Somerset Ryū Karate

Earlier today we held our latest grading examination for a terrific ten Little Dragons! 🤩

Following a 30 minute class, assisted by SRK black belt Lexie, each young student completed an assessment of their kihon (basics), kumite (partner work), and Japanese terminology. The parents were able to watch all the action from reception, via the dojo TV, enabling them to witness firsthand the progress their children have made. Results:

2nd Mon (red stripe): Ben, Freddie, Finn
4th Mon (green stripe): Louis, Rowan, Fred, Louie
5th Mon (blue stripe): Aiden, Emily

Congratulations to our Little Dragons! Excellent progress made today — a real improvement on the last examination. 🐲竜

Double birthdays at the dōjō! 🥳

It's always lovely when a student turns up to training on their birthday; for me it highlights the commitment and passion they have for the club. On Friday, undeterred by the heat, we celebrated twice — with Emily turning 7 in the Little Dragons, and Jon turning 12 in the main class. Emily even got to take home Sensei Bear for being the top student this week! Wishing a Happy Birthday to them both.

Great fun, great classes, great dedication. 🐲竜

There's always lots happening with our Little Dragons!

The Little Dragons mascot, Sensei Bear, has been on an adventure to Giant's Causeway in Ireland alongside 5 year old Nina! She earned the right to take Sensei Bear home for a week after demonstrating a notable improvement in her concentration, effort, and technique in class. Well done Nina!

This past week also saw Leo celebrate his 8th birthday — therefore moving up to train in our main classes. He loved his first taste of real karate! Leo has been a fantastic Little Dragon; really well behaved, great ability, and has diligently worked through all the junior grades.

Our Little Dragons classes for 4-7 year olds have been running in Wellington for more than 5 years now; it's definitely been a huge success for our club. We have a number of exceptional students in the main classes that have come up via the Little Dragons, and we aren't far away from the first of those achieving their Shodan black belt.

We are currently taking on new students, so please get in touch if you are interested in booking a free taster class. Karate is for everyone! 🐲竜

Bradley Ford is presented with his Shodan (1st Dan) Diploma from JKS Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. Examination passed on 03/08/25.

I recently had the opportunity to present a special award to one of our young 1st Kyu students, Jon Berry! ⭐️

During last month's medical emergency, Jon's bravery, quick thinking, and fast action, was instrumental in saving the life of his fellow student, Poppy. Immediately following her collapse, he had the foresight to identify a potentially serious incident — sprinting home without delay to alert his father Blake, a first aid and CPR instructor. As they live close by, Blake was able to attend to Poppy within minutes to perform CPR with professional expertise until the paramedics arrived. Jon, although shaken and out of breath, returned to the dojo out of concern for his fellow student.

Not all heroes wear capes; it is the effort of quiet, unassuming individuals that often goes unsung. We are incredibly proud of Jon, and I was delighted to present him with this deserved special commendation. 🐲竜

Outstanding news from Nottingham! 🔥🔥🔥

I'm delighted to announce that we have THREE new black belts at Somerset Ryū Karate — Coby Bridge, Sean Kinsella, and Darya Serbov! We travelled to the Midlands early this morning to train on a JKS England Black & Brown Belt Course led by Matt Price Sensei, 7th Dan. Matt Sensei guided the hundreds in attendance through Dan Grade syllabus Kihon, Kata and Kumite, highlighting important points for each section.

A black belt examination followed, and three of our students were assessed by a panel of JKS England officials headed by Chief Instructor Alan Campbell Sensei, 8th Dan. Coby (13), Sean (32), and Darya (12) successfully completed all the required elements with aplomb, subsequently passing to Shodan.

Congratulations to Coby, Sean, and Darya — our terrific trio! 🥋竜

We've faced the most challenging period in our club's 13 year history.

On Wednesday 8th April, one of our young black belts — 15 year old Poppy — collapsed during training; she had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and stopped breathing. What happened over the next twenty minutes is a complete blur. Thea, along with Sean (an adult attending the class), ushered the remaining young students out of the dojo and called 999. A club parent who lives locally raced quickly to the scene after their child ran home to get help; they administered CPR to keep Poppy alive. Shortly after, a first responder dispatched by the emergency services arrived, and together they used the defibrillator situated at the One Stop in Tonedale to restart Poppy's heart. By this point, medics, ambulance, police — even the air ambulance — were all outside. She was taken by ambulance to Musgrove Hospital in Taunton and placed into an induced coma, after which she was transferred to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.

Miraculously, and against all odds, Poppy survived; tests that were carried out showed no damage to her heart, thanks to the fast action of everyone involved. Doctors started to wake her on Saturday morning, and the initial signs were promising as she was able to answer questions with clear nods and shakes of her head. Over the next few days she made remarkable progress, and by Tuesday I was invited, along with Thea, to visit Poppy in hospital. The feeling for us both was one of overwhelming joy and relief to see her smiling and happy face again. What a warrior — she's already looking forward to being back in the dojo!

Poppy has since been diagnosed with "Long QT" — a genetic condition that affects the rhythm of the heart, found in one in 600 people. Young people between the age of 14 and 35 can get free cardiac screening via a charity that we have fundraised for in the past, CRY - Cardiac Risk in the Young (www.c-r-y.org.uk). Our club will certainly provide support for this charity again in the near future.

I would personally like to take this opportunity to thank a few people. Blake Berry, the club parent who administered CPR, an absolute hero. The first responder on the scene who was key to saving her life, Gary Beasley. Poppy's parents, Lucy and Dean, for their unwavering support in the midst of an unimaginable nightmare. Everyone who reached out from the club to offer their help and support. Finally, Thea and Sean who coped under pressure in the most traumatic of circumstances, enabling Poppy to get the help she needed.

Poppy is an inspiration; a fighter, a role model to us all, an incredible student. We cannot wait to welcome her back to the dojo one day soon — it simply isn't the same without her. ❤️竜

It was a great pleasure to have Ewan and Evander from Harrogate Shotokan Karate join us this morning while they are visiting the area. Also, a warm welcome to Julie who trained with us for the very first time! A really fun, actioned packed class — I really enjoyed teaching this one.

Simply a super bunch of students; there's no better way to spend a Saturday morning! 🐲竜

Another successful grading day for Somerset Ryū Karate! 🥳

It was an absolute pleasure to welcome back Steve Carless Sensei to conduct our first grading of the year. During a packed morning class, Steve Sensei covered a range of important and enjoyable exercises to improve the standard of our students' karate. The examination followed, and many had to battle with nerves to earn their full passes. I was proud to witness their determination to succeed — that's what it's about!

In the afternoon, Steve Sensei treated our higher grades to an excellent seminar to help celebrate five years since opening our full time dojo. This involved some thoughtful kihon, pair work, self defence, and kumite — all building towards a run through Joko Issei, a challenging JKS kata! Many thanks to our students in attendance for supporting, to our special guests, and to Steve Sensei for his instruction.

It certainly was a sensational day of karate! 🐲竜