Answer Click here for a list of Japanese terms that will be used in our karate classes. Additions to this page will be made, so visit frequently.

Answer These rules are created for the safety of the students and the respect and order of the class.

1. Always maintain clean and well cut finger and toe nails.
2. Always have a clean Karate-Gi (Karate uniform) with the three mandatory patches.
3. Attach properly the the belt of your Karate-Gi.
4. Arrive early -- at least 10 minutes early. This demonstrates good discipline.
5. No Jewellery aloud in the class.
6. Fighting equipment is obligatory for kumite classes.
7. Bow before entering and exiting the dojo with utmost respect.
8. Always look and listen to your instructors.
9. Do not play with your belt.
10. Do not distract others.
11. Respect your partner.
12. Do not run (unless instructed to by teacher).
13. Your Obi (belt) should never be washed, only aired dry. It symbolically contains the spirit of your hard training. Never throw or drop your obi on the ground. Your obi is a symbol of your spirit. In the old days there were no colored belts. You received a white belt. Through years of hard training, sweat and blood turned your Obi a dark color. As you continue training the outer layer of material gets worn down and the Obi becomes white again. Full circle.
14. No Food or drinks in the dojo area.
15. A karateka cannot use any of the equipment belonging to the dojo without the permission of the instructor.
16. It is very poor etiquette to question a teacher's or senior's authority or technical knowledge, and especially so during a class. If you are confused about something, ask respectfully. Don't insist on your point of view.

Answer There are 11 kyu ranks in all. You start at white belt which is kyu 11 and move down to 1st kyu which is brown belt with a black stripe. There are 10 kyu exams before reaching black belt level. A "Kyu" is a rank below black belt. The purpose of this ranking system is to provide martial artists with a structure to strive for excellence (mastery) in martial arts and in character. The ranking system takes the end goal of becoming a master martial artist, and breaks it down into reasonable goals.

Answer A chart will be available in your dojo with all the specifics you need to know in order to pass to the next level.

Answer There are many similarities as well as differences between different martial arts. The main similarity is to learn how to defend yourself, and/or your family. The differences is where the emphasis is placed in each individual martial art style. Judo, for instance emphasizes on grappling, locks, throws, while karate emphasizes on a variety of strikes, blocks, counters. Even amongst the different styles of karate, you will find some styles that emphasize more on one aspect than the other. The beauty of the shinkyokushin style of karate is that it was derived from the strengths of many martial arts since the founder of kyokushin, Mas Oyama, achieved advanced black belt ranks in Judo, several styles of karate and trained in jujitsu, aikido, and muay tai. He took the best of each and developed Kyokushin Karate. Shinkyokushin means the 'new' kyokushin karate.

Answer The youngest age recommended to start karate is 4 years old. The reason for this is the attention span and developed motor skills required to benefit the karate training. Exceptions are sometimes made for 3 years olds, but rare.

Answer Part of the philosophy of our karate training is to practice in the dojo. If you are interested to know more about the history, terminology, etc, the internet has a wealth of information regarding the subject of karate, specifically kyokushin, and shinkyokushin karate. However learning from solely videos and books is not recommended. You must sweat in you karate-gi, work with a partner, and gradually make an effort to progress in you dojo with patience, perseverance and determination.

Answer Yes there are many activities in our federation that students can participate in. We have karate seminars, kobudo (weaponry) seminars, junior karate matches (JKMs), mountain hikes, and other outdoor activities to test your physical skills, and competitions. Just check out our calendar or ask your instructor.