Best Martial Arts and Combat Sports Classes in Chessington

The best thing to do is come along and try a lesson. If you decide that karate is for you, just speak to Sensei Jason Rogers or Zoe about the club membership and fees. If you decide to join, you will also need to get insurance (a licence from the EGKA) and a Gi (the white clothing). Gis can be purchased from us and do not need to be bought right away. At some point, you will need to purchase some sparring gloves and shin guards, especially if you decide that you want to compete.

In terms of clothing, you can wear comfortable tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt. Shoes must be removed before entering our dojo, and all jewellery will also need to be removed before the lesson starts. This is just for Health and Safety purposes and to ensure your items are not damaged or lost. We also suggest you bring a bottle of water, juice, or energy drink just to keep yourself hydrated, as you will be sweating!

We always suggest you arrive about 10 minutes early so that you can make yourself known, make us aware of any medical conditions that may affect your training and/or that we need to be aware of, and of course, this gives you time to ask us any questions.

Karate has many levels, which are divided into Kyu and Dan Grades. Our style has 11 Belts. You will start with a white belt (most martial arts do) and then progress through the belts at each grading. Our belt system is in this order: white (10th Kyu), Yellow (9th Kyu), Orange (8th Kyu), Green (7th Kyu), Blue (6th Kyu), Purple (5th Kyu), Purple White Stripe (4th Kyu), Brown (3rd Kyu), Brown 1 (2nd Kyu), Brown 2 (1st Kyu), Black (1st Dan). Although Black belt is the last colour on the belt system, it is by no means the end of your Goju Ryu journey, but the start! You can progress through different levels of Black Belt.