Information for new students

We understand starting karate training may be a little daunting for some however be assured, whether you’re someone who has never done any form of karate or perhaps you’ve been involved in other martial arts, we are always very welcoming of new students into any of our dojo (clubs).

There are many benefits derived from training in karate, and everybody has their own motive for doing so but one things is universal and that is karate is a something that can be done by all ages and either gender. Our clubs follow a graduated training syllabus that will slowly develop your skill over a period of time. When stating karate training, a beginner may see other experienced students or instructors performing what may seem amazing feats of agility and speed and quite commonly feel they could never achieve that level however the style and method we teach will slowly but surely build up your endurance and skill and even after a very short time you’ll be performing things you never thought possible.

Starting karate training white belt personAdult Training

Starting karate training in all World Shotokan Karate-do Federation dojo is designed for everybody . . .  not just for men and not just for women . . . but for both. Also don’t let age deter you. In all our clubs you’ll find a broad range of ages of students and this is the beauty of karate training – it was a system designed originally for health reasons and as such, benefits can be derived from it for people of all ages young and old. Lack of fitness is sometimes a concern with potential students but this also should not be a concern. Our system is designed to slowly develop an individual’s fitness level and the great thing is karate training could be considered a ‘total body’ workout using your arms, legs and torso in ways you probably wouldn’t do otherwise.

Karate for Children

There are numerous benefits that young and developing children can get from a structured karate course. Of course there are the physical benefits derived from the activities performed, but more than that, children will feel a greater sense of self confidence, they will adapt to being part of a strict, disciplined regime that will flow through to their everyday life and this will give them better focus and concentration and help with their academic studies. These things aren’t hearsay they are proven facts we see and have been seen for generations of martial artists. However with all this comes a great responsibility on our part . . . we are well aware of this and embrace it. All our children’s karate classes are run by qualified WSKF instructors all of whom have a Working With Children clearance. Also we have a special, separate syllabus for young people that will develop their physical and mental skills over a period of time and in doing this, a child gets a wonderful sense of achievement.

Starting karate training Boys lined upIn the dojo

Because we follow a strict, disciplined, Japanese martial art we observe many formalities in the dojo. From bowing (rei) when we first enter the training area to referring to our instructor as “Sensei” this is part of true karate training and may seem strange to the uninitiated however with time they become second nature. Instructors and other students will guide you through these early stages and nobody is judgemental as we were all beginners at one stage. You’ll be shown how to tie the belt on your karate gi (uniform) and because all our commands in class are spoken in Japanese, you’ll even quickly learn how to count to ten in this language! All these, and other aspects of Japanese etiquette we follow, will only but enhance your karate experience.

Our classes and our syllabus

Upon starting karate training in any Australian WSKF club, we’ll explain some procedures to you to make you feel quite comfortable . We have two training systems within our clubs – one especially designed for children and an adult syllabus. We conduct gradings (or examinations) regularly and a new beginner will start his or her karate life as a white belt and progress regularly through a range of coloured belts as their skill level increases. In a normal training session we will begin with a period of warm up routines. These are designed to prepare the body for the session and help to increase flexibility. After warming up, one of the instructors will take aside new students to work with them during these early stages. As a new student develops their skills over time, they then will be in a position to participate in the general class with people of higher rank and this helps develop skills even further.

The WSKF system

Starting karate training Kicking lesson

All our Australian clubs are members of the World Shotokan Karate-do Federation (Japan)and when you become a member, you’ll receive an international membership pass book. This book details some of your personal details as well as records of your ranks and seminars you attend. One benefit of being a member is that if travelling overseas you can train at any of our affiliate dojo around the world and can train their in a system that will be familiar to you and all our ranks are internationally recognised. Closer to home, you’ll also have access to other WSKF dojo in Australia and some people find this very convenient if they move home or work. In doing this you’ll again find the karate practised there is exactly the same as is done in your original dojo.

As was said earlier, all our clubs welcome new members starting karate training. We’re not high pressure salesmen we are dedicated martial artists who follow the Budo philosophy and consider karate not just to be a ‘workout class’ but rather a way of life. Please feel free to contact us if you require further information on our karate style or class details in your area.