surreykarate.co.uk

What is Surrey Karate?

Surrey Karate is a group of traditional Wado-Ryu karate clubs in Surrey and Hampshire, England, teaching children and adults across four locations: Farnham, Guildford, Haslemere and Aldershot. It also offers pre/after-school classes, fitness sessions and one-to-one tuition on request. The chief instructor is listed as M. Shiomitsu Sensei, 9th Dan Hanshi, and the instructors are described as holding enhanced DBS certification, public liability insurance and first aid qualifications.

What a typical week looks like

Kids and adults train in separate sessions, so children are not dropped into an adult class and adults are not slowed down by a mixed group.

Who it suits

The club says around 40% of its students are female, and the news items show a long-term training culture: one member graded for 2nd Dan after 16 years of regular training, and members attend multi-day courses such as the Wado Academy summer course in Weston-Super-Mare. That suggests a fit for people who want a graded, syllabus-based martial art rather than a casual fitness class, and for parents looking for a structured after-school or weekend activity for children.

Practical notes

Costs are stated as £8 per kids lesson and £10 for adults/teens, paid as you train rather than by monthly contract, and the first lesson is free at any club. New students are said to be welcome simply to turn up and train, though phoning 07876 577675 or emailing [email protected] first is sensible if you want to confirm the session is running.

If you are deciding between the locations, pick the one whose day and time you can genuinely keep for several months — consistency matters more in karate than which hall you attend. For a broader look at Wado-Ryu in the UK, the style's national body is Wado Academy.

How much do Surrey Karate classes cost and how does pay-as-you-train work?

Surrey Karate lists its class costs as £8 per kids' lesson and £10 per adult or teen lesson, with pay-as-you-train meaning you pay per session attended rather than committing to a monthly membership or block booking. The first lesson is free at any of the clubs, and the site says new students are welcome to simply turn up and train.

What this means in practice

• You are not tied into a contract, so a month with two missed weeks costs you less than a month of full attendance.
• The free first lesson lets you try a session before deciding, which suits adults returning to karate after a long break or parents unsure whether a child will stick with it.
• Because payment is per lesson, you should expect to pay each time you train rather than by direct debit. Ask the instructor on your first visit how they prefer to take payment, since the page does not describe a payment method.

A worked example

An adult training once a week at Guildford or Aldershot would pay roughly £40 a month at £10 per session. A child training once a week would pay about £32 a month at £8 per session. If a parent and child both train weekly, that is around £72 a month, so it is worth checking whether the club offers any family arrangement before assuming the per-head rate is fixed.

Choosing between this and a membership club

If you plan to train three or more times a week, a flat membership elsewhere could work out cheaper, so compare against your realistic attendance rather than your best intentions.

Next step

Check the timetable first, because the four locations run on different evenings: Farnham on Sundays, Haslemere on Wednesdays, and both Aldershot and Guildford on Thursdays. Pick the venue that fits your week, then contact the club by phone or email to confirm the current price and arrange your free first lesson. The site also mentions pre/after-school classes, fitness sessions and 1-2-1 tuition available on request, so ask about those if a standard group class does not suit you.

For background on the style taught here, see Wado Academy.

What happens at a free first lesson and do I need to book or just turn up?

You can just turn up to your first lesson — no booking required. Surrey Karate states new students are welcome to simply arrive and train, and the first lesson is free at any of its clubs.

What the first session typically involves

The club runs separate kids' and adults' sessions at each location, so you'd join the group matching your age. Expect a traditional Wado-Ryu class: a warm-up, basic techniques (stances, punches, kicks, blocks), some paired work, and probably a short introduction to etiquette such as bowing and lining up. As a beginner you'd normally be placed with other new starters or given simplified drills rather than thrown into advanced practice.

Practical points before you go

• Wear loose, comfortable clothing (joggers and a t-shirt work fine); no need to buy a gi for a trial.
• Bring water and train barefoot on the mat.
• Arrive 10–15 minutes early so you can introduce yourself and sign any consent form.
• Check the timetable for your nearest club: Farnham on Sundays, Aldershot and Guildford on Thursdays, Haslemere on Wednesdays, with kids' sessions before adults' sessions at each.

Costs after the free lesson

The club advertises pay-as-you-train pricing — check current rates directly, as published figures may change. There's no membership contract implied by the free trial, which makes it a low-commitment way to test whether the style and the instructor suit you.

A sensible decision criterion

Use the free lesson to judge three things: whether the instructor gives beginners clear, patient correction; whether the class intensity matches your fitness and any injuries; and whether the location and time slot fit your weekly routine. If all three work, the pay-as-you-train model lets you continue without a long commitment.

To confirm the exact address, start time and whether a particular session is running, contact the club on 07876 577675 or [email protected], or see Surrey Karate for location details.

Which Surrey Karate club location and class time is closest to me?

The site lists four club locations with fixed weekly class times, but it doesn't include a postcode look-up or distance calculator, so "closest to me" depends on where you're starting from. Match your own area to the nearest town below, then check the day and time works for you.

A few practical points from the page: Farnham is the only Sunday session and the only morning slot, so it suits families who can't do weekday evenings. Guildford and Haslemere share the same Wednesday/Thursday evening pattern (kids first, adults straight after), while Aldershot runs an hour earlier on Thursdays. If you're choosing between Guildford and Aldershot, note both are Thursday clubs — you could in principle train at either without clashing with a second weekly session elsewhere.

The site also mentions pre/after-school classes, fitness sessions and 1-2-1 tuition available on request, so if none of the four timetables fit, that's the route to ask about rather than picking a club purely on distance.

Next step: use the venue postcodes above in your own maps app from your home or work postcode, and weigh journey time against the class time — a 15-minute-longer drive to Farnham may still beat a Thursday evening cross-town trip. The first lesson is free and new students can turn up without booking, so you can test the nearest option before committing. Contact details are on Surrey Karate. If you're also comparing other local clubs, check their official sites for timetables before deciding.

Can adults who are new to karate or returning after years away join the adult classes?

Yes. The adult classes are explicitly open to male and female students, and the club's own description says new students are always welcome to just turn up and train. The first lesson is free at any of the clubs, which gives you a low-risk way to test the pace before committing.

Returning after years away is also covered in practice, not just in theory: the site's own story describes someone who "trained many years ago" and decided in their 40s to get back into karate. So both absolute beginners and lapsed karateka are part of the normal mix.

What the adult sessions look like

Kids' classes run immediately before each adult session, so if you are a parent you can often train in the same visit. Adult/teen lessons are listed at £8 for kids and £10 for adults/teens, pay as you train — no block booking implied.

Practical considerations for a returner

Wado-Ryu is a traditional style with a strong emphasis on correct movement, so expect the first few sessions to feel like relearning basics rather than jumping straight into sparring. That is usually a good thing if you are returning: it rebuilds technique without assuming your old fitness or flexibility. If you are completely new, the same structure means you are not thrown in at the deep end.

One thing worth checking before you go: the clubs are run across four venues on different evenings, and the adult start times vary, so confirm the current schedule and whether a particular session suits your level. The contact route given is phone 07876 577675 or email [email protected].

A sensible next step is to pick the venue and evening that fits your week, then turn up for the free first lesson in loose clothing. If you are returning, mention your previous experience to the instructor so they can gauge whether you should start in the general adult class or ease in alongside beginners.

Are Surrey Karate classes suitable for children and what safety checks do instructors have?

Yes. Surrey Karate runs separate kids' sessions at each of its locations, and its instructors hold enhanced DBS certification, public liability insurance and current first aid qualifications, according to the club's own information.

Children's classes

• Kids' sessions are offered at all four venues: Farnham (Sunday mornings), Aldershot (Thursday evenings), Haslemere (Wednesday evenings) and Guildford (Thursday evenings).
• Each venue runs a kids' class immediately followed by an adults' class, so a parent training at the same venue could in principle attend back-to-back sessions.
• The club also mentions pre-school and after-school classes, plus fitness and one-to-one tuition, available on request.

Safety and instructor checks The page states that instructors have enhanced DBS certification, full public liability insurance, current first aid qualifications and extensive coaching experience. The chief instructor is listed as M. Shiomitsu Sensei, 9th Dan Hanshi, and the style taught is traditional Wado-Ryu karate, with ju-jutsu and kempo also named.

Practical considerations

• Enhanced DBS is the check used for roles with regular contact with children in the UK, so it is the relevant one to ask about. Ask whether the specific instructor taking your child's class is on the update service or holds a current certificate, since checks are individual rather than club-wide.
• First aid and insurance cover are likewise worth confirming for the venue your child would attend, not just the organisation as a whole.
• The club says new students can simply turn up and train, and that the first lesson is free. For a child, it is still worth phoning ahead on 07876 577675 or emailing [email protected] to confirm the class is running and whether a parent needs to stay.
• Children's classes are one hour, which suits younger beginners better than a longer session.

Next step Pick the venue closest to you, phone or email to confirm your child's age fits the kids' group, and ask directly which instructor will be teaching and when their DBS and first aid were last renewed. Then use the free first lesson as a trial before committing.

For comparison, national governing bodies such as the Karate England or the British Karate Federation can explain what coaching qualifications and safeguarding requirements clubs are normally expected to meet.