Upminster Shinnin Kai Karate Club started in 1983 and is now the largest Shinnin Kai club in North East London.

As a club, we have been very successful, not only in competitions but with the consistent improvement of our club members.

I have been training for 26 years under the guidance of Sensei Ticky Donovan 9th Dan OBE, one of the finest karate technicians in the world.

A typical karate lesson lasts between an hour and an hour and a half and always starts with a 10 - 15 minute warm up session, including stretching exercises, to safely prepare your body for karate.

We then spend some time practising basic techniques such as punching,blocking and kicking,putting them together in a series of combinations.

Kata is a very important part of karate and most lessons include a period of time spent learning and perfecting these techniques.

It is also important to put to practical use all the karate moves learnt and this is done in a controlled session of sparring, normally during the latter part of the lesson.

Students work in pairs, wearing light hand mitts and sometimes leg guards, either working on set moves or free fighting. This is where the timing of fighting techniques are learnt and how points are scored for competition fights. You may get the odd bruise but any more serious type of injury at the club is rare and normally due to a poorly executed technique rather than a deliberate act of violence!!

Karate will help to improve your fitness by developing muscular strength in your legs and arms, increasing flexibility and co-ordination and raising your levels of stamina. It will also have a positive effect on your confidence as you learn self-defence skills.

The atmosphere at our club is respectful, as Shinnin Kai is a very traditional style of karate, but also very friendly with a high number of black belt students more than willing to help newer club members. We have whole families training at the club, mums and dads with children and even grandads and grandsons.

Anyone, from the ages of 7 upwards can start to learn karate and although the younger students have flexibility and stamina on their side, older students are allowed to develop at their own pace with age and physical ability always taken into account on gradings. The website should give you a good insight into the club, I hope you find it interesting and informative.