Farnham Karate Academy

One of our students from the Farnham Karate Academy, Madi Silver, has been selected to represent the England Wado-Ryu team in ladies kumite, at the Wado World Championships in August.
We wish Madi well... anyone wanting to join us for both traditional and competitive karate, can come along for a free trial session on Sundays at Weydon School gymnasium, GU9 8UG.
Adult class 10.30am
Kids class 9.30am.

In last week’s adult class in Guildford we practised our kata and pair work, including Pinan Sandan and Kumite Gata No. 3.

Join us this evening from 18:30 for kids and 19:30 for adults.

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In yesterday’s Farnham adult class we practised our kicks with some kicking drills, Nagashizuki within kumite, as well as pair work and kushanku.

Thank you to everyone who came along!

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We got the mats out in yesterday’s adult class in Farnham, in which we focused upon the jujitsu side of our Wado Ryu Karate, practically applying some kata and pair work.

Great to see so much hard work from all who attended!

In the words of one student … “best lesson ever!”

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Wednesday was the end of a great Wado Academy Winter Course, which consisted of 4 hours daily training over 5 days at the Guildford Spectrum.

It was elite level instruction and a great turnout from many countries, with our clubs also well represented - thanks to all who came!

We are delighted that Greg Cobb who trains at the Farnham, Haslemere & Guildford classes, as well as 1-2-1s, passed his 1st Dan on his third attempt. Greg has shown everyone what hard work, dedication and spirit can do to accomplish a goal. He’s not found it easy, but kept going and sets an example to all.

Well done to Nick Mogridge, who teaches at Aldershot & trains at Farnham, who was promoted to 4th Dan on the course, after 20 years of being a 3rd Dan.

Furthermore, Sensei Corin Pegden, instructor of the Farnham, Haslemere & Guildford classes, was promoted to 5th Dan on the course.

Madi Silver who trains at the Haslemere, Farnham & Guildford clubs has been selected to represent the England team in Japan in August.

Madi was joined by Madi Allen, Molly and Pip on Sunday’s squad training and all represented the clubs well in a tough session, showing great future potential for the clubs’ young females.

Well done to all who graded! Pass or fail, you are all winners and we couldn’t be any prouder of Greg and his achievement on his black belt.

Anyone wanting to train at the clubs can contact us at [email protected] or turn up to a session.

Reminder to our students, training tomorrow is 14.00-18.00 and then 10.00-14.00 every other day.
Children's class on Sunday in Farnham will run, adult/teen class will NOT...go to the Winter Course instead.
Can the senior students please look out for and after, any of the younger ones from the clubs, who are turning up this weekend at Guildford Spectrum. 🙏

A great turnout at Sunday’s adult class in Farnham, the last before the Winter Course in Guildford this weekend.

In the lesson, we broke down Dan Grade Combination No. 2, practised Nihon Kumite No. 11 and Pinan Yondan, and finished off with some sparring.

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Rob Howells MBE kindly sent me this scanned image from when he hosted Shiomitsu Sensei & 2nd Grandmaster in 2002, at Tidworth Army Barracks sports centre.
A few other familiar faces, we all look much younger! 😁
Great evenings training...

Great article...

(2 minute and 5 second read)

The journey to becoming proficient in any field, especially the martial arts, begins with a fundamental truth: you must first become a great student.
Training and practice isn't just about passively absorbing information; it's about taking an active role in your own learning, and being fueled by a relentless pursuit of knowledge and experience.
A recent encounter with a 2nd dan black belt instructor from another style perfectly illustrates this point. When I offered him the opportunity to train with us, to do something different, he declined, citing a desire to "stick with his style."
This underscores a crucial distinction between individuals aspiring to excel and those content with mediocrity.
Merely showing up to practice and going through the motions falls way short of what you should be trying to achieve. Successful training and improvement requires thoughtful reflection and an unwavering commitment to self-improvement, to learning more, to delve deeper into the art you follow.
During your practice and training you should always be asking yourself; Can I do this any better? Is there another way to do this? Does my movement feel efficient and natural?
Great students, and consequently great teachers, don't wait for external cues to improve. They are their own harshest critics, constantly analyzing their strengths and weaknesses always looking to be better.
Pushing beyond your comfort zone is essential, as this dedication to self-directed learning forms the cornerstone of true proficiency.
And there are times you just won’t get it, every lesson can be frustrating and you will feel like you're standing still. But the path to proficiency is not a sprint, it’s a lifelong marathon. There will always be something new to learn, a technique to refine, or a principle to explore more deeply.
“What you have been taught by listening to others' words you will forget very quickly; what you have learned with your whole body you will remember for the rest of your life." - Gichin Funakoshi
Having a feeling of excitement when challenged with something new, you can embrace this never-ending journey with an insatiable curiosity and a relentless drive to be better.
Don't settle for being average; strive to be exceptional.
The greatest teacher is often the one within. So never stop questioning, learning, and growing.
Find mentors and training partners who challenge and inspire you. Surround yourself with individuals who embody the qualities you aspire to possess, and learn from their experiences and insights. Remember, the path to greatness is rarely walked alone..… And don’t turn down those opportunities that occasionally come your way.
Embrace a lifelong love of learning, and transform your practice from a mere workout into a journey towards self-improvement and a deeper understanding.
So, step onto the mat with an open mind, a hungry spirit, and the unwavering belief that you can always be better than you were yesterday.
"I am a student, not a master. I am still learning, and I will never stop learning." - Nelson Mandela

Another great turnout in Sunday’s adult class, where we practised sparring, basics and some pair work, and then finished with Kushanku.

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Thanks to everyone who turned up and trained today at our Farnham club, for the Wado Academy New Year Course.
Over 70 people in a very packed dojo...great to see everyone and have the inspirational instruction from Sensei Arthur.
Will post a few more pictures/videos once they are approved hopefully.

Great to see people making the effort to come and train last night in Guildford, in some pretty awful weather & travel conditions. Look forward to Sunday's New Year course in Farnham, 12-3pm, children class runs as normal 9.30-10.30am. 🙏👍👊

And that’s a wrap for 2023! It’s been a great year at Surrey Karate, with highlights including:

• New Year Training Course
• 5-day Winter Course led by Grandmaster Otsuka III
• 5-day Summer Course
• 2 Instructor’s Courses
• Wayne Otto OBE Seminar
• 3 new 1st Dans
• Numerous Kyu Gradings

Hoping everyone has a very Happy Christmas and looking forward to seeing you back training after the festive period for the New Year Course on Sunday 7th January from 12:00 - 15:00!

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In his 1-2-1 session last night, Greg practiced Kihon Kumite No.1 as well as Pinan Yondan, Seishan, Chinto & Kumite.

He & his son Tom are some of the club students who regularly enhance their karate, practising Basics, Pairwork, Kata or Sparring in a more informal setting, at Sensei’s private dojo.

Drop us a line at [email protected] if you are interested and want to start your traditional karate journey.

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In this morning’s adult class in Farnham we practised our pair work, incl. Kihon Kumite No. 1, Pinan Yondan and Dan Grade Combination No. 3.

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In Thursday’s adult class in Guildford we practised our Basics and Kihon Kata, which we then adapted with some kicks.

Join us tomorrow in Farnham from 09:30 (Kids) or 10:30 (adults).

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It was great to see so many attend this morning’s adult class in Farnham! Today we broke down Chinto and Pinan Godan, did some Goshin Hō and finished off with sparring!

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Wonderful movement and instruction from Tomitaka Sensei. 👍

Noru, Kil, Tsuku by Kake Uke 乗る、突く、斬る『掛け受け』 毎日、形をうっていて抱く『掛け受けの使い方』について。ピンアン四段やチントウ、ニーセーシ、ジッテ、バッサイと様々な形の中で出で来るこの『掛け受け』は、そのほとんどが蹴りの前後に行っていると思いました。...

Clubs are still busy despite the holiday period.
For August...
Haslemere club closed.
Guildford club adults class only.
Farnham club open as normal.
Wado Academy summer course 5th-9th August in Weston-super-Mare, with special guest instructor from Japan.

Keep up the good work Drew! 👏

A reminder to all of our Dan grades & 1st kyu, please get yourself booked onto the instructors course that we are hosting in May. 🙏👊

We had the pleasure of hosting the inspirational Wayne Otto Obe yesterday in Farnham, Surrey for the 12th time.
Thanks to the 60 people for coming & training hard, it was a tough, but enjoyable session and we had several who wanted to come who couldn't make it sadly.
Here are a few pictures and short videos from the session...we will have Sensei Wayne back again soon. 😁👍