Typical Lesson Content

Despite what you may think or have seen at the cinema, Karate is not ALL about kicking, punching & striking. Nor is it in the traditional sense, a sport. Anyone with a little practice or short amount of tuition can chop bricks & break boards - "boards don't hit back" as Bruce Lee once said.

 

As you would expect, a typical karate lesson will mostly contain kata, kihon & kumite as part of the SSKA Syllabus. But because we teach the traditional style of Shotokan karate, you will also learn about other important elements such as kime, Bunkai & Self Defence.

 

To practice kata & kihon correctly you will need to learn about stances & control & well as relaxation techniques to build up your speed & reaction times. It may not always be apparent that you are being taught these elements.

 

The above are all in addition to exercising (both aerobic & anaerobic) to warm you up, make you stronger & faster & also flexible by stretching (of muscles, tendons & nerves).

 

As a result & built into the lessons are elements that help you improve your Awareness (Zanshin) & although you may not realise it yet, something called Mushin (no mind) as well. These will help with concentration & your ability to better deal with stress & stressful situations.

 

The aim of course is to enhance your confidence & whether you think you need it or not improve your character as a respectful citizen & human being. Some of this comes about due to the discipline & etiquette that is required during training. Karate looks easy on the surface, but there are few who can fully focus & dedicate themselves & reach even the first black belt level of Shodan.

 

I hope it goes without saying that over time you will gather many useful self defence techniques (waza) as your knowledge grows.

 

For this reason, it's not possible to learn karate only from books or videos, they are useful tools for revision, but only after you're moves have been explained & shown to you, you have practiced them thoroughly & been assessed in your dojo.

 

As you progress & you become more involved & your interest in karate develops you will naturally & importantly want to discover it's history & philosophy & why & how it came into being.

 

Enjoy your training!! I do hope that you too discover the benefits that karate can offer you & help you start a new & much enhanced way of life.

 

Osu in karate-do,

Terry Tozer