SEDAI KARATE - Club Rules/Guide

This guide has been designed to assist with some questions that members may have. It is an introduction only. Our Club instructors can assist in answering more detailed queries.

Any new members who wish to gain membership of the club must complete a membership form which must be signed by the member/parent or guardian before training may commence. [CLICK HERE]
All members must pay annual membership, insurance and class fees as prescribed. [CLICK HERE]
Class fees will be collected at class or per payment schedule to help with the financial running of the club.
All club members must wear the necessary safety equipment e.g. protectors, gum shields.
Training will commence at the times specified. All club members are required to ‘sign in’.
Respect for club members, equipment and coaches must be observed by all members.
Good conduct is a requisite, both inside and outside the club.
Coaches will act in the best interest of all members equally.
Coaches will act within the guidelines of proper procedure and appropriate conduct when dealing with members.
All club members are advised to read and abide by club rules and guidance contained herein.

The official child welfare officer and Designated Person for the club is Collette McCorry

Note

Students must be punctual to class
Students must keep their Karate uniforms clean and in good repair
Students must keep their bodies clean and their finger and toe nails trimmed.
Students must not wear jewellery or any hazardous objects while exercising.
Students must not consume food or drink while exercising (water is allowed on the side-lines).
Students must practice ONLY those techniques that have been formally introduced to them by their instructor or senior members.
Students must obey the instructions of their instructor and senior members.
Students should not be disruptive at any time.
Students must show respect at all times for the club, their senior members, their fellow students and themselves.
Students must be polite and courteous to each other.
Students should keep the Club environment clean and safe.
Students must not leave the Club without the permission of the instructor.
Students must never use their training outside of the Club.

Safety

Karate involves physical activity and often requires working closely with a partner. To prevent injury to yourself and your partner it is important to observe a number of safety rules:

For working out, wear a karate-gi or loose fitting clothing, which does not restrict body movements.
Remove all jewellery prior to class. This means: no rings, watches, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, etc.,
Fingernails and toe nails should be kept short and neatly trimmed.
Although free-sparring is non-contact, the following equipment is highly recommended: mitts, mouth guard, groin protection, breast protection and shin guards. Members learning to free-spar should use the utmost control and only practice under the supervision of more experienced students.
Where the exercise calls for interaction with a partner, all students who wear eyeglasses must remove them unless they are of the protective “sport” variety.
Though guidelines for safety can be laid out, student conduct should be governed by common sense.

Basic karate workout consists of four main parts:

A basic familiarity with class procedure is helpful to new members, so the following description is presented:

Warm-up
Kihon (basic blocks, strikes, and kicks)
Kihon-ippon kumite (basic techniques practiced with a partner)
Kata (traditional forms)

Senior instructors bring considerable diversity of experience and speciality to the classes they teach and on occasion the emphasis of a given class can take its own specific skill set.

Dojo Etiquette

Karate training is based largely on the development of discipline and respect. Observing etiquette is a fundamental expression of the respect that is due to the dojo, the instructors, and your fellow students. With this in mind, the following should be observed:

When entering or leaving the dojo, stop at the door, face the dojo and bow.
If you arrive late do not enter the dojo during meditation; wait until warm-up begins.
When lining up, do so quickly and quietly.
Always acknowledge instruction - say "osu" or "thank you". Juniors should not hesitate to ask seniors for assistance.
Do not talk unnecessarily during class.
While adjusting your karate-gi do it facing away from the front of the room and away from Sensei.
Before leaving the dojo during class for whatever reason ask permission of your instructor.
Come to class in a clean uniform (unless, as a beginner, you have not yet obtained a karate-gi).
As a courtesy, speak to Sensei if you anticipate an extended leave of absence. Regular attendance is encouraged but we are realistic about conflicts that may arise from school and work.

Why do students bow at the beginning and end of class?

WSKF Sedai observes some of the traditions of the martial arts that have their roots in the Japanese culture. As part of the preparations for training we clean the floor, then kneel and meditate to clear and focus our minds. Some people may use this time to control their breathing or to think about the techniques that they will be trying to improve. We then bow in the direction of shomen (the front of the dojo). This bow is a symbolic gesture of our promise to train hard and observe the Dojo Kun, and is a personal acknowledgement that training has begun. Bowing to Sensei and the black belts is a sign of respect. There is a similar procedure at the end of class, except that the bow in the direction of shomen indicates that training has ended and symbolizes that students will not forget the Dojo Kun. These procedures may be different than what is practiced in other martial arts or other Karate dojos. At WSKF SEDAI we follow the tradition that “Karate begins and ends with a bow”.

General Information for novices/beginners

While waiting for class to begin, students can warm-up and stretch. Class officially begins when Sensei calls to line up. All students line up in order of seniority, in rows from right to left according to rank. Each student should ensure that they are directly behind someone when in line; and if not form another row starting from the right side.

Sensei says "seiza" where students kneel; then "mokuso" which begins a brief period of meditation (eyes closed) affording a student the opportunity to clear and focus their minds in preparation for training. Sensei then announces an end to meditation with "mokuso yame" and says "shomen ni rei", where students bow to the front.

Next, Sensei turns to face the class. The senior student says, "Tominaga Sensei ni rei" - and students then bow and say "onegai shimasu" [please teach/guide me]. The black belts then turn to face the class. The senior kyu belt says, "Sempai ni rei" - and the kyu belts bow and say "onegai shimasu" [please teach/guide me]. Class warm-up follows immediately.

Classes end much the same way except when bowing to Sensei and the black belts, the class says "arigato gozaimashita" [thank-you very much].

Competition

Those who are competitively-minded have access to sanctioned tournaments and the opportunity to represent Ireland in WSKF international competitions. Our clubs are also recognised by Sports Ireland (through ONAKAI) NGB for Karate in Ireland, and therefore have opportunities to access national training and competition and if eligible to compete for Ireland at EKF and WKF levels. Club members are fully encouraged to compete in karate tournaments, but are not required to do so.

Seminars / Special Training Events.

WSKF will facilitate several events throughout each year. They may include training camps, seminars and tournaments. Some will be only a couple of hours while others may be conducted over several days. WSKF SEDAI recommend attending as many special events as possible, especially functions that are hosted by WSKF. We will do our best to advertise all events well in advance so that all students can make the necessary arrangements to attend. Though you may not be able to attend every event, you will directly and indirectly benefit from them.

Additional Training

Additional advance training is available. Students of WSKF SEDAI can also be invited to train with the National Squad which offers a chance of selection for the WSKF Irish Team to compete for Ireland at various International competitions. There have been many prestigious International competitions to which WSKF Sedai instructors and members have attended resulting in numerous titles and medal successes.

Students will also have the opportunity to train with national and international instructors at various times throughout the year.