What does karate training involve?
Karate training involves:

Kihon – basic techniques, i.e. blocks, punches and kicks
Kata – set moves
Kumite – fighting

How often should I train?
The KUGB recommends that students should train at least twice a week in order to grade.

Who will my instructor be?
For the first few lessons you may be taught by one of the high grades, giving you, in many cases, 1-1 or 1-2 tuition.  Once you are able to perform some of the basic techniques you will be invited to join the main class.  All of these classes are taught by black belts, most are taken by our Senior Instructors.

How soon can I grade?
For your first grading you will need a minimum of 20 sessions over at least a two-month period.  After that, you will need at least 24 sessions between each grading.  Gradings are held 3-4 times a year and are taken by the KUGB’s chief Instructor, Andy Sherry, 8th Dan.

What should I wear?
When you first start, you should wear loose-fitting clothes (tracksuit/t-shirt).  After a few weeks you should purchase a karate suit which can be ordered, at a discount, through the club.  The Instructor will be able to recommend the best suit for you.

Are there age restrictions?
The minimum age for our club is 5 years old.  Through experience we have found that children under this age find it hard to concentrate for the whole lesson.   There is no upper age for adults.

We have specific classes for youngsters called The Shotokan Tigers, we also hold a family class on a Sunday morning when parents can train alongside their children.

I really want to learn karate, but I have a disability.  Will this stop me from doing karate?
Absolutely not!  We have had a number of students over the years with medical and physical disabilities

I am a bit worried about fighting.
Once you understand some of the basic blocks and punches you will be taught some very basic sparring skills.  Once your confidence level improves you will do some basic sparring with the higher grades who understand how to spar with lower grades without injuring them. 

As you go higher in the grades you will gain confidence.

I am very interested in learning Karate as a means of self defence.  Will these lessons help with that?
Most of the techniques we teach will help you with self defence, but we also run a Personal Safety class which you can take part in.

How do I join?
Come along to any training session and speak to the Instructor who will give you all of the information you need.

Or you can email us on info@chelmsford-karate.co.uk or call us on 07973 672663 and we’ll do our best to answer any questions we have not covered here.

When you first come to our dojo, you will be given a New Members Pack, which includes some information to make life a little easier for you in your first couple of weeks at our Dojo?

Firstly you will find a Club membership form - this should be completed and returned within the first two weeks of training.

Next you will find a KUGB licence form. The KUGB licence fee covers the cost of your insurance and is your licence to grade. This also needs to be completed within the first two weeks of training.

Leaflet for a FREE KARATE LESSON which you can give to a friend (if you need more, just ask).

Last, but not least, you will find a voucher which entitles you to £5 off a Karate Suit from Kamae.

If you have any other questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask Jane or Richard Naylor-Jones, or one of the senior black belts, and we’ll do our very best to help you.