Parkstone Karate

As another school year comes to an end, we'd like to wish all of our junior and cadet students the very best for their last few days of term.

Being a student and a karateka isn't always easy. Balancing school, homework, family life and training takes commitment. There are days when you're tired, frustrated or would rather stay at home—but every time you step into the dojo, you're building something far more important than a new belt.

You're developing discipline, resilience, confidence and the determination to keep going when things get tough.

We are incredibly proud of everything our students have achieved this year and hope you all enjoy a well-earned summer break with your families.

Don't forget though—the dojo remains open throughout the school holidays, so there's no need for your karate journey to take a break! We hope to see as many of you as possible in class over the summer as we continue to train, learn and have fun together.

Have a fantastic holiday, and we'll see you at the dojo!

Happy Monday everyone!

A new week means a fresh opportunity to keep moving forward.

Our picture reminds us of something we try to teach in the dojo every week.

Life will always present challenges. There will be days when you're tired, busy, frustrated, or simply don't feel like training. Those obstacles don't disappear just because we complain about them—they're still there waiting to be faced.
The difference is in the attitude we choose to bring.

Every class attended, every technique repeated, every belt earned and every setback overcome is another step up the mountain. Progress isn't always easy, but it is always worthwhile.

So this week, let's choose a positive mindset, encourage those around us, and keep climbing—one step, one class, and one challenge at a time.

Now, before anyone gets worried... we definitely encourage the positive attitude part of the quote. Whether we encourage the singing part probably depends on whether you want to hear Sensei Andy trying to hold a tune! 🎤😂

Have a fantastic week everyone. We look forward to seeing you all in the dojo! 🥋

☀️ Warm Weather Update ☀️

With the return of the hot weather, students may wear their Parkstone Karate dojo T-shirts, or a plain white T-shirt, together with their uniform trousers and belts, in all classes.

💧 Please remember to bring a water bottle and stay hydrated.
See you at the dojo!

✨STUDENT SUCCESS✨

Congratulations to one of our 1st Dan Black Belts … Dr Dorinda Chandrabose on her success as the winner of the Royal College of Physicians’ 2026 Teale essay prize!

Dorinda is the epitome of hard work and determination.

We cannot wait to see what the future has in store for you!

Congratulations to Dr Dorinda Chandrabose, winner of the Royal College of Physicians’ 2026 Teale essay prize. 👏

In her winning essay, Dorinda explores how general internal medicine (GIM) training must evolve to better prepare resident doctors for an ageing population with increasingly complex health needs.

The essay highlights the importance of strengthening clinical reasoning, reflective practice and multidisciplinary collaboration, while ensuring physicians develop both specialist expertise and a strong foundation in generalist medicine to deliver holistic, patient-centred care.

👉 Read more: https://ow.ly/whm450ZkIcY

Good morning everyone!

We hope you all had a fantastic weekend... and that not too many of you are suffering from a lack of sleep this morning after another memorable night for England! 🇬
Congratulations to the team on a brilliant performance. Whatever happens next, they've shown the determination, teamwork and resilience that every great athlete strives for.

It got us thinking about just how much football and karate have in common. While they may look very different, both teach the same important life lessons:

And if England keep progressing... we have a feeling we might see even fewer karate dads watching the junior classes than usual! 😄 Don't worry—we'll make sure they're forgiven... this time!

Have a fantastic week everyone. We look forward to seeing all our students back in the dojo, ready to train with the same commitment, respect and team spirit that great footballers and martial artists share.
See you at the dojo.

Good morning everyone, and happy Monday! ☀️

We hope you've all had a fantastic weekend and are feeling refreshed and ready for another great week of training. We're looking forward to welcoming everyone back to the dojo over the next few days.

With the temperatures now much more comfortable, we'll be returning to full karate uniform from today through to the end of the school term. Thank you to everyone for helping us adapt during last week's heatwave.

Whether you're working towards your next grading, sharpening your techniques, or simply enjoying your training, that's fine.
Let's make it another positive week together.

See you at the dojo! 🥋

We hope everyone has made it through this week's exceptionally hot weather and that you and your families have stayed safe and well.

To everyone who was able to join us at the dojo this week, we really appreciated your enthusiasm and effort, especially in such challenging conditions. We also completely understand if you chose to stay out of the heat, especially our junior students who endured some tough days at school in the extreme temperatures.

With a little luck, things will ease over the weekend, giving everyone a chance to cool down, recharge, and enjoy some time with family and friends.

We're looking forward to welcoming you all back next week and, hopefully, getting back to our normal classes. Until then, stay hydrated, take care of yourselves, and have a fantastic weekend.

See you in the dojo! 🥋

☀️ Happy Monday everyone!
We hope you all had a lovely weekend and were able to enjoy the beautiful summer weather.

A belated Happy Father's Day to all of our dojo dads — we hope you had a fantastic day!

With the very warm weather expected this week, students are welcome to wear a dojo T-shirt instead of their uniform jacket during class. Please remember to wear your belt as usual.

💧 Stay hydrated! Please bring a bottle of water to every class, as we will be taking regular drink breaks throughout the lessons to help everyone stay safe and comfortable in the heat.

We look forward to seeing you all in the dojo this week! 🥋☀️

If you’ve ever wondered what the kanji on the dojo wall meant…….

法剛柔呑吐

This is a well-known motto in Goju-Ryu Karate from Kempo Hakku and is often translated as:

"The principles of hard and soft are expressed through breathing."

Character by character:

法 (Hō) – law, principle, method, way
剛 (Gō) – hard, strong, firm
柔 (Jū) – soft, yielding, flexible
呑 (Don) – inhale, swallow in
吐 (To) – exhale, spit out

It reflects one of Miyagi's core principles: effective karate combines both hard and soft techniques, tension and relaxation, force and yielding, all coordinated through proper breathing.

🎉 Happy Birthday, Sensei Megan! 🎉

Wishing you a fantastic birthday and a wonderful year ahead. Thank you for everything you do for our school and students.

We are incredibly grateful to have you as part of our karate family and appreciate all the time, effort, and care you put into helping our students grow both on and off the dojo floor. You make a positive difference in the lives of so many people every single week.

Have an amazing day—you deserve it! 🥋🎂🎈