Parkstone Karate

Welcome to a brand new week.

This week rather than a 'Motivational Monday' post we will be having three posts to explain the Japanese Proverb 石の上にも三年 �Ishi no ue ni mo san nen which translates as �“Even on a stone, three years.”

The idea is simple: a stone is cold, hard and uncomfortable. But sit on it for long enough and eventually it begins to warm.

Karate can feel like that too.

A new technique feels awkward. A kata won't quite stick. Progress seems slow. Sometimes you wonder whether you're actually improving.

But discomfort at the beginning isn't a reason to stop.
Sometimes, the stone is simply still cold.

Part 2 tomorrow

*THE 3RD ANNUAL BLACK BELT ACADEMY GASSHUKU IS HERE!**

📅 **Saturday 3rd October 2026**

One day.
One opportunity to take your training to another level.
Join Sensei Simon and his students for a full day dedicated to getting away from a normal class format, training together and exploring different aspects of **Goju Ryu and martial arts** in greater depth.

🔥 **THIS YEAR’S TRAINING INCLUDES:**
🥋 **8:00–9:00** — Black Belts Advanced Kata
💪 **9:15–10:30** — Hojo Undo & Sanchin
🥊 **10:45–11:45** — Advanced Kihon including Throws, Locks & Chokes
🥋 **12:00–1:00** — Saifa Flow Drill
🍴 **1:00–1:30** — Lunch Break
🔪 **1:30–2:30** — Knife Defence
🥊 **2:30–3:30** — Thai Pad Workout
🧘 **3:30–4:00** — Cooldown & Close

Whether you want to improve your technique, challenge yourself, explore different areas of martial arts or simply spend a great day training with your karate family, **this is a day you don't want to miss.**

💥 **FULL DAY: £50**
⚠️ **PRE-BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL — SPACES ARE LIMITED.**
Speak to Sensei Andy to reserve your place.

There’s something very different about spending a whole day training together. You get the opportunity to go deeper, ask questions, work with different people and come away with new ideas to take back into your regular training.
**ONE DAY. ONE FAMILY. LEVEL UP TOGETHER.**

🥋 COURAGE — SOMETIMES IT’S AS SIMPLE AS SAYING HELLO

As we come to the end of the first week of September, we hope all our Junior and Cadet students have had a great start back at school — especially those who may have started at a new school or moved up to a new year group.

This month at the dojo, our life-skill theme is COURAGE.

We often think courage means doing something big or frightening. But courage can also be found in the small things we do every day.

Starting a new school takes courage. Walking into a new classroom takes courage. Putting your hand up when you’re unsure takes courage. And sometimes, being the person who steps forward to help someone else takes courage too.

So we have a little challenge for our students as the new school year begins…
Look around you.

Is there someone sitting on their own? Someone struggling to make friends? Someone who seems shy, nervous or just a little out of place?

Have the courage to say hello. Smile at them. Ask if they’re OK. Invite them to join you.

You never really know what somebody else might be dealing with, and one small act of kindness could make a much bigger difference than you realise.

At Parkstone Karate, we want our students to have the courage to stand up for themselves — but just as importantly, the courage to stand up for others.

🥋 Be brave. Be kind. Be the person who makes someone else feel welcome.
Have a fantastic weekend everyone, and we’ll see you back at the dojo next week!

🥋 AS SUMMER COMES TO AN END… IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL & BACK TO FULL UNIFORM!

We hope everyone has enjoyed the summer holidays! As September arrives and our junior and cadet students begin heading back to school, it’s time for us to return to our usual dojo routine too.

📅 From Wednesday 2nd September, we’ll be returning to full karate uniform for all classes at Parkstone Karate.

The option to wear a dojo T-shirt with gi trousers and belt during the warmer summer weather will come to an end, so please make sure your full gi is ready for training.

🥋 NEED A NEW GI?
We know that some of our younger students seem to have a habit of growing several inches over the summer! 😄 If you discover that sleeves and trousers have suddenly become a little shorter than you remember, please speak to Sensei Andy or Sensei Megan about ordering a new uniform.

Wearing our gi is an important part of traditional karate. It helps remind us that when we step into the dojo we are there to train, learn and work together, regardless of age or grade.

After a great summer of training, we’re looking forward to welcoming everyone back as we head into the autumn and begin our preparations for the December belt tests.

🥋 What a great way to finish the last full week of the summer holidays!

It’s been another fantastic week at the dojo, especially in our junior classes, where we were delighted to welcome some of our students’ brothers and sisters into the dojo to join in the fun!

A big thank you to all our students for making them feel so welcome and for helping them with the techniques — and to Sensei Megan for her inspired idea for the end-of-class activity! 😄

We hope everyone has a brilliant Bank Holiday weekend! ☀️

Just a reminder that the dojo is CLOSED this Monday, so enjoy the extra day off and we’ll see everyone back on the mats on Wednesday! 🥋

Happy Monday everyone!

Sensei Andy came across this quote recently, and it really struck a chord:

We spend a lot of time being told to play it safe, not make mistakes and not take chances. But sometimes the things that challenge us most are the things that help us grow.

Karate is a bit like that. Try the technique you're not sure you can do. Attempt the next grade. Put your hand up. Step outside your comfort zone.

You might succeed. You might not. But either way, you'll have learned something, you won't be left wondering “What if?” and who knows you may even have an amazing adventure!

So, a question for all our students this Monday:
What would you do if you weren't worried about getting it wrong?
Have a great week everyone — and maybe skate on a little thin ice! 😉🥋

☀️ The Summer Holidays Are Flying By! 🥋

Next week is the last full week of classes before the end of the summer holidays, so we thought we’d do something a little different!

We’re inviting the brothers and sisters of our junior students to come along and join them in class for the week. 👊🥋

You’ve probably heard plenty about what goes on at karate — now’s your chance to find out for yourself!

Don’t just believe what your brother or sister tells you about our classes… come along, step into the dojo and give karate a try! 😄

No experience needed — just come along, join in and have some fun.
And who knows… we might even discover a little sibling rivalry! 😂
We look forward to welcoming you to the dojo next week!

A huge congratulations to all our students on your GCSE results! We are incredibly proud of each and every one of you and the hard work, dedication and determination you have shown.

Your success is something to be celebrated, and we hope you take a moment to appreciate just how far you’ve come. ❤️

🥋 Happy Monday everyone!

Last week we caught up with our Student of the Month presentations, and we were delighted to present Robin and Harley with their trophies for June and July respectively. 🏆👏

Congratulations to you both — very well deserved!

Now the August trophy is up for grabs, and we already have a number of strong contenders… 👀
Who will it be?

Keep turning up, keep working hard, support your training partners and show us that black belt attitude! 🥋💪
Have a great week everyone — see you at the dojo!

What a great week it’s been at Parkstone Karate! 🥋

Everyone has worked hard on their throwing techniques while building confidence in their breakfalls. It was especially good to see everyone working together, supporting one another and making sure that every student felt included.

Wednesday evening brought us something a little different as we enjoyed viewing the solar eclipse with our students between classes. Sensei Andy’s night became even more memorable when he was lucky enough to spot a meteor after getting home! 🌒☄️
We hope everyone has a fantastic weekend. Rest, recharge and we’ll see you all back at the dojo next week! 👊