05/07/2026
*London Shibu – Class in the Park & Picnic*
Well... I think it's safe to say our Class in the Park was a success!
Thank you to everyone from London Shibu and Holy Cross who came along and made it such a brilliant day. It was especially nice to welcome some of our newer students along too. Hopefully today gave you a taste of what our club is really about.
The weather was great and what a hidden gem that local park is. You can almost forget you're in London. Spending the day training together out in the open, followed by a picnic with everyone's families, made it feel like we'd escaped to the countryside for the day.
One of the best things for me was seeing so many mums and dads getting involved. You all threw yourselves into it, and I have to say there were some surprisingly good techniques on display, especially when it came to kicking the pads! I think a few of you have no excuse now... you should come and join us more often.
A massive thank you to our senior students as well. You were brilliant. Whether you were holding pads, helping organise, or encouraging the younger students, you really helped make the day what it was. That's what being a senior grade is all about.
Thank you as well to Sarah, Tess and everyone who brought food and drinks along. We certainly didn't go hungry! Sitting together afterwards, chatting, laughing and sharing food was just as important as the training. Days like today remind me that we're much more than just a karate club, we're a community.
Congratulations to Nadia, our newly crowned Rock, Paper, Scissors Champion! 🏆
Next year's challenges need to be much harder! Every pair seemed to smash the back-to-back stand-up challenge, so I'll have to be a bit more creative next time.
The tug of war definitely lived up to expectations. The juniors somehow managed to beat the mums, the teens got one over on the dads, but when it came to the final battle the adults dug in and managed to beat the combined juniors and teens, even though they were seriously outnumbered. There was plenty of cheering, laughing and a little bit of questionable technique... exactly as it should be!
Days like this remind me why I love teaching karate. Yes, we come together to learn techniques and improve, but we also build friendships, support each other and create memories outside the dojo. Seeing children, teenagers, parents and adults all training and laughing together is exactly what Jun Shihan and I hoped this club would become.
Thank you to every single person who came along and helped make the day so enjoyable. If you couldn't make it this time, I really hope you'll join us at the next one. You're always welcome, and I'd love to see even more of our members and families there.
For now, we still have a few weeks of training left before the summer break. Classes continue until Wednesday 22nd July, and we'll be back as normal on Saturday 5th September.
Don't forget our Beach Training at Camber Sands on Saturday 19th September—more details will follow soon.
We're also introducing a new Brown & Black Belt Class starting Monday 7th September, running every Monday from 8.00–9.00 pm in the Main Sports Hall.
Have a fantastic summer everyone, and thank you again for making today one of those days that reminds me why this club is so special. Osu!!
