How we train

Traditional Karate

Karate is an empty-handed fighting art that has been developed through long years of history and tradition.

Its ultimate goal lies not in winning or losing, but in fostering spiritual and physical strength through serious practice, and in trying to achieve an overall balance as individuals.

Classes

A typical session will include a 5-10 minute warm-up with some gentle stretching, then some or all of the following three fundamental elements of karate training:

Kihon (Fundamentals)

Basic technique training is the foundation of solid karate. Through kihon practice, students will learn the basic building blocks of karate: strikes, kicks, blocks and stances.

Kumite (Sparring)

Kumite is the application of techniques with a partner. To begin with all students learn simple sparring techniques within a rigidly structured format, gradually becoming more complex and evolving into freestyle fighting.

Kata (Forms)

Kata are set forms, sequences of anything from 20 to 80 techniques which, to the untrained eye, resemble a fight against multiple opponents, or a graceful but violent dance. In reality, kata serve as a textbook of martial arts and self-defence techniques. Kata can be performed for aesthetic purposes, competitively, or as a form of exercise. But deeper study will reveal an encyclopedia of self-defence techniques. For the first few grades students are expected to learn one kata for each of the colour belt grades, starting with the simplest combination of punching and blocking to complex sequences involving all sorts of punching, kicking, blocking, throwing and grappling techniques.