Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the questions we have been asked about the club and our martial art. If you cannot find what you are looking for, click on Contact Us.
What age can children start training?
We accept junior members aged 5 and over.
How much are your lessons?
For adults it is £17 per month. For juniors it is £14 per month for a first member and then £9 per month for any brothers or sisters that are join. The monthly fee covers training at all BMAC sessions.
Am I too old to start training?
You are never too old! Our club has members who have started training as children, in their teens, 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s.
What is your martial art?
Our martial art is based on the principle of self defence. Although it has it's roots in Shoto Kai, we do not consider it to be a particular style of karate. It incorporates elements of many arts such as judo, jiu jitsu and aikido to teach as wide a range of self defence aspects as possible.
Do you have competitions? |
No, the emphasis is on self defence and all club members achieving their potential rather than rating against each other.
How do I get a black belt?
The easiest way is to go to a sports shop and hand over £5. In training, there is no set timescale for getting from white to black belt. Some people in the club have taken three years, others have taken five or 10 years. It depends on how often you can train and when you can attend gradings.
What equipment do I need?
For the first month, you can train in shorts / tracksuit trouses and t-shirt. After one month, you can purchase a karate suit (gi). After this time, we also recommend boxing gloves, MMA mitts, shinguards and mouthguards.
For junior members, we recommend getting a gum shield once the grade of Orange belt has been achieved. This will provide protection against any accidents (usually when we practice ground work!).
The club gets discounts on equipment from Blitz sport so talk to either Hugh or Eric.
For junior members, we recommend getting a gum shield once the grade of Orange belt has been achieved. This will provide protection against any accidents (usually when we practice ground work!).
The club gets discounts on equipment from Blitz sport so talk to either Hugh or Eric.
Is training with BMAC eligible for my Duke of Edinburgh Award?
Yes it is. We have had many members over the years who have included training with us in their DofE programme as not only is it a physical activity but you can also volunteer to coach our junior members and participate in club demonstrations. Come along and talk to any of our instructors and they can help you put together a programme. You can also find out more at www.dofe.org_