Frequently Asked Questions
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Do I need to be fit to start Karate?
No matter what your current fitness level is, you can start training karate. Our style is about relaxed, flowing body movement, so you really don’t need to be strong or flexible to start with, these aspects will develop naturally as your training progresses. After starting karate you’ll be surprised how much fitter you’ll be within a few months training and as you always work at your own pace, your strength, speed, coordination and flexibility, should all improve significantly over time.
I have a medical condition – can I still join the training?
Karate is for everyone, so the short answer is yes. If your condition could be affected by exercise then we would always recommend you check with your doctor first though and please let us know if there is anything we should be aware of or if there are any adaptions we can make to help your training experience.
Am I too young or old to start training?
As we train at 8.30pm – 10pm currently, that limits us to being an adult class. As an adult class though, there really is no age limit, whether you’re 20 or 80, if you want to train, then please come along.
What do I wear at my first lesson and what equipment do I need?
For your first lesson you will need nothing more than a T-shirt and loose fitting jogging bottoms. We go bare feet, so there is no need to worry about shoes. Just bring water for hydration and plenty of enthusiasm!
How long will it take me to get a black belt?
A guide for a typical student is around 6 years, based upon someone who trains 2-3 times a week, attends seminars regularly and possesses an average level of fitness and co-ordination. Some clubs may claim you will be able to obtain a black back within a year or two, but we would advise caution with this sort of claim!
What are the injury risks for karate?
When taught by a knowledgeable instructor, karate is very safe and the risk of injury is very low. Injuries in karate tend to be rare and quite minor, such as an odd bruise and bump. Whenever we do any pair work (which we call ‘kumite’) the emphasis is on development of good timing, footwork, control and reaction speed.
Is it an expensive activity to practise?
Not really – the only costs are the monthly training fees and buying a karate suit and sparring mitts. We are a non profit organisation, so all the member fees go towards the cost of hiring the facilities we use and cost of insurance cover.
Do you have beginners-only classes?
No, we have beginners starting all the time and therefore we just ask that you turn up and join us, whenever it suits you. There will normally be other beginners in the class for you to train with.
Do I get to do sparring?
Wadoryu karate was the first karate school to incorporate free fighting (called ‘jiyu kumite’) into its practice. We have different levels of jiyu kumite to suit peoples ability and it is always carefully supervised by the club instructor it is done in a safe and controlled way. Students usually really enjoy this aspect as you’ll get to try out your techniques freely.
What is a karate kata and why do we practise them?
Kata is the training tool which originally served as the core method of karate practice. In the past, karate training was almost exclusively kata training but today, a more balance approach is taken which consists of Kihon (basics) Kata (form) and Kumite (pairwork and sparring). In Wadokai karate, we place emphasis on 10 core kata which range from short, 20 move kata up to about 65 move kata. Most karate players really enjoy training kata.
Do you have a belt system and what do the colours mean?
In karate, we use coloured belts to indicate ‘kyu’ grades and black belts to indicate ‘dan’ grades. Actually the kyu-dan system is used in all modern Japanese martial arts (kendo, aikido, judo, shorinji kempo, jodo, naginated0, jukendo and kyudo) as well as other arts and games. Shodo (calligraphy) also uses the kyu-dan system and the original idea came from a traditional Japanese board game! Essentially the kyu-dan system gives us a way to measure our training progress and provides a target to focus our training goals on.
Can I wear my belt from my previous club?
If you have trained at JKF Wadokai club elsewhere then yes. If you have trained in a different style or have practiced Wadoryu at non-JKF Wadokai dojo, then we would recommend you wear a white belt to start with and we can review your level of JKF Wadokai technique after a few months. For regular members, we do not generally permit the wearing black belts in the class unless they are from a registered JKF Wadokai grading.
I am visiting Manchester for a short time, can I come along to train?
Yes – provided you have previous training experience then please get in touch and let us know when you’d like to come along.
