| ABOUT US | TRAINING |
About Us
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Hanshin Karate Club practices the Wado-Ryu style of karate developed by Ohtsuka Hironori in the first third of the 20th century. Wado Ryu is a similar, but quicker and more upright style of karate than Shotokan and also incorporates some techniques from Ju-Jitsu. We are a non profit organization run by volunteers and are members of WYSOK and a national governing body. This ensures that our members are both licensed and insured. Our members range from 7 years old to 50(something) and there is a real family atmosphere in the club. Training comes first, but fun is a close second; and for those that find training fun, it's awesome! |
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Club Origins
Hanshin Karate Club was formed in the spring of 2001 by Sensei David Smith (Dai Sensei) and Sensei Simon Diaz after 4 years training under Shian Ann Walker at Newmillerdam Karate Club.
Based at Sharlston Community Centre, the club has so far trained 11 students to the level of black belt; some of whom have themselves become Hanshin Senseis whilst others have gone on to form their own clubs.
The name "Hanshin" means "Rebellious Spirit" in Japanese and evokes the "never say die" or "never back down" ethos that the founding Senseis wanted to characterize the club.
Relationships
One of these clubs (Saiyuuki) is very much considered to be our sister club and there are both family links and strong friendships that consolidate this bond.
Three times a year, Newmillerdam, Hanshin and Saiyuuki hold an Interclub Tournament at each others Dojos. These gatherings give the students and senseis the opportunity to compete in a friendly and nurturing environment as opposed to the cut and thrust of open competition. Having said that, everyone takes it extremely seriously.
Being a member of the WYSOK association also gives the club the advantages of access to larger competitions as well as a recognized grading syllabus.
Training Ethos
Every Hanshin student is treated as an individual and training is consequently needs based. The primary aim of training is to teach the Wado Ryu style and to help the student successfully advance through their grades to black belt.
The secondary aim of training is fun! Some students particularly enjoy light sparring, others favour self-defence techniques and some prefer to hone their technique and Kata.
The Senseis cater to this range of needs by arranging the students into smaller groups that can be given greater attention. It is not uncommon for there to be a ratio of one-to-one when a sensei believes that a particular student needs specific help with an aspect of their teaching, or indeed if the student voices there own concerns.
Follow the link at the top of this page to read more about the breakdown of a typical training session.