The year 2024 has been a remarkable one for Chelsea Karate Club, marked by outstanding achievements. Our athletes shone brightly, earning prestigious medals at both the National Championships held in Sheffield and the London International Cup hosted at Crystal Palace. These accomplish

Chelsea Karate Club COVID 19 safety advice/ 2022-23 – Do not come to the dojo if you have symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, or change in taste/smell) or have a positive test – If you have no symptoms of COVID-19, consider doing a free COVID-19 test on the day of practice

In Shotokan, Ushiro Geri is a kick that is executed when the karate-ka (athlete) rotates around a fixed vertical axis and pushes their foot in the direction parallel to the floor, with both the heel or sole of the foot reaching the target. During the rotation, the most important part

Shotokan is a traditional Japanese Karate style with strength components in Kihon, Kata and Jyu Kumite (free-style sparring). These strength components do not depend solely on the athletes’ muscular capabilities but also on the nature of the techniques involved, which make Shotokan a

Kibadachi is a dachi unique to Shotokan Karate. In Kibadachi, the knees are pushed over the toes, and the upper body divides the dachi into two equal halves. When viewing Kibadachi from the side (either left or right), no width is seen and the toes are completely aligned with the body

By Zakaria Zerrouki Nowadays, there are various martial arts which are practiced worldwide, namely for the sake of self-defence. Those require a combination of physical techniques, as well as mental coordination and concentration. There are many benefits, both mental and physical, tha

Why are there only straight punches in karate? The short answer is that straight punches are the most effective types of punches. It is well known in weightlifting that straight lines are the most effective directions to lift a weight. The same applies for punches. A straight punch wi

Yoko geri keage and yoko geri kekomi are two essential kicks in karate. Keage is first introduced in kata Heian Nidan, while kekomi is not integrated before later katas. To begin explaining them, it is perhaps most useful to start with their names with their actual translations. So bo

A month ago I finished reading Gichin Funakoshi`s autobiography “Karate-Do: My Way of Life”. For those who do not know who Funakoshi is, he is the man widely recognized as the founder of modern karate and in particular the father of Shotokan karate. So what is his biograph