SKI Bristol: Kyoto Shotokan Karate Club

Yep, I may have said this… but maybe not in the city centre!
Waiting for the school bus in the morning I think is perfectly acceptable though 😬

🏆 We won. But this award belongs to all of you. 🏆

We are incredibly proud to announce that Kyōtō Shotokan Karate Dōjō has been named Best Martial Arts Club in the Business Awards UK 2026 Sports & Leisure Awards.

Receiving this recognition during our 30th anniversary year makes it even more special.

Since 1996, Kyōtō (橋頭) has been about much more than karate. It has been about people. About friendships. About families training together. About helping individuals find confidence, resilience and purpose through traditional Shotokan karate.

From the nervous beginner tying on a white belt for the first time, to the experienced black belt still striving to improve decades later, every member has helped shape the dojo we are today.

To our students, parents, instructors, volunteers, committee members, friends, supporters and the wider SKIF family—thank you.

Thirty years ago I crossed a bridge from my own karate roots in Grimsby and established Kyōtō in Bristol. Thousands of people have crossed that bridge with us since then, and this award is recognition of every step taken together.

Thank you for being part of the journey.

The journey continues.

Oss.

Steve Ashby
Founder & Chief Instructor
Kyōtō Shotokan Karate Dōjō (橋頭)

🏆 Business Awards UK 2026 Winner
🥋 Best Martial Arts Club
📍 Bristol, UK

Remember to stay hydrated when training in this hot weather.

At first, many people begin karate with a destination in mind.

A belt.
A grading.
A title.
A goal.

But over time, something changes.

The journey itself becomes the purpose.

This is Dō–Mugen (道・無限) — The Way Without End.

🌉 There is always:
- more to refine
- more to understand
- more to become

The path continues through every stage of life.

Not a destination to reach…
but a lifelong process of growth.

> The destination disappears.
> Only the way remains.

—

🔗 Full article https://www.kyotokaratebristol.co.uk/news/do-mugen-the-way-without-end-karate

Many people see black belt as the destination.

In traditional karate, it is something very different.

Not the end of the journey…
but the crossing point.

The stage where:
- foundations become stable
- understanding deepens
- and learning truly begins

This is Kyōtō (橋頭) — The Crossing.

🌉 A bridgehead is not where the journey stops.

It is the place from which you continue forward.

> Black belt is not the end.
> It is the beginning of the way.

—

🔗 Full article https://www.kyotokaratebristol.co.uk/news/kyoto-the-crossing-black-belt-beginning

Wow, what a seminar

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Murakami Shuseki and all the students who attended the Annual Spring Course on Saturday, 16th May.

It was a pleasure to reconnect with familiar faces and to warmly welcome those joining us for the first time. We hope everyone found the experience enjoyable and rewarding.

Murakami Shuseki led an excellent and highly technical seminar, with a strong focus on Kihon and Kata, providing valuable insight for all participants.

📸 Steve Ashby