Our problem has always been overcoming misconceptions and assumptions; you may have noticed that I haven’t even mentioned what we do yet! This is deliberate in the hope that you will not instantly leave as soon as we mention what we get up to.
First an introduction, my name is Lorraine and I am a “mature” lady with 2 kids, a full-time job and a working hubby. I’m not the tallest of persons, I dislike aggression and I certainly don’t have rippling biceps or a desire to fight people. However, I am a karate black belt and I absolutely love it. That’s me on the left!!!
I discovered our club by complete accident. My children began practising and after months of watching them from the side, I realised that martial arts had a lot to offer me, in fact, more than I had ever imagined. I decided to give it a go and frankly, I have never looked back!
Our group was created because, over the years, we have received numerous requests from ladies who felt uncomfortable about coming along to what they perceived to be a male-dominated activity. Our group forms part of a larger “mother” club which has mixed sexes and ages. We encourage all of our ladies to visit the mixed-sex sessions but only when they’re ready.
It’s a strange fact of life that we are often in our thirties before we start to understand what we truly want out of life. This revelation sometimes comes too late for those who, for many reasons e.g. family or work commitments, believe their days of personal achievement are behind them!
We’re not all black belts, we have a nice mix of ages, abilities and experience, lots of our members are aged 40 plus! And although we’re not the sort of club that can boast Olympic standard athletes some of our members are absolutely amazing and have achieved levels and overcome physical challenges that they never thought possible.
If you are one of those people who believe you're too old, overweight, underweight, too shy or generally not fit enough....
Of course, martial arts training has its physical demands, but, at the risk of stating the obvious, we recognise everyone as an individual, with their own personal strengths and weaknesses. Let me reassure you that progress and increased fitness is entirely at your own pace; we’re there to encourage not wipe the floor with you!
Experience suggests that many people are put off by the thought of being “thrown in at the deep end”. That does not happen at our club! Be reassured that we welcome and value all beginners. Things are explained in a way appropriate to your experience and the learning never stops. We are keen to promote the warm and welcoming face of martial arts training. I guarantee you will be surprised at just how friendly and supportive our club can be. An open mind is a must. The only thing our style doesn't embrace is competitive sport Karate. We feel our Art deserves better than 'scoring points'.
Finally our club leader studies Qigong, pronounced “Chi Gung,” (Chinese exercises designed to increase your energy and improve your overall health and well being) and Japanese shiatsu massage. So you will see these influences in my classes.
Frankly a lot!!!
To sum up, joining our group is….
• Good for getting / keeping fit,
• Good for stimulating the old grey matter, and…
• Great for meeting friendly like minded people
If you are that 30, 40 or even 50 something looking for a fresh, vibrant and stimulating new direction, or someone younger looking to discover the wisdom of the martial arts, then you might be surprised as we could be the activity for you!
To help you we have created an information sheet detailing all the factual information you need to make an informed decision.
We will send you that information only on request.
It will be your opportunity to get to know us properly before attending in person.
All you need to do is fill in the form below..
We charge a small fee, but don't teach martial arts for money – we’re not keen on some of the “professionals” who appear to promise the earth but charge high monthly premiums and hit you with hidden costs like grading fees. All the income from our members goes back into the club for future development.
I'm not paid to teach. In fact all of our instructors are volunteers and do it because they love it.
Join up and I guarantee you will receive excellent value for money.
AND NO HIDDEN EXTRA COSTS!!
If you have read this far then you might actually, seriously be considering visiting us. If this is the case, and I sincerely hope that it is, we promise to provide a warm friendly welcome, encourage some perspiration and make you smile.
Looking forward to meeting you and hopefully practicing with you in the near future.
Yours faithfully
Lorraine
Don't worry — your e-mail address is totally secure.
We promise to use it only to send you the information you have requested.
For more detailed information visit our club website www.zenshindojo.co.uk or read our blog www.zenshindojo.blogspot.co.uk.
