SKI Bristol: Kyoto Shotokan Karate Club

15/09/2026

Inflating our membership, class induction.

15/09/2026

Sharon announcing to the class about this weekend’s squad session and the SKIF-GB Championships the following weekend.

15/09/2026

🥋 EVERYONE HAS A PLACE ON THE LINE.

This week is National Inclusion Week, and it’s a good opportunity to think about what being an inclusive dōjō really means.

Karate brings together people who might otherwise never meet — different ages, different backgrounds, different abilities and different life experiences.

At Kyōtō, you don’t have to be the fittest, the most flexible or the most confident person in the room. You don’t have to already “look like a karate-ka” before you start.

You just have to take that first step onto the dōjō floor.

Inclusion also means recognising the less obvious barriers that can stop people taking part — confidence, cost, family circumstances, disability, culture or simply wondering “Will I fit in?”

Our answer is simple:

There’s a place on the line for you. ❤️🥋

Different ages.
Different backgrounds.
Different abilities.
One dōjō.

12/09/2026

📚🥋 I’m between books at the moment…

Over the years I’ve built up quite a collection of karate and martial arts books — some well-thumbed favourites, some reference books I keep returning to, and others that have helped me look at familiar techniques from a different perspective.

But right now, I’m looking for the next one.

So, what are you reading at the moment? And do you have a martial arts book you’d genuinely recommend — karate, budō, history, philosophy, technique… anything that made you think differently about your training?

Drop your recommendations in the comments. 👇📖

There’s always more to learn.

11/09/2026

🎗️ Sometimes, noticing matters.

We spend hours training alongside one another.

We notice when someone’s technique improves.
We notice when they’re struggling with a kata.
We notice when they’re carrying an injury.

But sometimes we need to remember to notice the person too.

If someone hasn’t been at training for a while, check in. Send the message. Make the call. Ask:

“Hey. In case nobody’s asked you this today, are you ok? Are you really fine?”

You don’t need to have the answers. You don’t need to fix anything. Simply letting someone know they’ve been noticed, that they matter, and that you’re there to listen can mean a great deal.

Karate can give us exercise, goals, routine and something to work towards — but perhaps one of the most valuable things a dojo can give us is connection and belonging.

And that shouldn’t end when we bow and leave the dojo.

September is a time to raise awareness about su***de prevention, with World Su***de Prevention Day marked on 10 September.

The awareness day may have passed, but the conversation shouldn’t.

🥋 Look out for your teammates — inside and outside the dojo.

If you or someone you know is struggling, support is available. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted free, day or night, on 116 123. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.

***dePreventionDay ***dePrevention

11/09/2026

🥋 THREE DECADES OF KARATE — AND BACK TO WHERE IT BEGAN

As Kyōtō celebrates its 30th Anniversary, it feels particularly fitting to welcome Dave Kershaw Sensei, 8th Dan to teach on our anniversary course.

Kershaw Sensei was my original instructor when I began karate at Konjaku Shin in Grimsby in 1984. More than four decades later, the journey comes full circle as he joins us in Bristol to help celebrate 30 years of Kyōtō.

Karate is often described as a journey — but it is also about the people we meet along the way. Teachers who influence us, training partners who challenge us, and knowledge passed from one generation to the next.

Friday 9th October
🥋 Dave Kershaw Sensei — Karate
⏰ 5:30–6:30pm — FREE

Saturday 10th October
🥋 Dave Kershaw Sensei & Dorian Fretwell Sensei — Karate
⏰ 12:30–1:30pm & 2:00–3:00pm — £25pp

And on Sunday, Dorian Fretwell Sensei completes the weekend with our Bo session.

From Grimsby 1984 to Bristol 2026 — some connections in karate last a lifetime. 👊

30 years of Kyōtō. 42 years of karate. One very special weekend.

08/09/2026

🥋 WHAT IS BŌ — AND WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH KARATE?

The bō (棒) is a traditional Japanese/Okinawan staff, typically around six feet long. At first glance, training with one might seem quite separate from the empty-hand karate we practise in Shotokan — but there are some fascinating connections.

Many movements found within karate kata can be explored from the perspective of holding or interacting with a weapon. The familiar actions we practise as blocks, strikes, turns, pulls and changes of grip can take on a different meaning when a bō is placed in the hands.

That doesn’t necessarily mean every kata movement was designed for a bō. But weapons training can give us another way of examining familiar principles: distance, leverage, hip movement, body alignment, timing, coordination and power generation.

And that’s one reason why occasionally stepping outside our normal Shotokan syllabus can be so valuable. 🥋 ➡️ 🥢

As part of our 30th Anniversary weekend, we have a special opportunity to explore bō with Sensei Dorian Fretwell, 8th Dan.

📅 Sunday 11th October 2026
⏰ 10:30am–12:00pm
🥋 Bō with Sensei Dorian Fretwell
💷 £15 per person

It follows our Friday and Saturday karate sessions with Sensei Dave Kershaw and Sensei Dorian Fretwell, making it a rather different way to finish our anniversary weekend.

👉 Full details of our 30th Anniversary Seminar: https://www.kyotokaratebristol.co.uk/news/30th-anniversary-seminar-dave-kershaw-dorian-fretwell-2026

Same body. Same principles. Different tool.

08/09/2026

🥋 TUESDAY NIGHT — START YOUR WEEK WITH KARATE!

Tuesday evening means we’re back on the dojo floor at Kyōtō Shotokan Karate Dōjō 👊

Whether you’re thinking about trying karate for the very first time or you’re already working towards your next belt, there’s plenty of training available.

📍 Avonmouth RFC, Barracks Lane, Shirehampton, Bristol BS11 9NG

🥋 6:00–7:00pm — Beginners
A dedicated session to learn the fundamentals, build confidence and get comfortable in the dojo.

🥋 7:00–8:00pm — All Grades
🥋 8:00–9:00pm — All Grades

Karate isn’t about already being fit, flexible or confident enough to start — those are some of the things training helps you develop.

Come along, step onto the dojo floor and see where your karate journey could take you.

🌐 KyotoKarateBristol.co.uk

07/09/2026

Great to see so many of you back at Regional Squad training following the summer break! 👊🏻🥋

A big thank you to Sensei Pasq and Sensei Susumu for working everyone so hard and putting us through our paces!

Regional Squad sessions are open to anyone who is happy to travel.
So it was great to have Phoenix and Shiro make the journey from Dunstable and Bristol to join us.
You’re welcome back anytime, guys! 🙌🏻

See everyone at the National Championships on 27th September! 🏆👊🏻🥋

07/09/2026