These pages will tell you more about our training, including questions and answers for beginners
Tuesday evenings 7-8.30 pm will concentrate on combinations of blocks & strikes, practice with partners, & kata for the grades in attendance.
Thursday early class 6-7 pm will be mainly for beginners & improvers with basic techniques, partner work, & heian katas.
Thursday later class 7.10 -8.40 pm will be similar to Tuesday but with more emphasis on kumite (sparring). The last 15 minutes or so will concentrate on a more advanced kata as follows:
3 & 5 Jan - Bassai Dai
10 & 12 Jan - Jion
17 & 19 Jan - Kanku-Dai
24 & 26 Jan - Empi
31 Jan, 2 Feb - Bassai Dai
7 & 10 Feb - NO TRAINING
14 & 16 Feb - Jion
21 & 24 Feb - Kanku-Dai
28 Feb, 1 Mar - Empi
6 Mar to 15 Mar - Bassai Dai
General format of lessons
Classes begin with a series of stretching and warming up exercises.
Students then learn to perform a series of strikes, blocks, and kicks and to combine these techniques to block and counter-attack an imaginary opponent.
Techniques are then practiced with partners in very controlled circumstances under the watchful eye of the instructor. This helps students learn how to react against an attack.
The lesson continues with kata - a sequence of moves to a set pattern to demonstrate blocking and attacking several opponents in different directions.
The class then ends with warm down exercises.
Students progress through periodic tests or gradings where they will be expected to demonstrate their skill to an experienced assessor from the JKA. Success at each stage is rewarded by a coloured belt system up to the first black belt or "shodan", and beyond.
