The First Steps…
Students may start training at any time during the year or term.
Most of the people you see training were nervous for their first class too, so it is a very normal response, especially for those with little martial arts or athletic experience.
For the first few classes, shorts or loose fitting pants and T-shirt are fine.
We train barefoot so footwear is required only for getting to and from the dojo.
Tie back long hair, remove jewellery, and make sure toe- and fingernails are trimmed to a safe length. Cover any cuts or grazes with a sticking plaster strip (e.g. Band-Aid).
Just a bottle of water and a willingness to learn. And maybe a towel if you sweat a lot.
As the class is about to start, you will see our students bowing as they move onto the mats, and then kneeling down in a row facing the instructor, who is usually wearing a black belt and is addressed as ‘sensei’ (pronounced ‘sen-say’). As a beginner, you will be a ‘white’ belt; this just means you have no experience in martial arts (or this style of martial arts).
The senior-most student will ‘call the bow’. For the first class, simply watch how this is done. Students remain kneeling until the instructor stands, and then the class will commence.
The class usually consists of basic drills to teach techniques, break falling (to prevent injury as a result of being pushed or thrown), and stretching.
Simply follow the instructions for the class, and watch how other people behave. It will become second nature after a very short time.
Most people train for the same purpose, which is to learn self-defence. Because our students are very nice people, new people are made welcome and are very well looked after.
Might you feel awkward the first few times you train? Very possibly. Will you be a little sore the next day? Probably. That is the usual result of participating in a new type of physical activity. But will you have fun? Absolutely!!
We believe that causing pain during learning is extremely counter-productive, so training with us is respectful and safe. Most importantly, it’s also a lot of fun!
As a ‘newbie’, you only need an open mind to stepping outside your comfort zone in order to progress.
Simply pay the fees for a membership and start turning up to training.
Depending on which age group you are in, light protective gear may need to be purchased.
No problem. If you decide it’s not what you want at this time, then we hope to see you back in the future.