What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 9pm Tuesday 9am - 9pm Wednesday 9am - 9pm Thursday 9am - 9pm Friday 9am - 9pm Saturday 9am - 9pm

Sugiura Rensei Karate

Home
United Kingdom
Hedge End
Sugiura Rensei Karate

Welcome to the UK branch of Sugiura Rensei Karate. Alex Wickens Sensei teaches traditional Wadokai Karate in Hedge End, Locks Heath & Whiteley, Hampshire.

All abilities welcome
Fully insured, enhanced DBS checked, Safeguarding in Martial Arts approved

08/09/2026

It’s back to school time! We are a day late with our Monday post because we too have been caught up with the school starting - our Leo starts today! Which had me thinking about routines starting again, being busy and the importance of regularly making a few minutes to look after your body.

So our September video series is September Stretches!

Over the last few months, so many of you have mentioned how much the stretching in class has been helping (surprise!). So I asked Alex to provide 3 videos we’ll post over September with some stretches you can follow at home to help aid your body, your flexibility and strength for karate when you’re on the mat.

Here is why regular stretching matters:

~ Flexibility needs strength to function: Having a wide range of motion without strength is just joint instability. When you pair flexibility with strength, you get active mobility - this means you can actually control, hold, and execute movements at your end range without injury.

~ Sitting at a desk: We all know sitting all day in front of a screen is bad - one of the specifics is that sitting all day shortens your hip flexors, which tilts your pelvis forward and turns off your glutes. Stretching resets your posture.

~ Nervous system effect: Stretching tells your brain you are safe. It lowers cortisol, reduces muscle guarding, and helps your body recover twice as fast from intense sessions. So good for your mental health too!

Watch out for our next two videos over September. If you have anything you want us to cover in any videos please let us know when you see us or send us a
message!

Steph

04/09/2026

Wishing good luck to all of our young students heading back to school this week!

I wanted to take this Fridays post to say a massive well done to everyone who kept up their training over the summer break. Your hard work and dedication will pay off as we head into gradings later this month.

We also want to give a special shout-out to all the kids who joined our summer Kumite sessions. You brought fantastic energy to the mat, and we are excited to make these classes a regular in our timetable later in the year. Keep an eye out for updates on this.

See you on the mat
Alex 🥋

31/08/2026

Hope you all have a lovely bank holiday and day off today!

Just a little reminder there is only She Strikes training tonight.

Come to karate on Tuesday or Friday!

See you on the mat
Alex 🥋

28/08/2026

Hi everyone, just two reminders today!

~ Bank Holiday Monday 31st - Only She Strikes running from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM at the Genesis Centre. Please come to karate training on Tuesday or Friday!

~ Uniform Reminder - Wearing a dogi is an essential part of martial arts tradition that builds discipline, unity (we all wear the same), and respect inside the dojo. Stepping onto the mat in full uniform sets the mindset for training and shows respect for your fellow students and your teacher. We are a part of a Japanese club and this is of great importance to us. Please ensure students are properly dressed for training.

~ Full dogi is required for standard training. During the warmer summer months, students have the option to wear their dogi trousers paired with an official club t-shirt.

~ For newer members: We give all new students their first month to make sure karate is right for them before expecting them to be in uniform and complete membership registration.

See you on the mat
Alex 🥋

24/08/2026

I’m taking our Monday post to give you an insight into our Japan club and a big event coming up for them!

This weekend on August 29-30, Japan is hosting the 60th Wadokai All Japan Karatedo Championships. Only branches registered with the JKF can compete in this tournament including oversees branches such as us! Sugiura Rensei in Japan always send their competitors to this!

At this event, competitors test their skills across both Kata and Kumite. The categories range from infant school age (6 years +) all the way to open adult divisions and veteran categories.

Day one kicks off in Chiba, where the preliminary rounds will be held. For those of you unfamiliar with how these competitions run - they hold up to 10 to 12 competition rings (tatami) operating simultaneously across the hall to process hundreds of matches in Kata and Kumite across all the age categories.

Day two is held at the world-famous Nippon Budokan in Tokyo for the finals.

Random fact for you - Within Japan, university karate teams make up the majority of adult divisions at Wadokai events. Top Japanese universities such as Meiji University, Tokyo University of Agriculture, and Kanto Gakuin University—compete fiercely in both the mens and womens Team Kumite divisions.

The adult team finals on Day 2 are known for high intensity, with university alumni filling the Budokan.

In Japan this is not an open competition - competitors have to regionally qualify to win a post on their prefecture’s official team.

We wish all the competitors from Sugiura Rensei the best of luck throughout the competition! 頑張ってください (Ganbatte kudasai!)

Steph

21/08/2026

Just a couple reminders for the diary over the next couple weeks!

Tuesday 25th August
Burridge Village Hall is still closed for repairs so we have moved temporarily to Whiteley Community Centre with a slight class time adjustment to squeeze both classes in. We should be back to usual at Burridge Village Hall from 1st September.

Bank Holiday Monday 31st August
No karate training but She Strikes is running as usual 7:30-8:30pm

Also watch this space regarding information about grading dates and times in September.

See you on the mat!
Alex 🥋

17/08/2026

Last week was adults so this week it’s kids and I’ve focused more on why in particular our style of karate, Wadokai, is great for kids.

Unlike styles that rely on brute strength or blocking head-on, Wado-Kai (literally meaning the Way of Harmony) teaches evasion, angle, and timing.

In a Wado-Kai dojo, kids learn how to step off the line of attack, redirect energy, and keep their balance rather than absorbing a blow head-on.

This teaches children you don't have to meet force with force to win.
On a mental level, it reshapes how they handle conflict and stress. Instead of freezing or panicking when faced with a tricky situation, Wado-Kai trains them to step back, keep their balance, and find a smart, calm solution.

On a physical level, it builds spatial awareness, coordination, and posture. Kids learn where their body is in space, how to balance effortlessly, and how to use leverage—meaning a smaller child can successfully defend themselves against someone larger without needing to be "stronger."

This last week Alex has been really focusing on the kids basic stances (don’t step on his cones!!), and watching kids under 10 start self correcting their own body movements through their spatial awareness, was brilliant to see and a great example of this.

So watch your kids closely on the mat, it's fascinating to watch this improve week by week - or if you've yet to bring your kids along, come on down we can't wait to welcome you!

Steph

14/08/2026

We are down to our final kids kumite (fight) session of the summer on Thursday 20th August, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm at the Genesis Centre in Locks Heath.

Thank you to everyone who came along to the first session. Demand was brilliant, and remaining places for this second date are filling up fast. If your child wants to sharpen their sparring, build confidence, and put their training into practice, this is their last chance to join us over the summer.

~ Date: Thursday 20th August
~ Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
~ Location: Genesis Centre, Locks Heath
~ Cost: £15

What to Bring: Uniform is gi trousers and a t-shirt. Please bring sparring mitts and shin pads if your child has them. We do have a few sets kids can borrow for the afternoon, but we encourage purchasing their own equipment for regular use.
Speak to Alex or Steph at the club if you would like to purchase some.

If you have any questions, drop us a message and we will be happy to help.

See you on the mat!

Alex🥋

13/08/2026

A little change to our Tuesday classes for the next two weeks.

Burridge Village Hall is under going some construction work which has started earlier than originally planned with short notice meaning we've had to relocate for the next 2 weeks with a slight adjustment to class times in order to squeeze in both kids and adults karate.

~ Tuesday 28th and Tuesday 24th August
~ At Whiteley Community Centre.
~ Kids Class - 4:45-5:45pm
~ Adults - 5:45-6:45pm

Classes from 1st of September should be back at Burridge with usual class times (kids 5-6pm and adults 6:15-7:15pm).

We are sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for baring with us whilst we navigate the construction work. We've been working hard in the background to keep the training going!

Big thank you to Whiteley Community Centre for accommodating us last minute!

10/08/2026

That’s right, I’ve been deep-diving again into why karate is good for adults. This time I’ve been looking at bones!

After age 30, bone density starts decreasing. How can we slow this down/prevent this? The internet likes to tell us that heavy weightlifting or hard impact is the only fix, but your skeleton responds to a much broader range of mechanical forces—including the precise deflections and footwork unique to martial arts.

In particular Wado-kai’s fluid movements and deflection is your body using the Piezoelectric Effect (get that word in a sentence this week I dare you):

~ Subtle Mechanical Loading: When you execute a block, redirect an incoming strike, or rapidly shift your weight through body movement, your bones undergo tiny, controlled microscopic stress.

~ The Electrical Signal: That micro-stress generates a micro-current of electricity inside your bone tissue—a phenomenon known as the piezoelectric effect.

~ Natural Rebuilding: This electrical charge alerts osteoblasts (your body’s bone-building cells) to lay down new mineral deposits, strengthening your bones along the exact lines of stress.

Because Wado-kai relies on timing, evasion, and soft redirection rather than brute force, you get the biological benefits of bone stimulation across your forearms, wrists, and hips without putting destructive wear and tear on your joints.

Karate doesn't just keep you nimble—it constantly reinforces your skeleton from the inside out.

So no karate isn’t just something you did as a kid - get back on the mat and do something for you and look after your body!

Steph

Address

Hedge End

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 9pm
Tuesday	9am - 9pm
Wednesday	9am - 9pm
Thursday	9am - 9pm
Friday	9am - 9pm
Saturday	9am - 9pm

Website

http://www.sugiura-rensei-karate.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Sugiura Rensei Karate posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your business to be the top-listed Gym/sports Facility in Hedge End?