Surrey Karate Academy - Kenpo Karate-Jutsu

07/06/2026

14 years ago, in the early stages of KJG, Kyoshi Ben Craft and Renshi Fernando Mahamud Angulo spent countless hours discussing our direction of travel in karate, martial arts principles, and combat paradigms.

From those conversations emerged a framework we called 3D Karate, Defend, Disrupt, Despatch.

The name itself was always intended as a mnemonic device; simple to remember, easy to teach, and underpinned by principles that were robust, logical, and congruent with how we trained and approached applied karate.

Over the years, we have openly shared this approach with everyone we have trained with, taught, or collaborated alongside. Seeing the same frameworks and concepts now being used more widely, sometimes under different nomenclatures, is genuinely rewarding.

Whilst acknowledging the sources of one’s inspiration is always the right thing to do, we are ultimately delighted to see the methodology being used, adapted, and explored, albeit with different nomenclature.

If ideas travel, evolve, and add value beyond their original environment, that speaks to their usefulness.

For us, 3D was never about ownership of terminology; it was about creating a clear and practical framework that helped karateka understand what we do, why we do it, and how principles connect under pressure.

A simple idea, a lot of conversations, fourteen years later, still relevant.

10/05/2026

Great seminar hosted by Richard Hang Hong with Iain Abernethy covering really good quality drills extracted from seyunchin.

Beyond the kata, many [very] important principles were discussed that apply to all katas. And karate!

Thank you!

08/02/2026

Sensei Richard writes a very interesting and important post regarding the incredibly impactful value of having a 'Third Space'.

Something we have most likely felt is beautifully articulated. I used to call it 'your tribe', because they aren't family nor work colleagues but super important in your life.

I think I will use his term now as it resonates very loudly.

Thank you!

Finding Your Third Space

I’ve been thinking a lot about this idea of a “third space”.

Not home. Not work. Just… somewhere else. Somewhere you can turn up without having to host, perform, explain yourself, or be “on” for everyone. A place where you’re not just a mum, a dad, an employee, a taxi driver for the kids, the person who sorts everything out. You’re just you for an hour.

And I think loads of adults are missing that now, even if they can’t quite put their finger on what feels off. Home used to be home, but for most people it’s also admin, noise, screens, chores, everyone needing something. Work is work, even if you do it from the kitchen table, and it’s still pressure, targets, emails, being “switched on”. Then in between those two places there’s… what exactly? Scrolling. Netflix. Another night in because you’re tired. Another “we should catch up soon” message that never becomes a plan.

We used to have more third spaces without even trying. Pubs, youth clubs, sports clubs that were affordable, community centres that were busy, places you’d bump into the same faces every week. Some of that has drifted, some of it has been priced out, some places have closed, some people are working weird hours, and honestly sometimes it’s just easier to stay in and not bother. But the cost of that adds up, quietly. People feel lonely without saying the word lonely. People feel flat. People feel like they’ve lost themselves a bit.

That’s why a good club can be way more important than people realise. Martial arts, football, rugby, dance, boxing, whatever it is… when it’s done properly it becomes a third space almost by accident. You turn up. You get welcomed like you belong there. You move your body. You focus on something real. You laugh at something stupid someone says in warm-up. You get a nod from someone who’s seen you show up even when you couldn’t be bothered. Then you go back out into the world feeling a bit more like yourself again.

Martial arts is especially good for this because you don’t have to be chatty to connect. You can train alongside people for months, build trust, and it happens through effort, not forced conversation. You share that little struggle of trying to improve, even when you’re tired, even when your week’s been a mess, and that shared effort steadies you.

I found my third space in karate about 30 years ago and it’s become a huge, passionate part of my life. It’s been my safe space. It’s where I’ve been able to let loose and be open amongst friends, where I’ve made connections with hundreds, maybe even thousands of people over the years… some briefly, others deep and long lasting. It’s given me opportunities to travel, expand my horizons, experience things I would’ve completely missed otherwise. And somewhere along the way I’ve been lucky enough to make it my living, which still blows my mind sometimes… that I get to provide a third space for other people when they walk through our doors.

But here’s the bit people miss. A third space doesn’t just “happen” because you rent a hall and run classes. It’s created, then it’s protected. It’s in the little moments. How new people are welcomed. How safe the training feels. Whether people get treated with respect when they’re brand new, whether the standards are honest, whether the culture has integrity, whether people feel supported instead of judged. Whether the place quietly encourages you to commit, improve, and maybe inspire someone else just by showing up. People feel that stuff straight away, even if they never say it out loud.

If you’ve got a third space already, don’t take it for granted. Turn up. Be part of what makes it feel like a place people can breathe. And if you’re looking for one, don’t overthink it… find a good room with good people and give it a few weeks. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be real.

- Richard Hang Hong

31/01/2026

I’m honestly shocked and sickened by the news of a 15-year-old boy being murdered in a knife attack in Guildford, allegedly by two other teenagers. A young life gone, families and communities shattered, and absolutely nothing that can justify it.

In all honesty, knife attacks are among the most frightening forms of violence. They are fast, chaotic, and often impossible to see coming. Even adults struggle to defend against them, which makes this even more devastating when the people involved are children.

This tragedy highlights something we urgently need to confront: prevention matters more than reaction. We must do far more to give young people the tools to stay safe — not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too.

Proper self-defence training at a young age isn’t about fighting or aggression; it’s about awareness, avoidance, confidence, discipline, and learning how to recognise danger early and get away from it.

Alongside that, we need better education, role models, community support, and early intervention.

Too many young people are being lost — as victims and perpetrators — and that should horrify all of us.

Our thoughts are with the boy’s family and everyone affected by this senseless act. We owe it to our children to do better.

🙏🙇🏽‍♂️🌹

23/11/2025

A very few photos of one amazing weekend with our Devon karate bothers and sisters.

19/10/2025

Work on your craft!

Keeping up with the conditioning with slow but long routine to work biomechanics, precision and core. I'm not too keen on jodan kicks from a practical standpoint, but I love the conditioning value you get out of them.

23/09/2025

Great photo at the recent Karate For Mental Health seminar with this lovely lot.

One of the best seminars, with a superb line up of quality instructors, that we have attended in many years.

Always a pleasure to have our own Kyoshi Ben Craft instructing.

🥋🙏