Questions?
How old do you have to be to start?
All students must be at least 7 years old to start training with us. However, as karate requires self-discipline, focus, and a positive attitude, it may be more suitable for some children to begin when they are a little older and more emotionally mature.
Do I need to be fit to start Karate?
Not at all! One of the main reasons many people take up karate is to improve their fitness.
What style of Karate is taught?
Our style of Karate is known as Shukokai (pronounced Shu-Ko-Kai) and was founded in 1946 by Chojiro Tani who studied Shito-Ryu under Kenwa Mabuni, the founder of Shito-Ryu Karate in 1931.
Roughly translated Shukokai means “Way For All” and this reflects how the style has developed although it keeps its purity. The style is very fast using a relatively high stance to aid mobility. The Martial Arts Commission of Great Britain has also stated in its Official Handbook that “Shukokai punches are the strongest to be found in Karate”.
The style stresses controlled contact in competition sparring. However, the real experience of full-power techniques is enabled by the use of impact pad work.
How will I measure my progress?
All students are eligible to take grading examinations, which are conducted by senior examiners from the Shukokai Karate Association after set periods of training. A detailed grading syllabus is provided for each level, with coloured belts used to represent each grade.
With regular and consistent training, students can typically expect to reach black belt standard within 4 to 5 years.
How do I join?
Come along and give it a try! We offer a free lesson to everyone aged 7 and above—there’s no better way to experience what karate is really like.
Can I watch a class?
Absolutely! We encourage potential students to come and watch a class to get a feel for what’s involved. All we ask is that visitors keep noise to a minimum so as not to disturb the session.
Do I need to pre-book my class?
No need to book—everyone is welcome to train at any time at Atherstone Karate. Just arrive a few minutes before the class is due to start.
What will the training involve?
Training at Atherstone Karate is structured into four main sections: Kihon (basic techniques), Kata (set sequences of techniques), Kumite (sparring), and Mitto Geiko (Pad Work). Each section is designed with varying levels of complexity to suit the different skill levels and grades of students.
Kumite is introduced as basic blocking and counter-attacking and gradually develops into freestyle sparring, where you’ll learn to attack and defend against unannounced techniques.
Do I need to wear special clothing?
No special clothing is required to start. Just wear something comfortable and easy to move in—such as joggers or shorts with a t-shirt or tracksuit top. Please avoid skirts or dresses.
Karate is practised in bare feet, so no footwear is needed. However, you will need to remove any jewellery, including necklaces and bracelets, for safety reasons.
After a few weeks, once you’ve decided to continue training, you’ll need to purchase a karate suit (called a gi). These are available through the club, or you’re welcome to buy one from a retailer of your choice.
What is Karate?
Karate is a form of civilian self-protection that originated in Okinawa before gaining popularity in Japan. The word karate means “empty hand,” referring to weaponless self-defence.
Japanese karate was popularised by Okinawan master Funakoshi Gichin, who introduced it to the Japanese mainland in 1922. Funakoshi Gichin once wrote:
Should children take Karate lessons?
Around 75% of students training today are children under the age of 15. This is largely because karate offers a wide range of benefits for young people including:
Builds Confidence and Self-Esteem
Karate provides children with the opportunity to set goals and achieve them, whether it’s learning a new technique, passing a grading, or simply improving week by week. Each success builds their confidence and helps them believe in their own abilities, both inside the dojo and in everyday life.
Encourages Discipline and Focus
Through structured training, children learn the importance of respect, self-control, and concentration. Karate encourages them to listen carefully, follow instructions, and stay focused on their goals. These skills often carry over into schoolwork and home life, supporting their overall personal development.
Improves Physical Health and Coordination
Karate is a fun and engaging way to keep active. Training helps children develop strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination while also improving overall fitness. These physical benefits contribute to a healthy lifestyle and give children the energy and agility to enjoy a wide range of activities.
What are the benefits of Martial Arts training
Self-Defence
The instructors at Atherstone Karate Club have trained for many years to ensure that everything we teach is rooted in reality-based martial arts. We’ve learned under some of the most respected martial artists in the UK and remain committed to staying at the forefront of realistic, practical training—for ourselves and for your children.
That said, we recognise that many children are still in a key stage of development. Their training will focus on the fundamentals of our martial arts curriculum, including correct stances, punching, kicking, blocking, and evasion techniques.
Mental Health
There’s plenty of evidence showing that regular physical activity can have a profound and positive impact on mental well-being.
Being active helps improve mood, reduce the risk of depression and anxiety, and support a more balanced and healthy lifestyle.
Physical activity benefits mental health in several ways, including boosting self-esteem, lowering stress levels, and enhancing overall emotional resilience.
Focusing and Listening
At Atherstone Karate Club, we understand that focus plays a vital role in the development of children, especially those with shorter attention spans at this stage in their lives.
Our classes are designed to gradually improve attention span by teaching children to concentrate on the task at hand, while also enhancing their listening and reaction skills.
As a result, your child will not only excel in physical activity but also become more focused and attentive—both in the dojo and in everyday life, including at home and at school.
Teamwork and Positive Social Interaction
Teamwork is essential for a child’s development. It’s during this stage of life that they begin to build confidence in their ability to work with others.
At Atherstone Karate Club, our activity-based curriculum and teamwork-focused environment help develop character and teach children that the more we work together—in the dojo, at home, and at school—the more we can achieve.
Self-Control and Good Decision Making
Self-control is the ability to train oneself to stay focused and follow a specific task or behaviour—even when distractions or competing desires are present.
For example, when a child chooses to listen to their parents or pays attention in class instead of chatting with a friend, they are demonstrating self-control by making a positive, conscious choice.
At Atherstone Karate Club, we understand how important this skill is. As both instructors and parents, we help students build self-control in every single lesson.
Balance and Posture
For many children aged 6 to 9, balance and posture are often overlooked skills—yet they require consistent attention and development. These foundational abilities are essential for nearly every physical activity.
Poor posture can lead to restricted organ function, improper breathing, and a range of other negative health effects.
At Atherstone Karate Club, we help young students develop strong balance, healthy posture, and coordinated movement through age-appropriate forms and drills—often delivered in the form of fun, engaging games to keep learning both effective and enjoyable.
Memorization and Retention
We incorporate fun and effective memory and retention drills that benefit both martial arts training and real-world situations. In addition to reinforcing martial arts etiquette, skills, and techniques, our memorisation exercises include important life skills—such as learning parents’ home and mobile numbers, emergency contact details, and home address information.
In many cases, our students are ahead of the curve, mastering these essentials before they’re formally introduced at school.
Our classes help develop strong memorisation skills that support well-rounded personal growth and lay a foundation for future academic success.
Self-Discipline and Responsibility
Our instructors are experts at showing children that self-discipline can be both fun and rewarding. We nurture this mindset through interactive, team-based games, engaging drills, and real-world activities.
Our age-specific martial arts training is thoughtfully connected to everyday responsibilities—encouraging children to take initiative with tasks such as tidying up, completing homework, and following through on commitments.
At Atherstone Karate Club, your child will strengthen their ability to take responsibility, follow directions, and take pride in doing the right thing.
Physical Fitness and Healthy Living
It’s important for children to understand the value of being healthy and physically active from an early age. While physical fitness is essential for any martial artist, it’s even more crucial for developing lifelong habits. The earlier we promote this mindset, the healthier your child will be now—and the easier it will be for them to stay fit as they grow older.
At Atherstone Karate Club, we emphasise the importance of good nutrition, and our physical activities are always fun, engaging, and rewarding.
Coordination and Motor Skills
Children who develop strong bodies, refined motor skills, and physical coordination through karate training often enjoy better overall health, enhanced sports performance, and improved ability in other physical activities such as dancing or bike riding.
Our coordination and motor skills training supports the development of your child’s cardiovascular system, builds muscular strength, and promotes full-body awareness—something only achievable through a comprehensive martial arts programme.
At Atherstone Karate Club, your child will become more coordinated, less prone to injury, and more aware of how to use their body safely and effectively.
Self-Esteem and Confidence Building
Our classes help boost children’s self-esteem through consistent, positive verbal reinforcement. As they work towards earning their next belt, they’re not only learning fundamental, world-class self-defence skills—they’re also building confidence and developing a strong sense of self-worth.
Stranger Awareness and Personal Safety
At Atherstone Karate Club, we speak with our students about important topics such as home safety, traffic awareness, fire safety, the dangers of drugs and harmful substances, and stranger awareness—all delivered in an age-appropriate way.
We understand that a seven-year-old may not grasp the full complexity of stranger danger. At this stage, it’s enough to teach them to stay close to a parent or guardian when out and about, and not to wander off.
As children grow older, they begin to learn the difference between meeting someone new in the presence of a trusted adult and being approached by a stranger when alone.
Self-Confidence
Nothing can take the place of the security in knowing that your child can defend themselves should the need ever arise and your own child’s self-confidence in knowing this themselves is immense.
Respect
One of the most important principles in martial arts is respect. Students are taught to respect their instructors, their peers, and most importantly, themselves.
At Atherstone Karate Club, our instructors take time during class to talk about the value of respecting teachers, parents, and others outside the dojo. In a world where respect is often overlooked, we believe it’s a core value that sets us apart from other sports.
We also believe that a child’s behaviour—both in and out of the dojo—should be directly linked to their progression in class. It’s not just about winning; our martial arts programme is about personal growth and becoming a better, more respectful individual.
Discipline, Behaviour and School
We have a lot of fun at Atherstone Karate Club—but our instructors maintain high standards for focus and discipline. Excessive talking or disruptive behaviour is not tolerated during class.
We believe that improved behaviour in martial arts often leads to better conduct at school—and better behaviour at school often results in improved academic performance.
Our goal is to ensure that students are not only developing their martial arts skills, but also showing positive behaviour at home and making progress in their studies.
We teach a highly effective form of self-defence, and it’s important to us that it is taught to students who demonstrate the right attitude and respect for what they’re learning.
Great Physical Fitness while Battling Childhood Obesity
Did you know that childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 25 years? The key to prevention is addressing the issue before it becomes a serious health concern. When caught early, there are effective ways to reduce the risk of long-term complications.
If your child is already overweight, it’s important to understand that the psychological effects—such as low self-esteem and social anxiety—can often be more damaging than the physical consequences.
At Atherstone Karate Club, we’re committed to empowering children with self-confidence and rewarding them through achievement. For those struggling with low self-esteem, martial arts provide a powerful combination of confidence-building, self-discipline, and engaging physical activity.
Through consistent training, children naturally build stamina and endurance, leading to healthy weight loss and significant improvements in both physical and mental well-being.
Anti-Bullying Education
Bullying is defined as unwanted, aggressive behaviour that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. Children who bully often use their power—such as physical strength, social status, or access to embarrassing information—to control or harm others.
Bullying can include behaviours like making threats, spreading rumours, verbal or physical attacks, and intentionally excluding someone from a group.
Both children who are bullied and those who bully others may face serious and long-lasting emotional, psychological, and social challenges.
Our anti-bullying approach is based on the Martial Artists Against Bullying principles of redirection and straightforward assertiveness. Students are taught to manage situations without the use of violence, learning ways to assess threats, redirect verbal assaults and mobilise the audience, which is a critical factor in empowering the bully.
Personal Attention
At Atherstone Karate Club, we understand the profound impact a great instructor can have on a student’s growth and confidence. Our qualified instructors are experienced, patient, and enthusiastic—teaching with the perfect balance of discipline and fun.
Social Skills and Friendship
Making friends is a vital part of childhood. At Atherstone Karate Club, we foster a positive, family-oriented environment where young children can build new friendships while learning important values such as sharing, compassion, and conflict resolution.
Smile, Laugh and Having Fun
We’ve long understood that children learn faster when they’re having fun. Keeping them engaged in their martial arts training requires a balance of structure and enjoyment.
While traditionalists often focus solely on discipline and formality, we believe that incorporating fun, skill-based activities enhances the learning experience. By blending proper technique with enjoyable games, we help children stay motivated, focused, and eager to keep improving.