Traditional Shotokan Karate

We teach a traditional style of karate called Shotokan. Shotokan is one of the most widely practised martial arts in the world and originated from Okinawa, the birth place of all karate.

It was in the early 20th century when pioneers travelled from Okinawa to Tokyo in order to spread karate to the Japanese mainland. One of these pioneers was Gichin Funakoshi. His pen name was Shoto, which translates as pine-waves (as in, when the wind blows through a pine forest). Funakoshi's teachings grew popular and he established his own school in Tokyo. The school was called the Shoto-Kan (Shoto's school/house).

Karate spread rapidly throughout the world during the second half of the 20th century. One of the many reasons for this was that American soldiers stationed on Okinawa at the end of the 2nd World War were fascinated by this ancient martial art. It's also fair to say that there was a growing interest from the West in Eastern religion and philosophy, with the likes of Bruce Lee captivating audiences on the big screen.