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Who are we?
We are one of the longest running Karate clubs in Somerset. Chief instructor Geoff Richards holds a 5th Dan Black Belt in Shotokan Karate and is the highest ranked instructor in the area. We operate from Wells Leisure Centre and Strode College Sports Centre in Street. You can train in either Wells or Street or as a number of students do, at both venues.
What do we do?
The club is unique in that it teaches a core syllabus of classical Shotokan Karate but supplements this training with practical experience of sparring (controlled fighting) using kickboxing rules.
Every lesson is different but an example could be:
Warm-up: To prepare the body and mind for the training to follow. Including fitness and flexibility exercises to strengthen and tone.
Technique/Skill instruction: This can vary from learning basic techniques (punches, kicks etc.) through to throws, arm locks and restraining techniques.
Technique/Skill practise: Once the students have been instructed in the technique, it will be practised in isolation, then with partners in a controlled manner and then if suitable, by live sparring where the students try to use the techniques against an unwilling partner.
What can Karate do for me?
Karate is essentially a style of self defence so all training is aimed at developing skills that can be used to protect yourself and others if the need arises. However, we teach that physical confrontation should be avoided unless absolutely necessary and most students will never need to use their skills outside of the dojo (training hall). Therefore, we engage in a lot of sparring and pad-work (developing power on kick/punch bags) to hone our skills. Most students find this very enjoyable in its own right.
Karate gives you the opportunity to develop in many ways. The most obvious are the physical benefits from the exercise and training. Training acts as a great stress reliever and certain parts of the training allow you to focus so strongly on what you are doing that it becomes a form of meditation.
It does require commitment and dedication, which is where you will develop your self discipline. The training can be tough and sometimes feel a bit daunting but facing up to your fears and pushing yourself when you simply want to stop is what develops your mental strength.
Students should give 100% effort every time they train. This means that no matter how fit or unfit, strong or weak, young or old you are everyone can gain the same benefit from the training. Karate epitomises the saying "You get out what you put in".
Am I too old/unfit?
In a word, No! Karate is a physical activity and does require that participants are not suffering from major health problems but on the whole it is accessible for everyone.
Age is the least important factor as many people take up karate in their forties and fifties and re-discover a new fitness that they thought they'd lost. In fact, older students often become very engrossed in the mental aspects of the training that are sometimes overlooked by the younger members.
If you are very overweight or have an existing medical condition, it would be a good idea to get the all-clear from your GP and contact the Chief Instructor to discuss it.
If you are just using "Oh, I'm too old/fat" as an excuse then maybe you need to start training in order to build your confidence and a more positive attitude?
I'm already fit and active in sports, why would I do karate?
Great! In this day and age, that's a rare thing to hear. As mentioned above, Karate is open to everyone BUT the more you can put in, the more you get out of it. This means that if you can train harder and longer because you are fit and healthy, then you stand to gain a lot. Also, unlike most other sports and activities you learn self defence and develop physical confidence. If you're young and fit, you may find that learning Karate opens the doors to a lifetime of learning.
I don't want to fight, can I still do Karate?
First and foremost, Karate is a Martial Art. This means that its primary purpose is to develop the skill and ability to physically defend yourself in a dangerous situation. You will need to work with other students to test your learning. Sparring is what we call live "fighting" where the aim is to land your techniques and prevent your opponent from doing so to you. Sparring is always very controlled and we use Light Contact, which means we try to hit target areas with good technique but with little or no impact. The theory being that if you did mean to use full power, it would have caused serious injury.
Higher grades and some other members of the club do use heavier contact, especially to the body as this makes the training more realistic and pushes you to try harder but this is only done when both participants choose and NO-ONE is pressured into it.
At all times when sparring, students wear protective equipment. We have had no serious injuries in the whole life of the club. In fact, we have almost no minor injuries and certainly less than you would get playing any team sport such as football, rugby or hockey.
Staying with that analogy, sparring is like the game at the end of a training session. In football, you'd spend a session learning ball control or tackling etc. then at the end you have a friendly game to try and put those skills into practice.
How long do I have to commit?
The first Lesson is free and then you need to enrol as a member in the first month (due to insurance reasons). After that you can train as often as you want for as long as you want. There's no obligation and you aren't liable for any charges if you decide to leave. Of course we encourage students to train as often as possible as it shows commitment and discipline as well as giving them the best opportunity to grow and develop.
How long does it take to get a black belt?
The minimum time allowed by the AMA (Amateur Martial Association) is 3 years but most students take about 4 years of twice weekly training to achieve their black belts. Adults and Children partake in the same syllabus - this means that if a Child attains black belt they don't have to re-take the test on turning 16. However, any of the club's black belts will tell you that reaching your black belt is only the beginning.
How often can I grade?
Gradings are held normally 3 times a year but are flexible depending on the needs of the club. Gradings allow students to demonstrate their best effort and level of their abilities and are by invite only. This means that if a student has trained often and consistently, as well as showing the required level of improvement, then they get the opportunity to grade. Gradings are not just a formality but pass rates are very high as only fully prepared students get invited. Some clubs run many gradings every year and all students get to attend (and inevitably pass) as they are great earners for the clubs!! But not with us.
Great, I'm interested. What now?
All you need to do now is turn up at either:
Wells Leisure Centre (main sports hall) on Monday at 7pm (until 9pm)
or
Strode College Sports Centre, in Street on Thursday at 7pm (until 9pm)
Or phone Geoff on 01458 447663 or email geoff@midsomersetmartialarts.com for more information.
You'll need to wear free fitting clothing (t-shirt and jogging bottoms is ideal) and we train in bare feet.