About

About DKK Bristol & Portishead

We practice Okinawan Goju Ryu - a practical karate style which places heavy emphasis on close-quarter fighting. Training is combat-orientated rather than for sport or competition fighting, which requires different skills and mindset. Great emphasis is placed not only on effectiveness but also on ensuring the practitioner is as fit as possible in order to reach their full potential. Classes are open to all adults. We welcome beginners and practitioners from other styles at every level. The club has a good mix of men and women training regularly. The association, Daigaku Karate Kai, is entering its 20th year, and keeping the association small we are able to keep the standards very high.

While the club’s primary focus is on combat, not competition, there is benefit to be had from testing yourself against an aggressive, non-cooperative opponent and the MMA scene offers just such a challenge. There is never any pressure on students to compete in such events, but several have chosen to test themselves in this extreme challenge. For a karate association, we have a great record in the Cage with our first 20 fights yielding 16 wins, one finalist in the reality TV show ‘Fighting Hurts’, and one World Title.

Training at the University of Bristol takes place on Monday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings at the University of Bristol Union (UBU). Beginners can join at any time and graded students of other styles are always welcome to visit or join. Classes continue during University breaks and you don’t need to be a student to train.

An additional class is run by Sempai Rob Newton on Tuesday evenings at Hiatt Baker hall in Stoke Bishop. Again non-students are welcome to attend.

Shihan Lewis established the Portishead branch of DKK Bristol in 2004. This branch has grown steadily to the extent where there are now a good mix of abilities training at the club, from beginners to black belts. Classes are open to all adults (16+). We welcome beginners and practitioners from other styles at every level. The club has a good mix of men and women training regularly. Classes take place at Gordano Community Trust Sports Centre.

The black and white badge of the association represents the hard and soft concepts of combat within Goju Ryu Karate.The symbols within the badge signify the amalgamation of the fighting arts of China, Japan and Okinawa. The central three pronged motif represents the Japanese god of war - Hachiman, whilst also being the Okinawan family crest.

The Okinawan association is from Naha Te, the system later formalised into Goju Ryu Karate. Connected to the crest is a circular white crane denoting the great influence the Chinese White Crane systems had on Okinawan Te. Other Chinese influences include Pakua, Hsing I and Yang style Tai chi chuan.

Students receive the club badge when they reach 6th Kyu (Green Belt). This is deemed to be an important step in the students training.

DKK also has a number of smaller clubs in Devon. DKK Torbay (run by Sensei Mark Salomone) and DKK Braunton and Barnstaple (run by Sensei Richard Bond. Tel 07718 068084).