After returning to Norwich, he re-established his Taekwondo School and married Nicola Millings, one of his students.

In 1992 an advertisement for Han Mu Do in Taekwondo Times re-ignited the spark that had started in 1967. Bob called the headquarters and was informed that he would be very welcome to attend a seminar to be held shortly in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Bob says that taking up that invitation was the single most important thing that had happened to him in his thirty years of studying the martial arts. Meeting Grandmaster Kimm was a breath of fresh air and Bob knew he had at last found the teacher that he had so long been searching for.  Since then, Bob has helped promote Han Mu Do throughout Europe and it is now well established in France, Italy, Holland, and Switzerland, as well as the UK.  Bob was awarded the 6th Dan Black Belt by Dr. Kimm in 2007.