What style of karate do we do? Muteki (we also study self defence) How much will it cost you? Kids are £2.00 and adults are £2.50. After 4 weeks you should know if you like our style so you need licence and membership. This is £25 per year. £5 per grading.

Master Funakoshi taught, if you are ignorant of your enemy AND yourself, you are certain in every battle to be in peril. If you are ignorant of the enemy, but DO know yourself, then your chances of winning or losing are equal. However, if you know BOTH your enemy AND yourself, then in a hundred battles you will never be in peril (Karate-Do Kyohan, p.248). To accomplish this high ideal of knowing both yourself and your enemy, Harada Sensei (one of the few teachers still alive who trained personally under many of the early masters) is continually developing better ways of achieving proficiency in the different aspects of karate practice that will be discussed below. No matter which specific training exercise is used, they all point toward a few basic principles that underlie the study of karate-do. Some aspects of training that the exercises help the karateka achieve are the following:

The ability to control various muscle groups at will. In order to remain relaxed one must learn how to remove tension from his or her body. However, if one strives to go totally limp then there is no power when needed. Thus, the importance of keeping our muscles in constant focus of our goal. We train to remain relaxed so as not to stiffen and thereby reduce power and be immobile. Not locking our muscles to a stand-still, but keeping some intention in them so as to be always moving internally even when not appearing to be in motion externally.

The basic vocabulary in the martial arts (i.e. punching, striking, kicking, evading, entering, trapping, blocking, etc.) are called techniques. These are usually the easiest part of the art to learn because they are but the outward expression of an internal force that must accompany them in order to be truly effective in a real confrontation.

The ability to truly have and give off a feeling of intended motion. The feeling of being on the offense even when on defense and not just be 'ready to act' but already acting as it were internally so that the energy build up can be transferred into the opponent (this is not slapping, nor is it pushing).

It is from our foundational stances that we glean both the power to not only maintain our position, or retreat when necessary, but also to launch a powerful attack. This characteristic is essential to successful training. Some of the stances employed by the KDS include Kiba-dachi, Zen-kutzu, and Ko-kutsu. Being stable however is not the end-all and be-all of the martial arts. Locking ourselves into set patterns creates rigidity which in turn brings lack of power, telegraphing, and ultimately defeat. Thus, we strive to build a strong foundation with the understanding that it must be coupled with the ability to be settled, loaded, and mobile all at the same time.

It is the speed and power generated by the KDS practice that is so phenomenal to observe (and FEEL!). In order to be both quick and fast one is usually required to give up some strength or penetration. In KDS practice we strive to marry both foundation and mobility to the extent that they actually come to complement one another instead of work against each other. One simple example of this can be seen with regard to the stance we call Fudo-dachi. While Zen-kutsu is great and powerfully stable for attacking--and Ko-kutsu is excellent for trapping and defense--Fudo-dachi is a hybrid that employs the best of both worlds. Another important aspect of mobility is that of relationship to ones partner/opponent, also known as sensitivity, this aspect of mobility (as well as being an aspect of distance and timing) is absolutely critical. It the ability to sense intention and move WITH an opponent instead of simply against him. Sensitivity is part of proper distance and timing.

Rather than fighting AGAINST your training partner/opponent, KDS practice strives to help us understand the delicate RELATIONSHIP that exists between the two. By understanding when to move, how far to go, and how fast to travel are all at the very heart of KDS practice. This involves working to take away your partner/opponents initiative--if they currently seem to be in control of the kumite or the confrontation on the street. However, what we often forget is that when two opposing forces meet the result is generally the destruction of both. When you begin to understand how to read another (not just physical cues, but a persons intention) then whether on defense or offence, you are in control. This happens because you are not just 'butting heads,' but instead moving WITH your attacker in a manner that upsets their mental and physical abilities (this is not reacting to their movement after the fact, nor is it anticipation before they move).

In KDS practice we also strive for flexibility, but not just for the sake of it alone. If one is flexible that is a great accomplishment. The question is: What degree of strength can be utilized through what degree of that range of motion? If both great range AND strength co-exist in the karateka, then there will be so much less held back during motion, defense, and attack, and that person will have much the advantage when a dangerous situation arises.

The above mentioned 7 principles of Shotokai practice are not exhaustive. They are also very difficult to explain in words in any language! The only way to truly understand what is being discussed above is to feel it personally! It is for this reason that we invite all who are interested to join us for a practice session where you can experience what we are talking about and be able to ask questions that will deepen understanding and better us all.