Training fees

Our classes are payable before the start of each session, and at the start of the month if training in person. Monthly payment options are available for those training regularly. After you have attended three lessons, if you wish to continue training with us you will need to register with The Japan Karate Association in England. Membership costs £25 per annum.

Apply for JKA England membership

Karate outfit

For your first few lessons, we suggest wearing clothes that are easy to move in like tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt. Once you are sure that you wish to continue then you should purchase a white karate uniform. A reasonable quality entry-level uniform embroidered with the club crest can be ordered through your instructor. The cost sometimes varies depending on sizing, but you can expect to pay from £35 for a child’s suit and £45 for an adult’s. Superior quality karate uniforms are also available to order, as are top quality suits from Japan. These cost substantially more but are worth the investment over the long term.

Karate uniforms

What to expect from your first lesson

Before training starts, we line up in grade order, kneel and bow to the front of the dojo, to the instructor, then to each other. One of the senior grades will lead the warm-up exercises. The lesson itself consists of kihon (fundamental techniques), kata (forms) and kumite (partner work) to develop techniques. Beginners will be introduced to the range of karate techniques gradually with the emphasis being on developing coordination and big movements. The class ends with another formal, kneeling bow.

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How often to attend classes

We recommend attending classes at least twice per week along with regular practise at home. Karate is a challenging but enjoyable activity and a consistent approach to training will give you the best chance of reaping its benefits. If you wish to take gradings, those training twice a week are more likely to be eligible to grade at 3 month intervals. If you train less often, or to an irregular pattern, then the time between each exam will be more widely spaced.

Karate is not just something to be learned, but something to be lived. And that takes a lifetime.

The Japan Karate Association

There is some formality in class, like the bow at the start and the end of the lesson, but much of what we expect is simple good manners and common sense. Students need to remove all jewellery, be attentive, and actively engage with the class. Fingernails and toenails must be clipped short and karate uniforms washed after each lesson. Mobile phones should be switched to silent unless expecting an urgent call.

Try to be on time to class and bow to the front of the room when entering. If you arrive late, leave your belongings to the side and your lesson card (if you have one) on the table with the others. Then, kneel down near the dojo entrance, in line of sight and facing the instructor, who will invite you to join the class at a safe and convenient point. Bow to the instructor and join at the end of the line.

If you arrive very late or after the warm-up has finished, the instructor may suggest that first-timers just watch the class on that occasion. Regular students arriving after the warm-up has finished should warm-up away from the main group first, then kneel down when they are ready to join in with the class.

Karate training is undoubtably a challenging activity but hopefully an enjoyable experience too. Classes at Shiranamikai are certainly not like boot camp! All we ask is that you contribute to the positive atmosphere of the dojo by trying your best and being respectful to other students.