It can be daunting to go to a new class for the first time. Where is it? What do I do when I get there? What type of people will I meet?
These tips should help you feel more relaxed when you join us for the first time.
- Get in touch with Sensei Adrian so he can talk you through your first visit. Sometimes class might be cancelled as we are a social club, but this is rare. It’s best to check. Call on 0431035585.
- Find us! We’re located at the University Gym, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay. The friendly staff will show you where the dojo is, but it’s the first door to the right as you enter the Uni Gym building.
- When: classes are every Tuesday and Wednesday night, 6.30-8pm. For your first class, get there about 5-10 minutes early so you can chat with Adrian Sensei. (Note: There are other classes who use the uni dojo. To ensure we respect their time, please wait just outside the dojo where you will see a wooden bench and a shoe cubby until the sensei greets you.)
- When you arrive, take off your shoes and place them in the cubby outside the dojo. Please do not wear shoes into the dojo.
- What to wear: Comfy gym clothes are fine, something that covers your arms and legs is best. If you’ve done karate before and already have a white gi and belt, feel free to wear it. If you like Karate and want to join our club, you can purchase an embroidered gi at a reduced cost.
- What’s the vibe? While we’re serious about training and this is a traditional form of karate, it is a friendly and relaxed environment. There are people of all different types and levels and we all encourage each other!
- Pace: Sometimes classes are fast paced, and sometimes they are a mix of fast and slow. We usually cover basics (kihon), fighting (kumite), and forms (kata). You will definitely break a sweat!
- You don’t need to know any Japanese but we use basic words and counting, as well as a range of karate terms. Brush up here: https://karate.sites.yale.edu/japanese-terms.
- Class will go for one hour with a short drink break then another half an hour. Every class is different, so there’s no guarantee of exactly what we will cover – it’s a fun mystery!
- Starting class: we do a warm-up for 10-15 minutes which includes running, stretching, and sometimes push-ups and crunches. Then we do a bowing ceremony to clear our minds and get ready for the class. Follow along as best you can and don’t worry if you make any mistakes. No one expects you to do anything perfectly on day 1! Even if you’ve done karate before, every dojo and club can be a little different.
- Cost: Your first class is totally free! We encourage you to come along, even if you just want to watch to get a better idea of how classes run. If you join, each class is $8 for students, and $10 for adults and you pay an annual membership fee of $95 which covers your insurance and club costs such as belts and membership card. It also contributes to reducing costs of attending national events.
- Bring a water bottle! There are places to fill up at the Uni Gym if you need to.
If you want to know anything else, just ask! We do our best to accommodate those in our classes.
Shotokan Hobart 