Karate is an open-hand martial art originating in the Okinawan Islands of Japan. With many different styles practised around the world, we’re proud to be an all-styles club, welcoming practitioners from every background. Our training primarily draws from Shotokan, Shito-ryu and Goju-ryu, allowing members to experience a broad range of karate.
Our sessions are designed to build a strong foundation in essential techniques while keeping training challenging, varied and enjoyable. Whether your goal is fitness, confidence, personal development or competition, there’s something for everyone.
As your skills develop, you can take your karate further through Kumite (sparring), Kata (forms) and other aspects of training and competition.
Whatever your experience, whatever your style, you’re welcome on the mat.
Competitive
Our club gives members plenty of opportunities to test their skills and compete, whatever their experience level. We take part in BUCS and Campus Karate, with competitions covering both Kumite (fighting) and Kata (forms).
Competitors can enter individually or as part of a team. Individual categories are split by experience level, with Kumite also divided by weight. Team Kata and Kumite are open to all experience levels and weight categories, giving everyone the chance to get involved.
Through BUCS, successful competitors can also qualify for European-level competitions, providing a pathway to take your karate beyond the university and onto the international stage.
As part of the SKGB, our members can also enter national and international open competitions run under the WKF (World Karate Federation). *Speak to our competition convenor for more information*
Recreational
Not interested in competing? No problem! All aspects of our club are open to members who want to train, stay active and enjoy karate—whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced practitioner.
Even our competition-focused sessions are open to everyone. We don’t have a selected competitive squad, so no part of the club is reserved for competitive members.
Sparring (Kumite) is always optional, and you’re never expected to compete. Come along, train at your own pace and enjoy karate in a friendly, supportive environment.
Training
We offer three training sessions each week, all led by our two coaches (Gio and Andrew ), which are open to all experience levels. Whether you want to train regularly, drop in when you can, or focus on a particular aspect of karate, you’re welcome to join us.
Monday | 18:15–20:15
Our traditional karate session focuses on developing strong fundamentals, technique and practical self-defence skills.
Thursday | 18:15–20:15
Our competition-focused session covers Kumite, Kata, and competition skills. Despite the focus on competition, this session is open to everyone. You don’t need any competition experience, and there’s absolutely no expectation that you’ll compete.
Sunday | 10:00–11:00
A dedicated strength and conditioning session designed to support your karate training, improve fitness, and build strength.
Train as much or as little as you like. There’s no expectation to stay for the full two-hour sessions either, so you can fit training around your schedule and commitments. Come along for the whole session or just train for the time that works for you.
We also aim to bring in guest instructors throughout the year, giving members the chance to learn from experienced practitioners and specialists.
*Any sudden changes to training times will be posted on our Instagram first*
Socials
Karate isn’t just about what happens on the mat! We aim to hold socials roughly every fortnight, with a different theme or activity each time. Recent socials have included a Horrible Histories-themed subcrawl, a joint martial arts pub crawl and movie nights.
We also have some club favourites that come around every year, including our Halloween scavenger hunt, Christmas potluck and end-of-year club dinner.
Prefer something a little more relaxed? Many members head to the pub after Monday training, making it an easy way to get to know everyone without committing to a full social.
For more photos and information on what we get up to, check out our Instagram and club WhatsApp!
Additional Info
We are now able to have alumni and UofG staff join the club, but there are some additional GUSA restrictions. For any extra information or questions, please contact us if you’re interested before joining.
Insurance
It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the appropriate insurance cover for any activity you take part in. Upon joining, please check the level of insurance cover we, as a club, provide to you.
GUSA recommends that all students playing high-risk sports, going abroad to compete/train, or playing in governing body leagues may want to consider/need to take out personal liability insurance, or join the sports governing body to be covered (You are covered with your licence - YOU CANNOT TRAIN WITHOUT A LICENCE). Some insurance providers also offer specialist sports cover.
