About us

We are a multi discipline martial arts group in Runcorn, Cheshire. We have two component clubs Renketsu (teaching Karate) and Ketsui (teaching Kobujutsu) running classes on a not-for-profit basis each week.

History

Our instructors have over ten years of teaching experience and are qualified instructors / assessors through ESKA (English Sangaku Karate Association). They have all passed enhanced CRB checks and have first aid qualifications. Our senior instructor, Andy, is insured through TL Risk Solutions to teach both Karate and Kobujutsu.

Renketsu Karate Club was founded in July 1997 and Ketsui Ryukyu Kobujutsu Club was founded in November 2007. Starting off with only 4 training students, including the senior instructor Andy, we have gone from strength to strength, having six hours of training available each week for our students in two complimentary martial arts.

Our training has always been family orientated and not-for-profit to give the best possible experience to our students.

We have had nine Karate students gain black belt (including Sensei Pete Browne to 2nd Dan) and have a good range of coloured belts waiting to progress through the ranks in the future. Our adult membership has also increased over the last two years and we now have a strong contingent of over 18s training with us.

We have performed demonstrations and taster sessions for Pewitthall Primary School, Cavendish Farm Primary School, NW Cheshire Cub Scouts, Cheshire Cub Scouts and Preston Brook Village Fayre.

JMA Committees

The Management Committee is

• Andy Wilkinson (Chairperson and Treasurer)
• Sam Wilkinson (Secretary and Administrator)

The Technical Committee is

• The Management Commitee
• John Deane
• Karl Ashton
• Ste Currie
• Ste Harry

Affiliations

Renketsu is a member of the TKGB (Traditional Karate Great Britain) and is insured with member-to-member insurance and instructor Public Indemnity via TL Risk Solutions.

Ketsui is a member of, and is licensed by, the RKAGB (Ryukyu Kobujutsu Association of Great Britain, headed by Sensei Julian Mead 6th Dan Ryukyu Kobujutsu and 6th Dan Yui Shin Kai Karate) and student-to-student insurance through RKAGB. Our training is guided by our parent club BRK (Birmingham Ryukyu Kobujutsu, headed by Sensei Phil Snewin 5th Dan Kamashin Ryu Karate and 3rd Dan Ryukyu Kobujutsu) with courses in Frodsham and drop-in sessions to Phil's class. Training with Ketsui is lead by Andy, but is done in a more group-based workshop manner.

Celebrations

Money taken from training fees and kit sales is put back into the club to subsidise courses with guest instructors, including Sensei Harry Cook (7th Dan Shotokan and Goju Ryu) and Sensei Phil Snewin (5th Dan Kamashin Ryu Karate and 3rd Dan Ryukyu Kobujutsu). In 2007, we celebrated ten years of Karate training and held a fun day for our students with a competition, buffet, raffle, quiz, celebratory badges and cake all completely free of charge to students. In 2008 we celebrated our 1000th lesson with a subsidised course with Harry Cook. Our instructors are not paid, although their training fees are waived and their insurance/courses are paid by the club.

Training Styles

General karate classes (Adults / Children from 5 years and up) will focus on the 3k's approach of JKA karate but with a kata-centric approach. The kihon (basic techniques) and kumite (pairwork) will be designed to reflect the kata being studied to enhance the student's understanding of their kata.

Advanced karate classes (13 years and above / Children by invite only) allow senior students to test their strikes, blocks, kicks, take downs and throws against pads, focus mitts, re-breakable boards and partners. The dojo is open to students to train using the equipment in the way they feel best reinforces their karate training. Dan grades are required to test their chosen advanced kata in the Mark Carroll method of realistic confrontation, street kata and dojo kata. This three tier approach links a real confrontation to kata and ingrains kata techniques into the flinch responses of the students. Training under pressure of a confrontation (shouting, threatening etc) in a controlled environment will help to get students to control the fight or flight response of the adrenaline dump when an attack starts - allowing them to defend themselves using their karate kata rather than freeze up.

Kobujutsu classes (16 years and above) Weapons training working with a 3k's approach here starting with the six foot staff (bo). Emphasis is on technique and spirit without injury. This is a complimentary art to karate and helps karate students to give a better understanding of distancing, timing and strategy.

More information is available on the training page.

Rebranding

Juurai Martial Arts was introduced in 2008 as a parent organisation for both clubs to provide a unified committee and a framework for building our future. In 2009, the karate training was split to allow two streams of training which are both complimentary and standalone.

On the 31st March 2009, JMA joined the TKGB to pursue it's own path of Shotokan Karate. We would like to thank ESKA (English Sangaku Karate Association) for their help, guidance and support over the 12 years Renketsu was with them.
The JMA logo is a roundel with the kanji for "Juurai" in the centre of four cyclic arrows, representing Kata, Kihon, Kumite and Bunkai. The roundel will be used in two forms on club gis, training polo shirts, casual wear and all advertising:


Casual wear is available for order once per year in time for Christmas with the inverted roundel in white on black clothing including polo shirts, hooded tops and fleece jackets.


How to contact us:

• Email: JMA@andywilkinson.me.uk
• Facebook: Profile (or search for Juurai Martial Arts)