F.A.Q’s

Q1. How old do you have to be to start Karate?
A1. We don’t take children under the age of 5 years. Our Little Dragon’s classes start at 5 years up to 7 years of age (the training days are Tuesdays and Thursdays 6.00pm to 6.45pm) classes are only 45 minutes long with a couple of short break’s, this is due to the children’s age, physique and concentration time span, hence we try to base their instruction around play with short burst’s of actual training aiming to keep it light hearted and fun.

Q2. Do I need to be fit before I start training?
A2. Generally anyone in reasonable health can train; adult’s over 40 years of age are advised to have a medical check up prior to starting training. You will gradually get fitter and stronger through our training programme, we don’t set unreasonable targets, and you are allowed to come on at your own speed(not at someone else’s),Please note; It is your responsibility to notify the Club Instructors of any issues/ health problems that may affect your training.

Q3.What do I need to wear?
A3. Something comfortable and loose fitting, preferably jogging bottoms and a tee shirt or sweat shirt. After a few week’s you may decide to train on a more regular basis and train more seriously, at this stage we advise you invest in a Gi (Karate suit) these work out at around £20.00 give or take a few pounds depending on whether you are junior or adult size, we sell these at our club and the Gi’s come with our Logo/ Badge already embroidered on, this will also make you feel more part of Club. It is advised that items such as watches/rings/ earrings/ hairpins or any other sharp object etc are removed before training starts, anything that cannot be removed can be covered with a plaster.

Q4. How much are the lessons?
A4.YOUR FIRST LESSON IS FREE, then the Little Dragons are £3.00 and the lesson lasts 45mins,the Juniors is £4.00 and the lesson lasts 1 hour, the Seniors is £5.00 and the lesson lasts 1.30 hours.

Q5. How safe is Wado-ryu?
A5. As with any Martial Art, it is a fighting/contact sport and there is an element of danger, but we reduce the risks as much as possible i.e.; when sparring you only spar with students roughly your own age, grade and weight. We practice touch Karate, the emphasis being that if you can touch your opponent in sparring and pairs work (Maai/correct distancing) it’s easy to follow through if you needed the application on the street. We see no point in injuring ourselves or others during training sessions. When we do need to go through with techniques we use heavy bags and pad work! 

Q6. Why do I need a licence?
A6. If you decide to start training seriously you will need to be covered by Insurance, currently the fee for adult’s is £24.00 per annum and for children it is £20.00 per annum, which is underwritten by the Royal Sun Alliance and recognised by the Governing Body Karate England, which then gives you your Individual Registration Number, this in turn is carried over onto all your Grading Certificates which makes all the certificates unique to that person. Your Insurance slip is then placed in the back of your Licence/ Grading Record book then every time you take a Grading, your book is updated. Without the above you will not be allowed to train/Grade or take part in any of the Club events.

Q7.How often do I need to Train?
A7.You can train as little or as often as you like (we recognise people have life’s to live, job’s to do and other social activities) and as such we don’t impose any pressure or constraint’s on people. But, if you are serious about your training and you want to progress up the Grading ladder and improve yourself mentally, physically and ultimately spiritually then we advise you will need to train at least twice a week, three times a week if you want to see any real good progress and it will need to be on a regular basis. Obviously the more you train the better you will be.

Q8.What are Gradings?
A8.Gradings are a way of monitoring your progress in the Martial Arts, Junior’s have their own Grading Syllabus working from 12th Mon up to 1st Mon then Black Belt. Senior’s have their own Grading Syllabus to, starting at 9th Kyu up to 1st Kyu then Black Belt, from here you will then move on to what we call Dan Grades, going from 1st Dan up to 10th Dan. A student can expect to take approximately 4 to 5 years from beginner to Black Belt dependant on how often he or she trains. At present we hold 10 Gradings per year.

Q9.What is Karate?
A9.Karate means Empty Hand, so it means to fight with empty hands. Karate is a Martial Art of Okinawan origin and is a mix of various styles and mixes from China, Okinawa and Japan. Karate was introduced into the Japanese mainlands from Okinawa in the early 1900’s.

Q10.What style of Karate do you do?
A10.The style of Karate we do is called Wado-ryu. It was founded by the late Master Ohtsuka Meijin and it was registered as an Independent style in 1934.Wado-ryu is a mixture of Shuri-te Karate, Shindo Yoshin-ryu and Karate-Jutsu (Modern name Shotokan) Wado-ryu is a fast style that doe’s not rely on strength (hence women can quite easily practice this style) but relies on speed, technique and utilizing your opponents power and strength against him or herself. There is nothing flowery about Wado-ryu; it is fast, powerful and to the point.

Q11.What are the Benefits of practicing Karate?
A11.One of the benefits is learning to Respect yourself and others around you, another is self confidence, courtesy and consideration for others, self discipline, patience, good health, a bigger better social circle and inner peace.

Q12.What if I train at another club or do another style of Martial Art can I still train at your club?
A12. Quite simply, yes! We have an open policy at our club that anyone from any other club or style can come and train with us, you will be most welcome. If you wish to become a full time member of our club and you have grades from another style or even the same style, we would need to see verification from you ie your last grading /licence book and Certificates if you have them, once verified, you will be allowed to wear the belt of that grade. If you can’t supply that information for whatever reason, no problem, we will reassess you to see what level you are up to and grade you accordingly with a new licence/grading book.  

Q13.Are there Courses available?
A13. Yes, there are various courses, competitions and events throughout the year, please see our News and Events page for a brief overview, for more in depth information you will need to see our events board in the club reception and speak to the club secretaries.

Q14. Can I enter Tournaments?
A14.Yes, there are various Kata and Kumite Competitions up and down the Country at various times of the year, again you would need to see the club notice board or speak to the club secretaries for details.

Q15. Do I have to enter Competitions?
A15. No! You decide what you want out of your training; you do as much or as little as you like. If it’s Competition you want in either Kata or Kumite we will support you in that, (We have squad training sessions once a month for all those either wishing to be in the squad or if you want to just push yourself that extra mile) if its self defence we will support you in that, at the end of the day it’s your decision, there’s no pressure.

Q16. Can we train as a Family or large group?
A16. Yes, we already have parents and their children training at our club, we give varying discounts depending on the size of family or group. You can enquire with the club secretaries on discounts (you will need to call into the club for this information).