Zen Shin is 30 years old in 2010. I have been a karate student for 27 of those. When I started Sensei Richards ran a class at Aston Villa leisure centre and Sensei Graham was at Holte school in Lozells. A dojo of our own was only a dream in those days!
Talking of dreams ...when I started karate at the age of 29 I didn’t even dare dream of wearing a black belt one day. I was even in awe of the red belts! I had been a puny child, suffering from asthma before the invention of the inhalers that have transformed our lives today. At school I was the one no-one wanted in their team. That has left me still with a horror of team sport and competitions. I didn’t expect to be any good at karate but I did think it would be a challenge and it might be fun. I’d been studying yoga for some years and was attracted to the idea of a discipline that went beyond physical strength.
It took me a long time to get over a gut-churning fear of fighting. It was alright to talk about self-defence but I’m good at talking my way out of trouble. The only time anyone ever tried to hit me was at karate; the best self defence for me seemed to be to stay at home! In the first punch of my first fight in my first competition my rib was broken; the first but not last injury I received. However I soon learnt firstly that you can get over an injury pretty quickly and secondly to block better. But when I first saw someone doing a kata I was instantly hooked and I never tire of trying to get every move perfect, the timing right, the movements smooth. The older I get the longer it takes me to learn a new move or combination (It’s true what they say about teaching old dogs new tricks; I can forget them much quicker than I learn them) but I do get there in the end. I envy the kids who just watch a kata once and they can remember it.
My path to black belt was slow and bumpy.It took me 6 years and I failed 2 gradings along the way. It’s not easy to bounce back after failing a grading but I learned that if I was up for it and determined to pass next time the senseis would pull out all the stops to get me up to standard next time. I worked hard and it paid off eventually.
A feature of my journey has been the weekend courses. I have only missed a couple in all these years. It is hard to explain just how difficult and how rewarding these are. It’s a roller coaster. The day begins with a 6.45 alarm call to run down to the beach. I’ve never been able to run, I hate it and in my view it’s no way to start the day. I don’t think weekend days should even start before 11am! However that is followed by bliss; doing katas on the beach, sand between your toes, sun glittering on the sea, sensei’s voice drowned out by the waves. An hour’s delight before (oh no!) having to run back up the hill. Then it all gets better again with a shower and breakfast. Then more training and so on. In my younger days we’d party most of the night too; dancing to stop the legs seizing up and eventually trying to find our way back between the caravans in the dark for a couple of hours sleep before starting again. Sadly I’ve had to cut back on the partying in the last few years but hopefully the next generation will keep the tradition going. It was on one of these courses in 1995 that I was given ‘student of the year award’ and an honorary award of my 2nd Dan.
My karate journey has become harder recently. 2006 was a bad year for me. I got breast cancer and while I was still feeling debilitated from surgery and radiotherapy I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease; a chronic degenerative condition that affects movement. The messages now don’t get from my brain to my body properly. I think like a black belt and then my body, especially my left side, won’t do what I tell it. However, I’m still training and 4 years later am managing to cope without medication and doing better than the medics expected me to do. The support and encouragement of my karate mates are a great help in coping with the frustration I sometimes feel and I plan to be around at the dojo for a good while longer.
Zen Shin is 30 years old in 2010. I have been a karate student for 27 of those. When I started Sensei Richards ran a class at Aston Villa leisure centre and Sensei Graham was at Holte school in Lozells. A dojo of our own was only a dream in those days!
Talking of dreams ...when I started karate at the age of 29 I didn’t even dare dream of wearing a black belt one day. I was even in awe of the red belts! I had been a puny child, suffering from asthma before the invention of the inhalers that have transformed our lives today. At school I was the one no-one wanted in their team. That has left me still with a horror of team sport and competitions. I didn’t expect to be any good at karate but I did think it would be a challenge and it might be fun. I’d been studying yoga for some years and was attracted to the idea of a discipline that went beyond physical strength.
It took me a long time to get over a gut-churning fear of fighting. It was alright to talk about self-defence but I’m good at talking my way out of trouble. The only time anyone ever tried to hit me was at karate; the best self defence for me seemed to be to stay at home! In the first punch of my first fight in my first competition my rib was broken; the first but not last injury I received. However I soon learnt firstly that you can get over an injury pretty quickly and secondly to block better. But when I first saw someone doing a kata I was instantly hooked and I never tire of trying to get every move perfect, the timing right, the movements smooth. The older I get the longer it takes me to learn a new move or combination (It’s true what they say about teaching old dogs new tricks; I can forget them much quicker than I learn them) but I do get there in the end. I envy the kids who just watch a kata once and they can remember it.
My path to black belt was slow and bumpy.It took me 6 years and I failed 2 gradings along the way. It’s not easy to bounce back after failing a grading but I learned that if I was up for it and determined to pass next time the senseis would pull out all the stops to get me up to standard next time. I worked hard and it paid off eventually.
A feature of my journey has been the weekend courses. I have only missed a couple in all these years. It is hard to explain just how difficult and how rewarding these are. It’s a roller coaster. The day begins with a 6.45 alarm call to run down to the beach. I’ve never been able to run, I hate it and in my view it’s no way to start the day. I don’t think weekend days should even start before 11am! However that is followed by bliss; doing katas on the beach, sand between your toes, sun glittering on the sea, sensei’s voice drowned out by the waves. An hour’s delight before (oh no!) having to run back up the hill. Then it all gets better again with a shower and breakfast. Then more training and so on. In my younger days we’d party most of the night too; dancing to stop the legs seizing up and eventually trying to find our way back between the caravans in the dark for a couple of hours sleep before starting again. Sadly I’ve had to cut back on the partying in the last few years but hopefully the next generation will keep the tradition going. It was on one of these courses in 1995 that I was given ‘student of the year award’ and an honorary award of my 2nd Dan.
My karate journey has become harder recently. 2006 was a bad year for me. I got breast cancer and while I was still feeling debilitated from surgery and radiotherapy I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease; a chronic degenerative condition that affects movement. The messages now don’t get from my brain to my body properly. I think like a black belt and then my body, especially my left side, won’t do what I tell it. However, I’m still training and 4 years later am managing to cope without medication and doing better than the medics expected me to do. The support and encouragement of my karate mates are a great help in coping with the frustration I sometimes feel and I plan to be around at the dojo for a good while longer.
Zen Shin is 30 years old in 2010. I have been a karate student for 27 of those. When I started Sensei Richards ran a class at Aston Villa leisure centre and Sensei Graham was at Holte school in Lozells. A dojo of our own was only a dream in those days!
Talking of dreams ...when I started karate at the age of 29 I didn’t even dare dream of wearing a black belt one day. I was even in awe of the red belts! I had been a puny child, suffering from asthma before the invention of the inhalers that have transformed our lives today. At school I was the one no-one wanted in their team. That has left me still with a horror of team sport and competitions. I didn’t expect to be any good at karate but I did think it would be a challenge and it might be fun. I’d been studying yoga for some years and was attracted to the idea of a discipline that went beyond physical strength.
It took me a long time to get over a gut-churning fear of fighting. It was alright to talk about self-defence but I’m good at talking my way out of trouble. The only time anyone ever tried to hit me was at karate; the best self defence for me seemed to be to stay at home! In the first punch of my first fight in my first competition my rib was broken; the first but not last injury I received. However I soon learnt firstly that you can get over an injury pretty quickly and secondly to block better. But when I first saw someone doing a kata I was instantly hooked and I never tire of trying to get every move perfect, the timing right, the movements smooth. The older I get the longer it takes me to learn a new move or combination (It’s true what they say about teaching old dogs new tricks; I can forget them much quicker than I learn them) but I do get there in the end. I envy the kids who just watch a kata once and they can remember it.
My path to black belt was slow and bumpy.It took me 6 years and I failed 2 gradings along the way. It’s not easy to bounce back after failing a grading but I learned that if I was up for it and determined to pass next time the senseis would pull out all the stops to get me up to standard next time. I worked hard and it paid off eventually.
A feature of my journey has been the weekend courses. I have only missed a couple in all these years. It is hard to explain just how difficult and how rewarding these are. It’s a roller coaster. The day begins with a 6.45 alarm call to run down to the beach. I’ve never been able to run, I hate it and in my view it’s no way to start the day. I don’t think weekend days should even start before 11am! However that is followed by bliss; doing katas on the beach, sand between your toes, sun glittering on the sea, sensei’s voice drowned out by the waves. An hour’s delight before (oh no!) having to run back up the hill. Then it all gets better again with a shower and breakfast. Then more training and so on. In my younger days we’d party most of the night too; dancing to stop the legs seizing up and eventually trying to find our way back between the caravans in the dark for a couple of hours sleep before starting again. Sadly I’ve had to cut back on the partying in the last few years but hopefully the next generation will keep the tradition going. It was on one of these courses in 1995 that I was given ‘student of the year award’ and an honorary award of my 2nd Dan.
My karate journey has become harder recently. 2006 was a bad year for me. I got breast cancer and while I was still feeling debilitated from surgery and radiotherapy I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease; a chronic degenerative condition that affects movement. The messages now don’t get from my brain to my body properly. I think like a black belt and then my body, especially my left side, won’t do what I tell it. However, I’m still training and 4 years later am managing to cope without medication and doing better than the medics expected me to do. The support and encouragement of my karate mates are a great help in coping with the frustration I sometimes feel and I plan to be around at the dojo for a good while longer.
Zen Shin is 30 years old in 2010. I have been a karate student for 27 of those. When I started Sensei Richards ran a class at Aston Villa leisure centre and Sensei Graham was at Holte school in Lozells. A dojo of our own was only a dream in those days!
Talking of dreams ...when I started karate at the age of 29 I didn’t even dare dream of wearing a black belt one day. I was even in awe of the red belts! I had been a puny child, suffering from asthma before the invention of the inhalers that have transformed our lives today. At school I was the one no-one wanted in their team. That has left me still with a horror of team sport and competitions. I didn’t expect to be any good at karate but I did think it would be a challenge and it might be fun. I’d been studying yoga for some years and was attracted to the idea of a discipline that went beyond physical strength.
It took me a long time to get over a gut-churning fear of fighting. It was alright to talk about self-defence but I’m good at talking my way out of trouble. The only time anyone ever tried to hit me was at karate; the best self defence for me seemed to be to stay at home! In the first punch of my first fight in my first competition my rib was broken; the first but not last injury I received. However I soon learnt firstly that you can get over an injury pretty quickly and secondly to block better. But when I first saw someone doing a kata I was instantly hooked and I never tire of trying to get every move perfect, the timing right, the movements smooth. The older I get the longer it takes me to learn a new move or combination (It’s true what they say about teaching old dogs new tricks; I can forget them much quicker than I learn them) but I do get there in the end. I envy the kids who just watch a kata once and they can remember it.
My path to black belt was slow and bumpy.It took me 6 years and I failed 2 gradings along the way. It’s not easy to bounce back after failing a grading but I learned that if I was up for it and determined to pass next time the senseis would pull out all the stops to get me up to standard next time. I worked hard and it paid off eventually.
A feature of my journey has been the weekend courses. I have only missed a couple in all these years. It is hard to explain just how difficult and how rewarding these are. It’s a roller coaster. The day begins with a 6.45 alarm call to run down to the beach. I’ve never been able to run, I hate it and in my view it’s no way to start the day. I don’t think weekend days should even start before 11am! However that is followed by bliss; doing katas on the beach, sand between your toes, sun glittering on the sea, sensei’s voice drowned out by the waves. An hour’s delight before (oh no!) having to run back up the hill. Then it all gets better again with a shower and breakfast. Then more training and so on. In my younger days we’d party most of the night too; dancing to stop the legs seizing up and eventually trying to find our way back between the caravans in the dark for a couple of hours sleep before starting again. Sadly I’ve had to cut back on the partying in the last few years but hopefully the next generation will keep the tradition going. It was on one of these courses in 1995 that I was given ‘student of the year award’ and an honorary award of my 2nd Dan.
My karate journey has become harder recently. 2006 was a bad year for me. I got breast cancer and while I was still feeling debilitated from surgery and radiotherapy I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease; a chronic degenerative condition that affects movement. The messages now don’t get from my brain to my body properly. I think like a black belt and then my body, especially my left side, won’t do what I tell it. However, I’m still training and 4 years later am managing to cope without medication and doing better than the medics expected me to do. The support and encouragement of my karate mates are a great help in coping with the frustration I sometimes feel and I plan to be around at the dojo for a good while longer.
Zen Shin is 30 years old in 2010. I have been a karate student for 27 of those. When I started Sensei Richards ran a class at Aston Villa leisure centre and Sensei Graham was at Holte school in Lozells. A dojo of our own was only a dream in those days!
Talking of dreams ...when I started karate at the age of 29 I didn’t even dare dream of wearing a black belt one day. I was even in awe of the red belts! I had been a puny child, suffering from asthma before the invention of the inhalers that have transformed our lives today. At school I was the one no-one wanted in their team. That has left me still with a horror of team sport and competitions. I didn’t expect to be any good at karate but I did think it would be a challenge and it might be fun. I’d been studying yoga for some years and was attracted to the idea of a discipline that went beyond physical strength.
It took me a long time to get over a gut-churning fear of fighting. It was alright to talk about self-defence but I’m good at talking my way out of trouble. The only time anyone ever tried to hit me was at karate; the best self defence for me seemed to be to stay at home! In the first punch of my first fight in my first competition my rib was broken; the first but not last injury I received. However I soon learnt firstly that you can get over an injury pretty quickly and secondly to block better. But when I first saw someone doing a kata I was instantly hooked and I never tire of trying to get every move perfect, the timing right, the movements smooth. The older I get the longer it takes me to learn a new move or combination (It’s true what they say about teaching old dogs new tricks; I can forget them much quicker than I learn them) but I do get there in the end. I envy the kids who just watch a kata once and they can remember it.
My path to black belt was slow and bumpy.It took me 6 years and I failed 2 gradings along the way. It’s not easy to bounce back after failing a grading but I learned that if I was up for it and determined to pass next time the senseis would pull out all the stops to get me up to standard next time. I worked hard and it paid off eventually.
A feature of my journey has been the weekend courses. I have only missed a couple in all these years. It is hard to explain just how difficult and how rewarding these are. It’s a roller coaster. The day begins with a 6.45 alarm call to run down to the beach. I’ve never been able to run, I hate it and in my view it’s no way to start the day. I don’t think weekend days should even start before 11am! However that is followed by bliss; doing katas on the beach, sand between your toes, sun glittering on the sea, sensei’s voice drowned out by the waves. An hour’s delight before (oh no!) having to run back up the hill. Then it all gets better again with a shower and breakfast. Then more training and so on. In my younger days we’d party most of the night too; dancing to stop the legs seizing up and eventually trying to find our way back between the caravans in the dark for a couple of hours sleep before starting again. Sadly I’ve had to cut back on the partying in the last few years but hopefully the next generation will keep the tradition going. It was on one of these courses in 1995 that I was given ‘student of the year award’ and an honorary award of my 2nd Dan.
My karate journey has become harder recently. 2006 was a bad year for me. I got breast cancer and while I was still feeling debilitated from surgery and radiotherapy I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease; a chronic degenerative condition that affects movement. The messages now don’t get from my brain to my body properly. I think like a black belt and then my body, especially my left side, won’t do what I tell it. However, I’m still training and 4 years later am managing to cope without medication and doing better than the medics expected me to do. The support and encouragement of my karate mates are a great help in coping with the frustration I sometimes feel and I plan to be around at the dojo for a good while longer.
This is probably the best family orientated Karate club you will ever find as everyone is treated as part of the Zen-Shin family. My little girl has been with John since the age of 5 she is now 11 and still looks forward to every lesson. Every Sensei at Zen-Shin is helpful and approachable and the training is excellent for all ages and abilities. I can't recommend Zen-Shin highly enough but in my opinion they are "SIMPLY THE BEST"
Dad Steve
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Wayne Jones
started practicing Karate in December 1988 where my parents found a local Zen-shin club as a 9 year old boy I was made to feel not only welcome as a new student but almost part of a new extended family. The instructors where aware of the needs of each individual and accommodated there needs to get the best out of every one, my instructor is the assistant chief instructor at Zen-shin and when you talk to him and see him teach or train he oozes Pride, Passion, and Love for the sport he does, have trained with other instructors within the organization I found this to be the same at which ever club you train at. Now after training myself for almost 22 years I enrolled my 5 year old daughter into a Zen -shin club and am so pleased with the benefits she has gained from training, Confidence ,Fitness,Better Concentration,Discipline Just to list a few, If what you are looking for is a an organization that is Family friendly, dedicated to each and every student whilst teaching with passion which creates a spirit that no student could get bored with, Or an organization that offers safe well controlled environment to train in, as well as opportunity to attend National and World Championship Competitions, Instructors courses, Referee and Judge courses, Kata and Kumite Squad training not to mention much much more, Then with out a doubt I would Recommend Zen-shin.
Wayne Jones
Longstanding student
Zen Shin for me is the epitomy of quality martial arts.
I first came to Zen Shin as an eight-year-old girl and have been training with the association for almost ten years. Now eighteen, I can safely say I'd be nothing like the person I am today had I never come to Zen Shin.
I had previously trained at a club in Nottinghamshire, a large, money-making factory which readily churned out 'black belts'. The difference between that and Zen Shin was striking. I've found that both as a child and as an adult, individual attention is paid to each and every student, which is a massive help to those low on confidence. I have heard instructors consider individual students carefully, discussing what they can improve on, and how to help them. This is just one of many things which confirm just how much the Senseis care about their students' progress, and this shows in the development of each member.
The standard of teaching itself is fantastic. It's hard to fully appreciate how professional the Senseis are. They really are instructors through and through, and I have always felt how I am in such excellent hands.
Zen Shin has a brilliant blend of challenges and community feel. I have taken gradings, participated in competitions and challenged myself by going on weekend training courses in Devon which have all inspired me to constantly up my standard. Social evenings out and simply chatting to other members before and after lessons are part of what builds up the all-accepting attitude of the Zen Shin community, which sometimes can be so hard to come by in other clubs.
Nor is it 'elitist', like so many other academies where slow starters are quickly washed out. The quality of karate is extremely high but I have seen this is due to instructors truly caring about their students and not being able to wait to see individual development. They recognise, after all, that each student has their own story and will have difficulties along the way because of different things. Never is a child or adult written off.
Those of my fellow students who are challenged with physical or mental disabilities benefit enormously from being at Zen Shin just like any other member. In fact I've found that many embody the hard-working spirit and determination that is so prominent in the club.
As a child it was easy to take the high level of discipline in the dojo for granted. It really is uncanny though, seeing how well-behaved young children can be during their karate class when they're at the age at which distraction or lack of discipline in the school classroom is typical. The instructors seem to be so sensitive to the children's needs and have such a good knowledge of how they tick, that classes are always well-maintained and the instructors actually make keeping twenty or so kids under control look easy.
The Student's Creed, which all members must learn, is particularly useful for younger people who are reminded about the values and responsibilities which come with learning karate.
I've actually heard quite a few parents describing how much more focused their children are becoming at school thanks to karate, and it has definitely done the same for me. Like many others, the sense of achievement has helped develop my confidence and I've been surprised at how this has translated to so many other areas of my life. I have been extremely lucky to have grown up with karate, and the way in which it was taught at Zen Shin.
As an adult now, the classes are challenging but just as fun and worthwhile. An advantage of training as an adult is the ability to connect with your instructors, who, in my case, have known me since my childhood. Each instructor is a friend of mine and it would be extremely hard for me not to admire them after seeing how great they are as teachers, but also for their values and beliefs about karate. Unlike so many others, they haven't fallen into the trap of karate-for-money, but instead are focused on long-term development of the individual and for this reason, I'm fortunate enough not to be part of the recycled thousands of martial artists who passed in and out of the art because teachers weren't quite bent enough upon committing to each student. They have a real passion for karate, the same way they have a real passion for positively influencing lives, as they've done mine.
Karate is now a part of my identity and confidence. Really, one of the most essential things I've realised from being at Zen Shin is that whatever belt you're grading for - be it black, brown, orange... - it's not really about getting it. What captures you more is the thought of deserving it.
Zen-Shin Academy 
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