Phibblestown Shotokan Karate Club

11/04/2026

Phibblestown Shotokan Karate Club are absolutely delighted to celebrate a fantastic achievement for our club this weekend! 🎉

Five of our members attended the USKFI course and Dan grading today and we are incredibly proud to announce that all five were successful in passing their Shodan grading under the legendary Sensei Frank Brennan.

Reaching Shodan is never something that happens overnight. It represents years of consistent training, perseverance, resilience, and determination. Each of these students has faced challenges along the way, as every serious martial artist does, but they continued to show up, put in the work, support each other, and push forward with real commitment and spirit. Their success is a true testament to their character as well as their technical ability.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the USKF Ireland for providing such a strong and supportive platform that allows our students to grow and succeed at this level. A very special thank you also goes to Sensei David Royle for the time, guidance, and close support he has given each of the students throughout their journey towards this milestone.

As a club, we could not be more proud of what they have achieved, but most importantly, they should be incredibly proud of themselves. This is a huge step in their karate journey and richly deserved by every one of them.

Congratulations again to Gemma Doyle, Fabian Buniowski, Valeria Marino, Niamh Deane, and Corduffian Teresa Creighton,
your hard work has truly paid off! 👏🥋

02/04/2026

📣 **Reminder – YCEP Registration Closes Tomorrow**

Just a quick reminder that the **deadline is tomorrow** to apply for the **USKFI Youth Coach Education Programme (YCEP)**.

This is a great opportunity for **eligible dan grade members aged 14–18** to begin developing coaching skills and gain experience assisting with instruction in the dojo.

**Fee:** €50
**Apply here**
https://forms.gle/S7WK5LeNqqA3Rxt96

I’d strongly encourage any eligible members to consider taking part. Please message me if you have any questions.

22/03/2026

A huge congratulations to our newest batch of students who successfully completed their grading today under the watchful eye of Sensei David Royle, 7th Dan.

Sensei Royle had very positive feedback for the group, praising their tremendous attitude, strong spirit, effort, and determination throughout. Each student showed great commitment and should be very proud of what they achieved today.

Grading is an important step in every karate student’s journey. It reflects the hard work, discipline, and progress that takes place week after week in training. Today was not just about earning a new grade, but about continuing to grow in confidence, character, and skill.

Well done to all of the students on taking this next step on your karate journey. Keep working hard, stay focused, and continue to give your best in every class.

A sincere thank you also to all of the parents for your continued support and encouragement. It is always greatly appreciated and plays such an important role in helping the students progress.

Well done, everyone. Keep up the great work.

15/03/2026

A huge congratulations to all of Phibblestown and Corduff Shotokan Karate Club students who successfully graded to their next belt today! 🥋👏

The grading was provided by USKFI'S Senior instructor and examiner Sensei David Royle (7th Dan), who is well known for his firm but fair approach. Our students rose to the challenge and showed excellent effort, focus and determination throughout the grading.

Sensei Royle offered lots of positive feedback and was very complimentary about the students’ attitude, spirit and the effort they put into their training. It was fantastic to see everyone performing to such a high standard and supporting each other along the way.

A big thank you as well to the USKF Ireland for organising the grading and helping make the day run so smoothly.

Well done to all USKFI members who stepped onto the floor today. Your hard work and dedication are paying off and we are very proud of you all. Keep training hard and enjoying the journey! 💪🥋

12/02/2026

🥋 Competition Reminder – Entries Closing Soon! 🥋

We’re looking forward to our upcoming competition on Sunday, 1st March at Phibblestown Community Centre (9am–5pm).

https://uskfi.org/events/uskfi-youths-2026

A big thank you to all the members who have already registered — it’s shaping up to be a fantastic day of karate, camaraderie, and team spirit!

This event is open to orange belts and above, with categories for all levels. Whether it’s your first competition or you’re experienced, we’d love to see you there.

⏳ Entry deadline: Monday, February 24th (no late entries).
🔗 Registration link has been sent to all members through email.

Let’s represent the club with pride and show great spirit on the day! 💪

the USKFI Youth Championships is for USKFI members only and the perfect opportunity to gear up for competition season Here’s why you should participate: Showcase Your Skills:  This is your chance to shine and demonstrate everything you’ve learned! Confidence : You are probably b

08/02/2026

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06/02/2026

🥋 Dan Grade Prep Course – This Weekend

If you’re aiming for black belt in the future, this USKFI Dan Grade Prep Course is a great opportunity to support your journey. Weekend courses like this help build confidence, sharpen technique, and give valuable insight into what’s expected at Dan level.

📘 Reminder: Please bring your course books to have them signed, as these will be checked when attending your next grading.

Highly recommended for anyone serious about their progression.

👉 Details & booking:

Designed and delivered by Sensei Jennifer Prendergast (6th Dan) , this course supports brown and black belts preparing for Dan gradings by focusing on the areas that most impact performance. Training will focus on efficient use of energy and breathing, refined timing in kata and kumite, and effe

18/12/2025

Dear Members and Families,

As we come to the end of another year, we would like to take this opportunity to wish all our members and their families a very Happy Christmas and a Healthy, Happy New Year. We hope you enjoy a well-earned break and a wonderful holiday season with family and friends.

2025 has been an extremely successful year for our club. We have seen a large number of successful gradings, including several Dan grades, the emergence of many new champions, and countless positive performances across the national and international competition circuit. A true highlight of the year was our cadet team achieving a European Bronze Medal at one of the most prestigious Shotokan championships in Europe — an outstanding achievement and a moment of great pride for the entire club.

We are incredibly grateful for the continued support shown throughout the year by our members, parents, and guardians. Your commitment, encouragement, and trust play a vital role in everything we achieve as a club.

We would also like to sincerely thank the USKFI and the Executive Committee for their ongoing hard work and dedication. Their support ensures our members have the structure, opportunities, and platform needed to perform, progress, and achieve their goals.

A special thank you goes to our coaching team - Sensei Georgia Georgia Coates Thunder , Sensei Eva Thunder , and Sensei Lisa Meagher Behan — for their tireless effort, professionalism, and commitment to developing our athletes throughout the year.

Finally, we would like to extend our deepest thanks to our Head Coach, Sensei David Royle , for his continued guidance, support, and the many outstanding lessons delivered throughout the year. His leadership and expertise remain invaluable to the club and its members.

We are incredibly proud of what has been achieved in 2025 and are excited and motivated for what lies ahead in 2026. We look forward to another year of hard work, personal growth, progress, and success together.

Thank you all once again for being part of our club.

Phibblestown Karate Club

14/12/2025

🥋 Congratulations to Our Successful Grading Candidates 🥋

A huge congratulations to all of our students who graded successfully today under the watchful eye of Sensei David Royle, 7th Dan. We are incredibly proud to see each of you take the next step on your karate journey. Your hard work, commitment, and perseverance were evident throughout the grading.

Gradings are not just about achieving the next belt — they are an important opportunity to learn and grow. We encourage all students to take on board the valuable feedback given by Sensei David Royle and use it to continue developing their skills with confidence and purpose.

A sincere thank you to all parents and families for your continued support. Your encouragement, commitment, and trust play a huge role in helping our students progress and succeed.

We would also like to thank USKFI for providing our members with the platform to challenge themselves, set goals, and achieve them within a supportive and structured environment.

Finally, a special thank you to all of our coaches — Sensei David Royle, Sensei Georgia, Sensei Eva, and Sensei Lisa — for your dedication, guidance, and countless hours of support over the past year. Your passion and commitment continue to shape and inspire our students both on and off the mat.

Well done to everyone involved — we look forward to seeing you continue to grow on your karate journey. 👏🥋💙

08/12/2025

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05/12/2025

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📢Don't Forget to Register for our Brown & Black Belts course this weekend!📢

The final brown and black belt course of the year with Sensei David Royle for Brown and Black will be a focused technical session and is one not to be missed.

This course will improve understanding and ex*****on of jiyu ippon and kaeshi ippon kumite by focusing on speed, timing and distance. Students will develop tactics to close distance using multiple angles.

Participants will also refine kata ex*****on through improving dynamic hip rotation, leg speed and efficiency as well as whole-body coordination.

Don’t forget regular attendance at USKFI courses is a pre-requisite when applying to take Dan gradings!
⏰9:30-11:00
📅 Sunday 7th December
📍Phibblestown community centre, Dublin 15
🥋 Brown/Black Belts
Registration closes Saturday at 6pm!
Book now at https://uskfi.org/events