Shigakukan Karate Dojo

Yesterday we held our monthly advanced session.

It was great to see so many dedicated students giving up part of their weekend to train hard in the middle of summer. Progress in karate doesn’t come from the occasional big effort, it comes from consistently turning up and putting the work in, week after week.

Well done to everyone who attended. It’s a pleasure to teach students with that level of commitment. Oss.

Tanaka Sensei is back in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 this October. SKIF Libby Donaghy Mark Donaghy

A slight change of venue Tuesday after a bird somehow found its way into our usual hall and decided to make itself at home! 🐦😄

No problem though—we adapted, moved halls, and still had a great training session.

Tonight’s focus was practical self-defence, looking at simple, effective tactics and developing the awareness and confidence to deal with real-world situations. It’s not about strength or aggression; it’s about giving yourself the best chance of staying safe.

Well done to everyone who trained and embraced the change. A good reminder that being adaptable is an important part of martial arts too. 👊🥋

Friday night’s self-defence class.

As karateka, none of us want to end up on the ground. Our aim is always to stay mobile, create space and escape whenever possible.

The reality, however, is that we don’t always get to choose how an encounter unfolds. A slip, trip, tackle or being knocked off balance can quickly put you in a vulnerable position.

That’s why we train simple, effective methods of protecting ourselves, improving our position and getting back to our feet as quickly and safely as possible. The ground is not where we want to be—especially if there is more than one attacker—but we must be prepared for every possibility.

Traditional karate is about preparing for reality, not just practising techniques in ideal conditions.

Train with purpose. Stay calm under pressure. Go home safe. 🥋

🥋 Medal Winners 🥋

At Shi-Gaku-Kan Karate Dojos, our medals recognise the qualities that matter most. They are awarded for outstanding behaviour, commitment and effort—the values that build not only better karate students but better people.

Every recipient has shown respect, perseverance, a positive attitude and a willingness to work hard both individually and as part of the dojo. These are the qualities that inspire others and help create the supportive atmosphere we are proud of.

Congratulations to all of our medal winners. Keep leading by example and continue striving to be the very best version of yourselves.

Character over competition.

We train throughout the summer, and taster sessions are available for both children and adults. If you’ve been thinking about starting traditional Shotokan Karate, we’d love to welcome you to one of our classes.