Invictus Karate

Hi all. Unfortunately we’ve had a Covid case at the Boys Club meaning we will have to cancel training for this week while the venues getting a deep clean. There’s classes at Trebanog, Ferndale and Swansea that can be attended. See you all next week

Hi all. Unfortunately we’ve had a Covid case at the Boys Club meaning we will have to cancel training for this week while the venues getting a deep clean. There’s classes at Trebanog, Ferndale and Swansea that can be attended. See you all next week

Ahhhh sorry but I’m going to have to cancel tonight, I’ve injured my ankle in work yesterday and it’s gotten slightly worse today. I thought it would be ok but I’m struggling a little bit at the moment. Sorry everyone 😔😔😔

Ahhhh sorry but I’m going to have to cancel tonight, I’ve injured my ankle in work yesterday and it’s gotten slightly worse today. I thought it would be ok but I’m struggling a little bit at the moment. Sorry everyone 😔😔😔

Hi all, apologies Tonight’s lesson is unfortunately cancelled. We may rearrange another evening this week.

Hi all, apologies Tonight’s lesson is unfortunately cancelled. We may rearrange another evening this week.

All ready to go !!!!

Fantastic 1st session back !!!! Hard to believe it’s been so long since we was last in the dojo. See you all Thursday 7pm 👍👍

Fantastic 1st session back !!!! Hard to believe it’s been so long since we was last in the dojo. See you all Thursday 7pm 👍👍

We have taken delivery of our new mats and are all ready for next week ! our new venue Every Monday & Thursday at Treorchy & Cwmparc Boys & Girls Club
Monday 6pm-7pm Shotokan Karate
Monday 7pm-8pm WSKO Squad Session
Thursday 7pm-8pm Shotokan Karate
"Back on the Mats !!!!"

We have taken delivery of our new mats and are all ready for next week ! our new venue Every Monday & Thursday at Treorchy & Cwmparc Boys & Girls Club
Monday 6pm-7pm Shotokan Karate
Monday 7pm-8pm WSKO Squad Session
Thursday 7pm-8pm Shotokan Karate
"Back on the Mats !!!!"

1 week to go untill we’re back ! Remember the slight changes in time and venue. We will now be at Treorchy & Cwmparc Boys & Girls Club Monday 6-7pm and Thursday 7-8pm.
Fully matted dojo ✅
Card payments accepted ✅
Spaces are available for new starters ✅
Looking forward to seeing you all next week !

1 week to go untill we’re back ! Remember the slight changes in time and venue. We will now be at Treorchy & Cwmparc Boys & Girls Club Monday 6-7pm and Thursday 7-8pm.
Fully matted dojo ✅
Card payments accepted ✅
Spaces are available for new starters ✅
Looking forward to seeing you all next week !

We have finally been given a date to aim for indoor classes to resume !!! Monday May 17th could see the return of Invictus Karate, the venue is yet to be confirmed as we know the Rhondda Sports Centre is also a Covid vaccination centre so no doubt that would impact upon classes. BUT we’re re-opening !!!!!!!!! More details will follow

We have finally been given a date to aim for indoor classes to resume !!! Monday May 17th could see the return of Invictus Karate, the venue is yet to be confirmed as we know the Rhondda Sports Centre is also a Covid vaccination centre so no doubt that would impact upon classes. BUT we’re re-opening !!!!!!!!! More details will follow

INVICTUS KARATE Principles

The twenty principles were originated by Master Gichin Funakoshi for the spiritual and mental advancement of Karate students. The principles stress that students should not only focus on the , physical part of Karate, but rather have a balance between the physical and spiritual part of the martial art.

Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate are:
...
1. Do not forget that Karate-do begins and ends with rei
2. There is no first strike in Karate, only justified strikes.
3. Karate stands on the side of justice
4. First know yourself, then know your enemies.
5. Spirit over technique
6. The minds must be set free
7. Calamity springs from carelessness
8. Karate goes beyond the dojo
9. Karate is life long pursuit
10. Apply the way of Karate to all things. Therein lies its beauty
11. Karate is like boiling water: without heat, it returns to its tepid state
12. Do not think winning. Think, rather, of not loosing
13. Make adjustments according to your opponent
14. The outcome of a battle depends on how one handles emptiness and fullness (weakness and strength)
15. Think of the opponent’s hands and feet as swords
16. When you step beyond your own gate, you face a million enemies
17. Kamae is for beginners; later, one stands in shizentai
18. Perform kata exactly; actual combat is another matter
19. Do not forget the employment or withdrawal of power, the extension or contraction of the body, the swift or leisurely application of technique
20. Be constantly mindful, diligent, and resourceful in your pursuit of the Way

INVICTUS KARATE Principles

The twenty principles were originated by Master Gichin Funakoshi for the spiritual and mental advancement of Karate students. The principles stress that students should not only focus on the , physical part of Karate, but rather have a balance between the physical and spiritual part of the martial art.

Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate are:
...
1. Do not forget that Karate-do begins and ends with rei
2. There is no first strike in Karate, only justified strikes.
3. Karate stands on the side of justice
4. First know yourself, then know your enemies.
5. Spirit over technique
6. The minds must be set free
7. Calamity springs from carelessness
8. Karate goes beyond the dojo
9. Karate is life long pursuit
10. Apply the way of Karate to all things. Therein lies its beauty
11. Karate is like boiling water: without heat, it returns to its tepid state
12. Do not think winning. Think, rather, of not loosing
13. Make adjustments according to your opponent
14. The outcome of a battle depends on how one handles emptiness and fullness (weakness and strength)
15. Think of the opponent’s hands and feet as swords
16. When you step beyond your own gate, you face a million enemies
17. Kamae is for beginners; later, one stands in shizentai
18. Perform kata exactly; actual combat is another matter
19. Do not forget the employment or withdrawal of power, the extension or contraction of the body, the swift or leisurely application of technique
20. Be constantly mindful, diligent, and resourceful in your pursuit of the Way

Timeline Photos

This week is Children's Mental Health Week!

COVID-19 has turned children’s lives upside down. Being active is a great way to boost mental health.

Have fun as a family - take on our games, walks and challenges! Visit the Sport RCT page on the Leisure for Life app

Here’s the details of tomorrow’s zoom session being taken by Sensei Paul (Swansea)
juniors 10.30am - 11am.
Seniors 11am - 12 midday. This is a free session ✅

Here’s the details of tomorrow’s zoom session being taken by Sensei Paul (Swansea)
juniors 10.30am - 11am.
Seniors 11am - 12 midday. This is a free session ✅

Happy 16th birthday to one of the longest training, popular member of the club Dan Rees. Joining at 6 years old I can probably count on 2 hands the amount of sessions he’s missed in 10 years ! I’m also amazed by the fact he once went into Burger King, ordered a Big Mac ....and got one !!! 😂 Happy Birthday Daniel Rees !

There’s a zoom session tonight , 👍👍👍 ask for login details.

If anyone fancies it, you’re very welcome

Hi All
We hope you’re all ok and not to “stir crazy”.
We will be doing our 1st zoom session of 2021 tomorrow,(Monday 11th January), at 6pm for 1 hour. This first session will be for our intermediates and seniors only, all our “little ninjas” (Friday class), can join us on Saturday morning.
Details very soon, looking forward to seeing you all, please note these sessions are free so please get off that settee and have a go 💪💪💪💪

If #cobrakai3 gets any more nostalgic I wouldn’t be surprised if they show my bronze medal at the Welsh Championships 1988!

Anybody know these 3 ? Tried joining our dojo last night but I said no headbands or dodgy gis allowed !
Happy New Year 🥋🥋

Well, What crazy challenging year. I think its safe to say we wont be having another year like this! Being honest, Karate has always been my saftey blanket, my destress, my downtime but not having this and combined with a very very busy shop has meant ive struggled this year, really struggled physically,mentally and emotionally but theres light at the end of this year !!!
SO lets look forward to 2021 which coincidentally is the Year of the OX! Happy New Year Guys, Gals, Ninjas & Ninjettes !

Merry Christmas everyone, hope you have a good one, love Annette 🎅🎄🎅 xx

Merry Christmas to you all !!! Hope you all have a brilliant Christmas and look forward to seeing you all in the new year 😁

I read a post recently about Tradition, and although I found it very funny it also made me think about our own club. Our clubs identity has been in my mind for a few years now. Traditionaly we have all opened clubs up and named said club after the place its located at i.e Ystrad Rhondda, Tonyrefail etc. This year has been like no other year and I hope we never are in this situation again, We have been at the Sports Centre since the early summer of 2008 but unknown to a lot we came very close to losing our place and we had to find another venue to ensure the future of the club, thankfully we have found a solution to remain at the Rhondda Sport Centre. Going forward we will be Invictus Karate as I believe it describes us more as club than a location can, It stands for inclusivity, strength in adversity, courage, undefeated spirit and of course theres a very famous games and poem about it. Our linage will be the same- Welsh Shotokan Karate Organisation, Welsh Karate Governing Body Ltd World Karate Federation
Below is the "tradition" post 😂

[12/13/20]   Join us here at Invictus Karate to be the best, to test yourself, to reach your goals and most importantly of all, enjoy yourself! We offer traditional karate lessons with modern day instruction every Monday & Wednesday evening at the Rhondda Sports Centre, Ystrad. Simply drop us a message and we will get back to you.

Invictus Karate's cover photo

Invictus Karate

[12/12/20]   Happy 16th Birthday our very own Cobra Kai, have a fab day 🎉🎉🎂🎂🎉🎉

[11/17/20]   We have 1 space become available for tonight, please let us know if you’d like to book the space. Thanks

It’s anti bullying week so we will spend a little time on this in the lesson. We usually run a “Billy Bully” session but this will be difficult with current restrictions, so we will tweak it a little 😁🥋🥋

Hi all, quick update to our return to training Tuesday night at 7pm. Good news is that we are back into the dojo but without mats and restricted numbers.
Entrance is via the side of reception and exit is by way of the main stairs.
You will not be able to enter the sports centre until just before class starts so be ready to go when you arrive.
Spaces are strictly pre book only there is no walk in available even if there’s spaces.

There will be new procedures to follow so please respect any changes that have been put in place, these are for your safety and the security of the club.

See you tomorrow 👍

Fab News

Brilliant news ...... I can confirm that we are starting back indoors at the Sports Centre !!! We will be resuming training from Tuesday 10th November. Please read below
1. Temporary new day and time is Tuesday night 7pm-8pm.
2. Unfortunately places are limited to 10 and MUST be pre booked.
3. We are in studio 3 not the dojo.
4. All social distancing measures must be adhered to.
5. This is a new process for everyone including myself but I’m sure we will make it work !
6. Any licences that have expired will need to be renewed as soon as possible with the renewal date being effective from the date of renewal not expiry.

I recognise that with the class numbers being limited that not everyone is going to get a space so please make sure you book your space early. Whilst this isn’t the perfect solution, it’s certainly better than nothing and it’s a step in the right direction towards normality pre Covid. Any further updates will be announced here 👍

Brilliant news ...... I can confirm that we are starting back indoors at the Sports Centre !!! We will be resuming training from Tuesday 10th November. Please read below
1. Temporary new day and time is Tuesday night 7pm-8pm.
2. Unfortunately places are limited to 10 and MUST be pre booked.
3. We are in studio 3 not the dojo.
4. All social distancing measures must be adhered to.
5. This is a new process for everyone including myself but I’m sure we will make it work !
6. Any licences that have expired will need to be renewed as soon as possible with the renewal date being effective from the date of renewal not expiry.

I recognise that with the class numbers being limited that not everyone is going to get a space so please make sure you book your space early. Whilst this isn’t the perfect solution, it’s certainly better than nothing and it’s a step in the right direction towards normality pre Covid. Any further updates will be announced here 👍

Hopefully not too long before we can return to indoor training 👍

This week is Parents in Sport Week, led by the Child Protection in Sport Unit.

Parents play a pivotal role in sport and young people depend on their support and encouragement.

Children get many benefits from taking part in regular physical activity. Here are 20 reasons why we encourage children and their families to get active regularly.

WSKO Indoor Training

Due to the rise in COVID-19 cases over the past week and that RCT are one of the highest areas in Wales... The WSKO Instructors have decided to hold off on starting our Indoor Training Tomorrow..

This was a hard decision for us as we were all excited to get back to some normality..
But safety for Us and our Students is most important..

So for the next few weeks we will continue with our Karate Outdoor Sessions and can please everyone make a huge effort to attend...so we keep training together...

We will then assess the situation at the end of September...

Thanks For Your Understanding

WSKO Instructors

So we are aiming to be back on Monday 14th September 😁. Just a quick message to remind you of a few changes
Llwynypia boys and girls club Monday & Wednesday 7pm -8pm
Ferndale class will also be joining us
£4.50 payable in advance
Pre booking only ( contact the page or Annette Vaughan Hopkins)
We’ve worked hard in the background to make this exciting project happen and I’m looking forward to getting my gi back on !

Welsh Shotokan Karate Organisation

The news we have all been waiting for, we can confirm we are going back to indoor training !!! This is a temporary measure until our normal venues are back open. Please read the following very carefully

VENUE- we have been working hard to secure a suitable place and are happy to announce that we have been given access to Llwynipia Boys & Girls club. (Located near Asda Tonypandy)
CLASSES- there is a new exciting format to the classes as clubs get to train together with different instructors on different nights. Class capacity is 30 and MUST be pre booked and Paid in advance. Fees to remain at £4.50
TIMES - Monday & Wednesday 7pm-8pm is for the students of Ystrad and Ferndale.
Tuesday & Thursday 6pm-7pm is for the students of Pentre and Tonyrefail. For now the weekly squad sessions are on hold.
STUDENTS- must arrive ready to train in full gi and correct footwear is to be worn. Parents please drop the student off by the entrance and collect by the exit, unfortunately the viewing gallery will be closed at this time.
LICENCES- any expired license must be renewed as soon as possible, The renewed license will start from the time of renewal not the time of expiry.
Student of the month award- this will be based on the following criteria, Attendance. Attitude. Behaviour. Effort. 😁

DATE- this will start week commencing Monday 14th September

We can now start our journey back to normality. A special mention to our Swansea club who have shown great determination in training throughout the lockdown via Zoom 👏👏👏👏 well done to all involved.
We are all very excited about this new format and can’t wait to see you all !

Breaking News.......We are nearly there to going back indoors to train!!!! We have been working hard in the background and we are nearly ready to announce our exciting news, Just keep an eye on the page for the updates.
WOO HOO !

Hi all, just a quick update for you. Unfortunately after speaking with Rhondda Sports Centre we’re not that close to getting back into the dojo, there’s a phased re opening planned for the sports centre but classes like ours are not on the agenda yet. We have looked into a temporary venue but we can’t find one suitable. Once we get more details off the leisure centre I’ll keep you all informed. Be good , Gerwyn !