Akashi Shotokan Karate Association Family
A note from Glenn Riley 6th Dan, a full time Karate Instructor
Many of the adults who train with me, and who are now some of my longest standing students, started where many of you are now – just watching. So, I’m sure Karen Cruise, Nadeem Oppal, Parmijit Bharj wont mind me using them as examples. In the very early days of me starting Akashi – back in 2011 – they would attend every session with their children and sit and watch.
Until one day they just decided to join in and have a go and have never looked back! Since that time Karen & Nadeem have trained their way up to black belts and Parmijit is now a brown belt. If you were to ask them, I’m sure they would tell you that they never, ever thought they would progress so far in their karate journey after making the decision to attend their first class!
I’m proud of all my students. I’m proud of how diverse my club is, with students of all ages and abilities. My mum is our most senior member and a fantastic example of how karate can be started at any time of your life. I have students with varying levels of flexibility, with the usual aches & pains, recovering from surgery, suffering from mobility issues etc, but it doesn’t stop them training – we just work together to adapt what they can do to allow them to train – no one is excluded.
The fitness levels within the club are again at massively different levels but there’s no doubt that everyone who trains with me regularly has seen their fitness levels improve – everyone’s encouraged to train hard but a level that suits them.
If you’re worried about not getting the hang of karate and making mistakes – welcome to my world!! Regardless of the various grades and experience with my students – we all make mistakes – it’s part of the fun, part of learning – it’s not something to worry about.
I’d love to see more adults train with their children – it’s a brilliant way of being a role model to them and just watching them develop and grow in the club and progress your karate together. I’d be more than happy to for you to join in with any of the classes – when I have asked parents/carers etc to join in the Tigers classes you’ve done amazingly well and that’s been great to see.
@akashi.co.uk
@akashi.co.uk
@akashi.co.uk
@akashi.co.uk
I’m also really proud to see how Akashi has developed into a club where everyone supports everyone else – grading days and competition events are brilliant examples of how we pull together as a team. We’re a really friendly bunch. New starters are welcomed and supported throughout their training and everyone is encouraged to do well.
So, why not make it a goal to join? I can almost guarantee that whatever doubt, fear, nerves you might have about joining we’ve all experienced it. Speak to me or any of my adult students about any concerns you might have about joining.
Akashi is a very successful club and I want to see i continue to grow and expand. What a better way to grow than with parents/carers of the children I already teach! So don’t hold back. Come and talk to me or any of my adult students, and take the first step into what could be the most fulfilling, enjoyable, beneficial challenge you’ve ever taken.
I’d also like to say a massive thank you to all my existing students for making Akashi the successful, thriving club that it is today!
