Brecks Karate Club

Starting Karate.

Gichin Funakoshi devised Karate not as an art of war as Shaolin Kung-Fu and Samurai were, it was conceived more as a Defence Art for the street!. What will it do for me I hear you thinking, well to be quite honest it will not transform you in to some kind of Super Fighting Machine. It will however give you Discipline, Respect, More Flexibility, Self Awareness and Self Confidence, it will also give you an ability to read situations and how best to deal with them.

How Do I Start

First, you must find yourself a Reputable, Well Established Club, as we are, then speak to the Instructor ask any relevant questions i.e. are instructors Police Checked, is there a club First Aider etc. Ask also if they mind you watching before starting, this way you get a feeling of what the atmosphere is like between Instructors and Students, ask about Training and Grading fees. Also avoid a Club who's Instructor claims he is only mid-twenties and he's already a 7th, 8th or even 10th Dan (it's impossible unless he started training in the Womb). So when you've found your club and you're ready to start throw on a pair of jogging bottoms and a T-shirt and enjoy the ride. Then you will start to learn the three K's Kihon, Kumite and Kata.

Kihon.

These are the basic karate techniques, blocks, punches and kicks.

Kumite.

This is the art of fighting, which starts slow and easy but builds up in difficulty and speed as you become more proficient.

Kata.

A predetermined set of moves that have to be done in the correct order. The emphasis on technique, timing and breathing.

I know it sounds overwhelming but it's a really enjoyable experience believe me, just go with the flow and enjoy.