Member Essays
At our school, students don’t just learn the techniques of Karate and Kobujutsu—they explore the rich history and philosophy that shape these martial arts. From the beginning, they’re introduced to the theoretical aspects and encouraged to delve deeper by conducting their own research. When students reach 1st kyu level and above, they complete a written essay as part of their examination, where they reflect on their studies and share their personal insights.
We invite you to explore these essays written by our Junior and Senior students. Each essay represents the unique voice and perspective of the author, shaped by hours of research and reflection. Please note that Acrobat Reader is required to view these files.
Essay Topics Include:
- The Essence of Martial Arts
- The History of Karate
- The Story of Wado Ryu in England
- The Development of Shotokan in England
- The Life of a Karate Master
One student shared this thought, which captures the spirit of these studies:
“While reading about the history of karate, I felt inspired by how dedicated and brave these practitioners were. To me, a true martial artist isn’t just strong and tough; there’s so much more to it.”
Feel free to dive in and discover the unique journeys our students have taken in their exploration of martial arts.
Junior Essays for 1st Kyu
These essays have a minimum of 500 words. To read them click on the topics below:
- Jack Davison’s Essay: Wado-Ryu
- Philip Johnson’s Essay: History of Karate
- Sarah Greaves’ Essay: History of Karate
- Becci Johnson’s Essay: Karate
- Ben Gay’s Essay: Karate and its History
- Stefan Coates’ Essay: History of Wado Ryu
- Elliot Stapley’s Essay: Martial Arts in General
- James Boyd’s Essay: Martial Arts in General
- Laura Mutton’s Essay: Martial Arts in General
- Tom Mutton’s Essay: Martial Arts in General
Senior Essays for 1sty Kyu
1st Kyu Essays:
Dan Grade Essays:
- Beckie Challans Essay: Life of a Karate Master – Keinosuke Enoeda Sensei
- Justin Kotze’s Essay: The Life of a Karate Master – Gichen Funakoshi
- Becci Johnson’s Essay: Gichen Funakoshi
- James Boyd’s Essay: History of Karate
- Justin Kotze’s Nidan Essay: Kata – Its History and Importance in Martial Arts
Others
Below is an email that was sent to me by one of our 6 year old students. You can see that our karate also helps with school work as this student is practising her hand writing skills – Well Done Tabitha Gurney keep it going and like your karate, you will improve! To see her work then click on the title: Handwriting practice