What do I need to wear when I start?

As there may be a lot of kicking and stretching involved it is recommended that you wear baggy sports trousers and a T-shirt for your first couple of lessons. It is also recommended that you remove all jewellery as it may be dangerous to you or your training partner, or it may get broken during the rigorous training. Any jewellery that cannot be removed should be taped over.

Eventually you will probably be expected to wear a do-gi or keikogi. This is a traditional training uniform, which is hard-wearing and has been adapted to incorporate high kicks. It consists of trousers and a wrap around top (females are required to wear a white t-shirt under their gi top, to prevent embarrassing situations). Do-gi are available in a variety of sizes and weights and a range of prices. Members are supplied with a uniform when they first join us.

Do I need to be fit before I start Karate? There is no real need for you to worry about your fitness before you start. Only by partaking in some sort of physical exercise will your fitness increase. We will guide you in gently and allow you to go in at your own pace. As long as you are putting in your own maximum effort there should be no problem, and you should not feel that you must keep up with everyone around you. Will I get fit with Karate? This is down to you, as with everything you will get out of karate what you put in but the capacity to improve physical fitness through your training is there. To see if we fulfil your requirements come along and take a couple of trial lessons before committing yourself.

Will I learn self-defence with Karate?

Karate is a martial art and as such we teach applications which may help you if confronted with physical violence. To see if we fulfil your requirements come along and take a couple of trial lessons before committing yourself.

Will I get hurt?

Obviously accidents happen in every sport, but there should be no need for you going home covered in bruises or cut after every training session. Every care is taken to ensure that our students are not injured during the lessons. If an accident should occur then please let the instructor know immediately.

Will my medical conditions prevent me from training?

A medical condition should not prevent you from training however it is always best to consult a doctor before taking up any new activity. Before you start you should also inform your instructor of any known medical conditions, any medication you are on and if there are any special arrangements or precautions they may need to take.

If you feel that there is something in the training that may exacerbate a medical condition then you should explain to your instructor and you will be allowed to stop. At no point should you risk injury or illness as a result of training.

Is it possible to train and not bother with all that grading nonsense? Gradings are not compulsory. However classes are often run with the grade levels of the participating students in mind, so someone who chooses not to grade may well find that they will become bored with what they are required to do. Usually once people have been training with a club for a while and their confidence has increased they will feel ready to grade anyway, especially as their friends grade around them and a new wave of people join.