Karate Training in Yeadon, North Leeds

I run training at Leeds Premier Karate Club in Yeadon - training on Tuesdays and Wednesdays over Summer 2015 (usually Monday and Wednesday).

If you are interested in taking up this exciting martial art I run a beginners class from 6.00pm to 6.30 - both days and the first 2 sessions are free to see if you like !

If you have previous experience of martial arts you are also welcome to train on an ad hoc basis or join us permanently - just contact me to discuss.

For more information please call me on : 07792 075748 or e-mail : pkn4395@gmail.com

Full information and training times are on our website : www.yeadonkarate.weebly.com

Look forward to seeing you at training.

Kata videos on You Tube

One of the challenges I always find when taking a new belt is to learn the kata. It can often be hard to pick up all the technical detail in a busy class. When I was a beginner and middle order belt I would really have liked easy access to my styles kata on video.

With this in mind for my students (Shukokai style) I have started recording videos of me performing the club's kata's and putting them up on You Tube. The aim is to do the kata relatively slowly to try and develop technique and power rather than speed so the watcher can get an idea of what the kata's look like.

I'm aware that different styles perform the same kata's differently but my version are as per how I teach them at my club (under the tutelage of my own instructor : Sensei Tattersall).

Hopefully as we add more they become a useful library for students to be viewed as part of the process of their learning their new kata. So far I have recorded two :

Pinan Nidan

Pinan Shodan

Click on the above links to view them or you can go via the Yeadon Club website by clicking here.

Sensei Phil

www.karatemotivated.weebly.com

I have just added an update to the new website for Leeds Premier Karate in Yeadon.

There is now a club news page which breaks down important stuff for members and hopefully is of interests to browsers and friends/family of members.

The latest post gives a break down of our recent successes at the club grading in Halton.

Well done to everyone who passed from my Yeadon club.

If you're interested in joining up to train in Yeadon please just call or e-mail me : 07792 075748 or pkn4395@gmail.com

Sensei Phil Knight

Kata Video

I have just uploaded a video of me performing our first, basic kata : Pinan Nidan.

Check it out here at my You Tube Channel.

Leeds Premier Karate in Yeadon - website update

As readers here know I run training and day to day things at my local karate club, a Shukokai Club part of Leeds Premier Karate on behalf of my instructor : Michael Tattersall.

I've recently put together a place holder website for my side of the club so people can find out training times and so forth plus get hold of me if needed.

If you are interested in training with us in Yeadon, north Leeds please just click : Leeds Premier Karate Club - Yeadon

We run an on-going beginners class all year round (no restrictions on new starters as there can often be at some clubs) and in particular I would welcome students who have tried martial arts before and fancy another go - this applies to me. I trained in one style for over 30 years before switching clubs and ending up getting my second black belt at age 43/44 and going on to run my new club (at least the Yeadon branch of it). So if you want to come along you will be more than welcome - no age or sex restriction !

Hope to see you all there !

Read this article if you are considering taking up a martial art

Was idly perusing the internet and came across this article by Jess Enkamp and thought it was really worth reading for anyone considering taking up a new martial art or re-starting training again.

It won't help with the technical side of things but might just get a new students head in the right place.

Check it out here.

New karate kids class

I'm folding a special element in to my beginners class.

Typically I've been setting an arbitrary limit of year 2 or 3 for new joiners to the club - mainly because to progress into the main class they need to be able to concentrate and fundamentally do as they are told to be safe.

However my instructor and I have been working on a special kids syllabus for students aged around 4 to 6 - this will look at very basic kicks and punches but also concentration, dojo etiquette and so forth.

Looking forward to welcoming my first 'karate kid' to the class this evening a well !

Karate on Linkedin ?

I run a Linkedin group called the Martial Arts Self Defence Forum where like minded martial artists can get together on line and chat through issues about their art, focusing in mainly on self defence. I've run this group for several years but now this blog is up and running maybe we can pick up some new members - if you're interested click here and join.

If you're into MA and on Linkedin I look forward to meeting you virtually !

You Tube Karate videos

As well as using this blog to publicise my main medical insurance business (shameless plug for my Premier Choice web-page) I'm not above going for some additional pushing of the karate club in Leeds that I am now running.

We train twice a week at Yeadon Westfield Infants School - Monday and Wednesday - Beginners at 6.00pm and Main Class starting 6.30pm.

There is a You Tube video of me here - which introduces me and the club.

However the Yeadon club that I run is part of a larger club which is based at Halton on the authorised of Leeds. They train at the Leeds Premier Fitness centre, owned and run by my college : Sensei Michael (Tat) Tattersall - 6th Dan instructor.

I came across this video, also on You Tube which shows the Halton location and the first half of the video is concentrated on the karate club and you can see Tat demonstrating a take down and then some sparring from around 30 seconds into the video. Have a look and see the kind of training we undertake over at the Yeadon club as well.

Welcoming new karate beginners tomorrow evening

At the karate class tomorrow evening I am expecting a couple of new beginners at 6.00pm so I am looking forward to welcoming them to the club.

If others are interested we train as below, if you want more information you can also try watching this short video I put on You Tube :

Leeds Premier Karate Club (Yeadon)

Beginners Class - Monday and Wednesday 6.00pm til 6.30pm

Main Class - 6.30pm to 8.00pm

Training at Yeadon Westfield Infants School, Westfield Grove, Yeadon, Leeds LS19 7NQ

For more information call me on 07792 074748 or e-mail me on pkn4395@gmail.com

Beginners Class update

As I mentioned in previous posts my karate beginners class which began at the start of 2015 is going down very well.

I already have a number of people who have progressed to yellow belt (four in total) and a new bunch of people confirmed as starting next week plus one or two thinking about it. We accept new beginners at any time so there is no waiting for a place to come up - just call or e-mail me and I will run you through how to join up !

I have also performed a series of school assemblies around the local area with (hopefully) more to follow to get in a new younger generation of karate ka. Nothing more terrifying than standing up in a go in front of 300 five to eleven year olds !!!

If you or anyone you know is interested in karate training please direct them to us - we train twice weekly at Yeadon Westfield Infants School LS19 7NQ with the beginners class starting at 6.00pm for 30 minutes and the first two lessons are free to see if you like it !

If you have trained at martial arts before I would probably suggest you actually join the main class (which trains 6.30 pm to 8.00 pm) as pro-tem yellow belts whilst I assess you and see where you need to begin - as always with people with some experience of the marital arts it isn't always right to start you off as white belt beginners again but of course we need to get you up to speed with kata and stylistic differences - our Shukokai style is pretty easy to pick up and if you've done Shotokhan, Wado Ryu etc you will probably recognise a lot of the basics, Pinan Kata's and so forth.

As an aside prior to training in Shukokai I trained in a Wado Ryu style for many years so I went through all of the issues with starting a new style from scratch some years ago so I can definitely help wit this aspect of things if you want to come along and try us out.

For more information just call me on : 07792 075748 or e-mail : pkn4395@gmail.com

Look forward to training with you !

Sensei Phil Knight
Club Instructor
Leeds Premier Karate Club (Yeadon)

Learn about karate tonight at Benton Park School in Yeadon, Leeds

We will be at the Sports and Activity Fair at Benton Park school this evening from 6.00pm with demo's at 6.00pm and 7.30pm. Click here for details on the fair

Please come along, find out and join karate and get healthy.

For info call me on 07792 075748 or e-mail pkn4395@gmail.com

Karate demo in Leeds tomorrow evening

Tomorrow evening I am running a stand for Leeds Premier Karate at the Sports and Activity Fair being held at Benton Park School in Leeds (Harrogate Road, Yeadon, Leeds, LS19 6LX).

The event has various sporting and social activities taking part and we are hoping for a good turnout - in addition I am also running two demonstrations - one of self defence (we call 'attack and defence') and another on a range of kata's the times are : 6.00pm and then 7.30pm.

If you're in the area and fancy chatting though what we do and finding out a little more then you would be very welcome.

If you'd like more info or directions sending call on 07792 075748 or e-mail pkn4395@gmail.com

See you there !

New beginners

We started our new beginners class in February at the Yeadon Dojo (see previous posts for more details) and we are up to four regulars and I understand one other new person who came on Monday and I'm hoping to see again this evening.

Nice to have some new blood and hope to continue to grow. The people we have are very switched on and good recruits I think. I'd like another five or ten to get up to a decent level - so if readers of the blog know anyone in Leeds who'd like to learn karate please ask them to contact me :

pkn4395@gmail.com or 07792 075748.

Sensei Phil

Looming grading

I was not at training in on Monday, first session I have missed in about six months I think - the senior club instructor came over and I think put a bit of rat up everyone's night dress (is that a real saying?). I think it is always a good thing to have a bit of a shake up and let students work with a different instructor (albeit someone most of them know quite well but haven't seen for a good while) to keep people on their toes.

This is especially important given that we have a grading on the 22nd and now only three training sessions before.

On Monday he covered off kata and combinations. I'm planning to do attack and difference (yippon commit) in some depth tonight and then next week go through areas requested by those people grading. It can be a tense time pre-grading and one or two of the students are a little bit light on practice, particularly of kata to pass right at this point in time.

I always liked to focus my pre-grading training around kata for a number of reasons. Firstly the technical - do the stance and technique work within your kata right and your basics and combinations will improve along with the kata.

Secondly kata is designed to incorporate all the good stuff you need to do those other techniques at that grade - in other words the kata's are designed as a training aid for your grade and using them as such makes sense - I practice kata everyday, without fail. It really helps.

Lastly, proper kata done at full speed is bloody hard work. After three or four kata I will be breathing hard and after eight, nearly unconcious. It is good cardio work and will help stamina and on the grading day you will need that.

Last point on gradings. I may be old fashioned (I have been doing this since 1980) but I always train for a grading, increasing the running and fitness work so that I am physically able to cope with a high belt grading (anything from purple onwards I'd suggest at least). Karate, particularly at a high kyu grade level is challenging, physically, technically and mentally. So being able to tick off the fitness part of things well in advance of a grading is important to me. It means I'm not stressing about whether I can carry on and do the next kick or fight - sure I'm tired and working hard but mentally I can focus on another strong technique while the instructor is watching me and not be concerned that all my reservoirs of energy are gone.

Beginners class update

My new beginners class is now fully up and running (6.00pm Monday and Wednesday at Yeadon Westfield Infants School LS19 - first 2 lessons free ! call me on 07792 075748 or e-mail pkn4395@gmail.com) we have four regular students two of whom are now on the build up towards grading to yellow belt.

I've also just deliver the first 100 or so mailers to local homes in the area - so if you find the blog as a result of a mailer - Hi there and hope to hear from you soon.

Update on new beginners class

We welcomed two new beginners to our expanding white belt class on Monday - welcome to Amber and Rosie !

As I mentioned in a previous post it's been a number of years since I actively taught a beginners class on a regular basis and I am enjoying it immensely. This time I have the advantage of having students who seem to be naturals - no flannell - they just seem to be picking things up really quickly and we will have them to yellow belt in no time I suspect.

Thus far I haven't undertaken too much marketing to spread the word but I am planning to do so in the next few weeks so I am hopeful we will soon add more new people.

What goes around comes around

I've been training in karate since 1980.

I achieved sho-dan in my first style in 1986 and ni-dan in 1989. I trained in this style until 2007/08 or so then started my current style (Shukokai) in 2010 and achieved sho-dan in this second style in December 2013.

I set up my own dojo in Braford with two black belt friends around 1988 and ran this for two or three years around the time I was going away to university.

Now, over 35 years in to my karate career I am again running a dojo (on behalf of my instructor at Leeds Premier Karate Club) again with a brand new set of beginners - very exciting and challenging.

Having done some advertising for the new beginners class here and on various social media we are now getting a bit of response and I look forward to meeting new students and growing the base of the club.

Interesting times at Leeds Premier Karate in Yeadon - call or e-mail me for more information.

07792 075748
pkn4395@gmail.com

Welcome to Leeds Premier Karate

If you are visiting this site following receipt of one of our mailers then welcome.

We've recently opened a new beginners class and are welcoming several new students.

We train every Monday and Wednesday, 6.00pm til 6.30pm for beginners and then 6.30 to 8.00 for intermediate/advanced students.

Training is held at : Yeadon Westfield Infants School. (Westfield Grove, Yeadon, West Yorkshire LS19 7NQ).

The training is intensive and disciplined but we do have a good time - training hard to succeed.

I've trained as a karate ka since 1980 and have black belts in two styles and have also done some Judo and Aikido over the years.

Leeds Premier Karate Cub has been around since 1991 under the instruction of Sensei Tattersall (6th Dan). We practice Shukokai karate which means 'way for all' and we emphasise strong strikes and blocks and accept students from ages 6 to 90 of all levels of ability and fitness.

The first two sessions are free for you to try things out - we look forward to welcoming you.

For more information on training in Yeadon, either for beginners or if you have some experience but want to start training again please contact : Sensei Phil Knight on pkn4395@gmail.com or call me on 07792 075748.

Training this week

Because of the school holidays we've had to change venue and days this week.

We trained up the road on Wednesday and Friday - not a bad turn out given that it's half term and particularly for a training session on Friday evening !

The class is back to normal times and location next week. I am however splitting the beginners out and training 6.00 to 6.30 then the main class 6.30pm to 8.00pm.

Click on this link for details of the new beginners class.

Training tonight

Monday is training night and I wanted to cover off in this post a few related issues.

Firstly with the new beginners session we've now over two lessons covered off a few basic issues - bowing in, basic stance, one basic punch, maegeri front kick and a rising head block. We've also (just) had time to introduce the concept of makwara pad-work for those punch and kick basics.

So tonight i'm planning re revisit what we've done already but take the kicks and punches a stage further and try a little simple attack and defence work using a basic walking through oizuki punch.

It's really complex as a beginner in martial, you are literally learning a new way of standing and moving. The only way to learn is by rote, doing a number of repetitions but the trick when teaching it is to try and introduce more interesting ways of applying the basics like spadework or working in partners using a 'real' attack - lets see how that goes tonight !!!
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If you haven't had chance yet catch my YouTube video discussing the new beginners class and what to expect - you can find it on : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIwt2HcTWhM. As I mention in the video there is not start or stop date for new beginners now. Basically if you want to try us out you are welcome to do so. You can find full details of training times both here on the blog in other posts but also on the YT video.

For more information about training feel free to call me : 07792 075748.

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Lastly we are running a display/stand at the Sport & Activity Fair being held at Benton Park School in Yeadon, Leeds on the 31st of March from 6.00pm to 8.00pm.

I will be there with (hopefully) a number of my students (or it won't be much of a display!) to talk about our karate, the club and the style and also to do some demonstrations of basics, kata, attack and defence and sport fighting.

Hopefully the fair will be a good way to get information out to new members and for people to interact with us in a slightly less intimidating place.

Again, call me for more information.

How long do you need to spend training as a beginner

Took the first beginners class last Monday and it went well.

Positive feedback from everyone there.

We only allow 30 minutes for the beginners class, this is ostensibly to allow them time to acclimatize to all the new experiences but I think it goes a little deeper. The style of moving and even standing within martial arts is totally different to how we all move normally and when you add that to the minutae of new techniques there really is so much for new beginners to remember.

To give a for instance, it only took my beginners five minutes to get to grips with a basic yoyae, ready stance and the next stage to have their left hand in front of them in a shuto block. They also picked up the movement of hips and hands to place out a basic static front punch. However their shoulders, guard hand and fist placement plus timing were all wrong - so even to 'master' (at a basic level) the simplest technique will take another session or two of corrections. That's not even taking into account that I need the strike to be fast and then capable of impacting on a pad as well !

Lots to learn and the good thing is that 30 minutes really flies by - there is no chance of the beginners ever getting bored.

Find out about our new beginners class on You Tube

New You Tube video

I have just uploaded a new video giving information on the beginners class at our Yeadon club - please check it out.

Click here for more information or view the video below !

When karate students are thinking of quitting

Obviously karate is not for everyone and as a leisure activity people often decide at various stages that karate isn't necessarily for them.

The frustrating thing is though that when people have put in a certain amount of time and effort getting to a decent standard and then think about quitting at that stage.

The most likely time for this to happen is around purple belt we find - technically things start getting tougher at this point and as a relatively senior grade you come under your instructors scrutiny a bit more. So the commitment needed to get past this belt often defeats people.

What I would say is that if your instructor thinks you're improving, chat through what you need to do to progress - don't just leave and give up on yourself. The best black belts are often the ones who nearly stopped at purple.

At Leeds Premier Karate Club in Yeadon we have a group of four purple belts who are really beginning to pull it together technically and effort-wise and I really hope that they stay with us - they really have some potential and hopefully we can get them to brown belt quickly an keep their interest.

New karate beginners class - 2nd of February 2015

We are beginning a new beginners karate class next Monday.

Here are the details.

Leeds Premier Karate Club, Yeadon. 

Dojo trains at : Westfield Infant School, Westfield Grove, Yeadon, West Yorkshire LS19 7NQ

Training times for beginners class : 6.00pm to 6.30pm Monday and Wednesday evenings.

Intermediate/Advanced Class : 6.30pm to 8.00pm.

First four beginners lessons are free so you can decide if you enjoy it.

You'll be trained by a senior instructor with over 35 years of karate training experience.

We accept students from age 5 to 95 !

This is Shukokai karate - a traditional Japanese style that offers strong, effective techniques taught in a fun and disciplined way.

For details please contact Sensei Phil Knight, Club Instructor - 07792 075748 or pkn4395@gmail.com

Senior Class - Leeds Premier Karate, Monday 26th January 2015
(Sensei Phil at back centre)

Workout report - Monday 26th January 2015

Pretty good workout tonight I thought.

Did some work on kicking techniques then finished with grading pad work (makiwara) - in particular the purple belts seem to be coming on well both technically and in term of effort.

Interestingly as relatively low numbers tonight I did allow a little bit more conversation and as a result obviously there was a bit of messing around which I had to stamp on - discipline is always a spectrum - let it slip and you need more of it as people seem to relax.

On Wednesday I'm planning to push on with some kata and also run through everyone's combinations if we have time.

Also took a pic of the class minus a couple who didn't want to be in the pic. will get it up o the blog and Facebook etc later.

Training tonight - Yeadon Westfield Junior school

This is the final week of training at Westfield Juniors before we permanently move venue to the nearby Infants school. (Just to clarify - training is tonite and Wednesday at the Junior School before we move permanently to the Infant school - just up the road - from Monday 2/2/15 !)

Remember that when we move over to the new location we are also beginning the new beginners class - I will be posting more details in coming days but training starts at 6.00pm for beginners and is for 30 minutes.

The first 4 lessons are free whilst you decide if you like the training.

Call me on 07792 075748 or e-mail - pkn4395@gmail.com

I've been training in karate since 1980 and teaching since 1986 so hopefully have come up wit ha few ways of making the sessions interesting and enjoyable for all - lots of traditional karate discipline but with a more modern and 21st century twist.

Keep checking back here for updates on new beginners class and training more generally.

Sensei Phil

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Phil Knight
1st Dan
Club Instructor

Join my Fitbit Group

If you are into karate and use a fitbit tracker then join my group on the Fitbit site https://www.fitbit.com/group/22QMMM the aim is to get fellow Shukokai karate ka (really anyone who does karate actually) to compete using their fitbit stats - I know how competitive you all are out there - lets see who is the fittest karate student.

At the moment I'm the only member so get logged in and start competing see if you can beat me !

Leeds Premier Karate - Yeadon Dojo - new beginners class starting

If you're interested in learning karate, getting fit, picking up a bit of self defence, getting some confidence etc then you're in luck.

We are starting a new rolling beginners class at Leeds Premier Karate from Monday the 2nd of February at our Yeadon Dojo.

The beginners class will run from 6.00pm to 6.30am Mondays and Wednesdays.

We train at Westfield Infants School, Westfield Grove, Yeadon Leeds LS19 7NQ

Contact me on 07792 075748 or pmicast@gmail.com for full details.

The class will suit ages from 7 to 70 we keep it fun but disciplined. Traditional martial arts taught in a modern and exciting way.

Come and learn karate - senior black belt instructors with over 30 years of experience each.