Sankōkai Shinsei Karate

We get asked this a lot, so here's the honest answer: nobody throws you in the deep end.

Your first session is about learning to stand, move, and breathe the karate way, kids and adults both start here. No sparring on day one. No pressure to be the fittest person in the room. Just clear instruction, one step at a time.

All you need are comfy clothes, and an open mind. Drop us a message to find out more!

Sensei John Carlow is a 4th Dan, twenty years training, and the founder of Sankōkai Shinsei Karate. He also lives with Crohn's, ADHD, and autism, and he'll tell you straight that karate has done more for his focus and his calm than almost anything else.

That's why this dojo is built the way it is: clear routines, steady structure, and a place where every kind of brain and body is welcome.

You don't need to be "karate fit" to start karate.

Myth: you need to be fit and flexible before you start karate.

Backwards, actually. Karate is how you build fitness and flexibility, not a box you need to tick beforehand. Come as you are. We'll build from there.

Message us to book in.

No, you're not too old to start karate.

Six years old or sixty. There's a place for you here.

Our classes bring together kids, teens, and adults, sometimes even the same family training side by side. Karate doesn't need to be split by age group to work. It just needs the right dojo behind it.

Bring the whole family. Message us about our class schedule.

A new path, built on old roots.

Why "Sankōkai Shinsei"? Here's what it actually means.

Sankōkai means bringing together the techniques and spirit of different schools, honouring where they came from while creating something new. Shinsei means sincerity and renewal.

So the name is the philosophy: respect the tradition, but build a dojo that actually works for the people training in it today.

Curious about the philosophy behind the dojo? Ask us anything in the comments.

These five lines matter more than any belt we give out.

Five rules. No shouting required.

Every class, we recite the Dōjōkun, five simple principles that guide everything we do:

Seek perfection of character. Follow the path of sincerity. Foster the spirit of effort. Respect others. Refrain from violent behaviour.

Notice what's missing? Nothing about winning. Nothing about being the toughest person in the room. That's on purpose.

Want to see what these look like in practice? Come along to a class.

Crohn's and Neurodivergent: I'm not your typical karate instructor either.

I've been training for over twenty years. I still don't call myself an expert.

I'm a 4th Dan, registered with the English Karate Organisation, and I've studied several styles over the years including Tang Sou Dao, Shukokai, and Sankukai. But the thing that shaped my teaching most wasn't a grading, it was my own health.

I live with Crohn's disease, ADHD, and was recently diagnosed with autism. Karate has been one of the best things I've found for both my body and mind. That's why I built Sankōkai Shinsei around structure, routine, and acceptance rather than pressure. And as a disabled instructor myself, I'm adamant that not being able to spar, whatever the reason, should never stop anyone learning and enjoying karate. Kata and kihon are just as valid a path.

Come train with someone who gets it. Message us for more information.

They did it.

7 Students were graded last weekend, and every single one of them should be proud.

Grading days aren't just about the belt. They're about showing up, working through nerves, and proving to yourself that you can do hard things. That's the real win.

Huge thanks to everyone who came to support, and to parents etc for capturing the day on camera and sharing their moments with us.

This picture was taken a few weeks ago as we where preparing for the grading.

Want to be part of the next one? Message us to find the right group.

Today, our students prove something to themselves.

Today's the day, our Club AUsome students are grading.

Karate has taught me more about patience, structure, and self-respect than almost anything else in my life, and that's exactly what we try to pass on. Our Dōjōkun asks students to seek good character, sincerity, effort, respect, and self-control. Nothing about winning. Nothing about being the toughest person in the room.

So to everyone stepping up today: you've already done the hard part by turning up, training, and trusting the process. Whatever happens on the mat, we're proud of you.

Osu.

Following along today? Drop a good luck message for our students below.

This Sunday, our Club AUsome students step up for their grading.

Gradings can look different depending on who you ask. Some people picture rows of shouting and pressure. That's not how we do it here. Every student is assessed on their own terms: their own pace, their own strengths, their own version of "ready."

Whether kata, kihon, or sparring is your thing (and for some of our students, sparring just isn't, and that's completely fine), what matters is showing up and doing your best on the day.

Sensei John will be right there with them, a fellow neurodivergent karateka who knows exactly what it takes to step onto that mat.

Good luck to everyone grading this weekend. We're proud of you already.

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