Frequently Asked Questions

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.

What is an average karate lesson like?

Your Kihon combinations start off very simple, such as straight punches to the head and stomach, basic uke (blocks) and simple straight kicks. Even these will seem very strange and hard at first, but with continued practice should soon feel a bit more natural. As you climb up the grades your kihon combinations will get longer. Beginners start with Gohon Kumite (5 step sparring). This consists of someone attacking 5 times whilst their partner defends, until the last step when the defender blocks and then comes in with an attack at full extension. As you go up the grades you will go on to 1 step sparring, then semi-free sparring and finally free sparring. It is important to note that kumite is not a set of instructions on how to fight; it is an exercise to help improve speed, control, balance and distance. Kata is a set of prearranged techniques performed one after the other. Each kata can be seen as a database of self defence moves so we will also spend a lot of time making sure the students know what each move can be used for. Oyo is where we take the moves from our kata and train them with a partner. As some of the techniques are dangerous much emphasis is put on control.

All the other people are wearing different colour belts, how do I get one? When will I be a black belt?

We will assess whether you are ready for your next belt by a grading. A grading consists of your current basic techniques, your current grade sparring,the kata (form) required for your grade, and oyo which is more self-defence based. Protocol and etiquette are also very important during gradings.

When you start you could expect to grade around every three months, however this is dependent on the time and effort you put into your lessons. Those who train more will often grade quicker than those that only train intermittently. Your instructor will know when you have fulfilled these requirements and whether you are sufficiently skilled enough to progress to the next level. There are 10 Kyu levels before you get to black belt.

We do not guarantee a date for attaining your black belt. Gaining your black belt is a great achievement and requires a lot of training and effort. We will certainly guide you as progress through the grades, and we are always eager to help our students to advance their training, but as with anything you will get out of karate what you put in.

There seems to be a lot of tradition and protocol. What do I need to know?

Karate is built on traditions which may seem strange to the newcomer. There’s no need to be worried though, we understand how nervous new people may be, and how different it may feel, and we will gently guide you through your first few lessons. No one will mind if you make mistakes when you are new.

Here are a few things you may notice when you join:

Bowing – bowing is used as a sign of greeting and a sign of respect. Lessons will start with a kneeling bow and during the class you may be expected to bow at certain times. If in doubt, just check out what the rest of the students are doing. There is no religious significance to the bowing.

Use of Japanese language – Shotokan Karate is a Japanese martial art, and therefore we use Japanese when describing techniques or counting. It can be quite confusing at first, but with continued use people soon pick up the terms needed.

Belts – The people wearing white and coloured belts are kyu grades. The people wearing black belts are dan grades or yudansha. We start at 10th kyu (white belt) and go up to 1st kyu, with 1st kyu being the highest kyu grade. After that you are awarded your black belt which is 1st dan, otherwise known as shodan, and you can work your way up to the highest grade which is 10th dan.

Strange uniforms – We wear a do-gi­ which is a traditional karate uniform.

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.