Oxford City Shotokan Karate Club

01/10/2026

Some people make stretching look way too simple.

30/09/2026

Fun from last night

28/09/2026

Well done all who graded yesterday, I didn't have to deny all knowledge of you, so thats good.

Thanks to Sensei Dave Paulus for a great training session with some interesting points to take away and work on.

Now we get ready for the Open Championships

24/09/2026

13/09/2026

A special class with Sensei Dave Paulus, 6th dan and JKA England Coach, will be held after the grading.

To reserve your place follow the link

https://portal.nestmanagement.co.uk/event/Index?e=cGhhZ1V6TENEcERvY2RPTEc3WGhKUT09

10/09/2026

I was chatting yesterday with the mum of one of my students. She liked the idea of starting Karate classes herself, but was scared that she would make mistakes and embarrass herself or her child. That's what prompted this post

There is a cliché in martial arts that “a black belt is a white belt that never gave up”. Although it's true, I would suggest a better way to think of it is that every black belt was once a white belt.

In other words, we've all been there.

One of the driving forces in karate, and other martial arts too, is that there's always something new to learn and improve, no matter how long you have trained. Every one of us is trying to improve our technique. For absolute beginners, this might mean checking that you've got the correct leg forward. For the more advanced students, the improvements become more subtle. But we are ALL still trying to correct mistakes.

Instructors can relate to the struggle of trying to get something right. We've all been there. Everyone in a Karate class will recognise that a beginner is on the same path as them. A good instructor can spot the mistake and know how to fix it, because they’ve done it themselves.

One of the principles that I have in the club is that failure is an option; giving up isn't. Making mistakes is an integral part of the learning process. Failing is an opportunity to try again.

Sometimes you need to push yourself to try something, and you may not succeed. It might mean trying a move that you don't know well and ending up facing the wrong way; making a mistake in sparring and blocking with the wrong arm; losing the balance point when throwing a kick… or missing the target.

It's actually a good sign that someone is worried about making mistakes. It means that they care and want to get it right. The worst attitude to bring to Karate club is "near enough - that will do". Settling for mediocre isn't the Karate way.

So if you are concerned about looking foolish and making mistakes as a beginner in Karate, don't worry about it. We expect you to make mistakes. If you never make mistakes, we are simply not challenging you enough.

09/08/2026

Fun at training tonight. It was supposed to be stepping punch from everyone, but luckily there's no VAR in Karate

30/07/2026

Our next Beginners Course starts on Wednesday 2 September.

Find out more and reserve your place:
https://www.oxfordcityskc.co.uk/beginners-course.html

30/07/2026

I found this throwback from 2023 when I didn't wear a gi to do kata as it was too hot. Something just doesn't look right

19/07/2026

Start getting ready for this - it will be here sooner than you think!

Booking details to follow