Karate for GCSE and A Level?
It was once possible to choose karate or judo as a PE module for GCSE and A Level certification. The grade required in karate for GCSE was 8th to 7th kyu (yellow or orange belt) and the grade required for … Continued
Karate’s Just for Kids, Right?
Absolutely not! Karate is for people of any age, not just children. Every week I teach karate to many adults wanting to learn self-defence skills, get fit and stay fit without the tedium of going to the gym, build confidence … Continued
Traditional, Modern and Sport Karate
Many people are aware that there are several different styles of karate, the most popular being Wado Ryu, Shotokan, Kyokushinkai and Goju Ryu, in no particular order. But did you know that different types of karate have developed through the history of its evolution? … Continued
Real Black Belts
When karate came to Europe from Japan, it was very much a martial art for young men. Kumite among students was often full contact and with just thinly padded gloves designed to protect the knuckles, not your opponent’s face. The … Continued
Eating Food Before Karate Training
Karate training is a combination of both a cardiovascular and strength workout. Nutritionally, you need the right amount of good carbohydrates, proteins and fats for progression. But how much food and when? Well there’s no one size fits all answer … Continued
Learning Katas
Regular practice is essential to progress through the belts. For home practice, there are some (limited) online video tutorials at https://loughtonkarateclub.co.uk/tutorials/. Alternatively, these are the YouTube links for the katas in our syllabus: Orange Belt, Pinan Nidan – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjEHXPd3I2I Green Belt, Pinan Sandan – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0cVH1JYwIw Blue … Continued
The Changing Face Of Violence On Our Streets
The newspapers are full of horrifying stories recently concerning violent street attacks. If it isn’t bad enough that terrorist attacks in cities are more frequent, now the latest trend seems to be acid and moped attacks. But why is this … Continued
6 Reasons Why All Children Should Learn Karate
Karate is an ancient form of combat developed in Japan with underlying principles of self-discovery and self-improvement. The ultimate aim of karate training was to aspire to live by a set of core beliefs and values including courage, loyalty, self-control, … Continued
Self-Defence and Terrorists
This weekend, The Times newspaper wrote an article ‘Jihadist attacks prompt rush to learn self-defence’. Several martial arts instructors who run self-defence courses commented that they get more enquiries after acts of terrorism especially when the terrorists use knives and … Continued
Foods To Ease Muscle Soreness After Karate Training
Karate is fairly unique in that we need good cardiovascular fitness, strength and flexibility for our training sessions. As a result of the demands we place on our body, especially high kicking, we often experience muscle soreness. Some karateka like to … Continued