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What should I wear?
Can I wear my black (or other colour) belt earned in another martial art?
How fit do I need to be?
Do I need to make contact before attending my 1st lesson?
How much does it cost?
How should I address the instructors and senior students?
Is Shorinji Kempo suitable for women or small people?
Is Shorinji Kempo safe?
What should I wear?
While training we wear a traditional dogi or white training suit. However, when you first start training we recommend you wear loose comfortable clothing such as track suit trousers and a t-shirt, and invest in a dogi when you feel ready.
We train bare foot so you need not bring any specific footwear.
Can I wear my black (or other colour) belt earned in another martial art?
No, you may have attained a grade in another martial art but those techniques and the syllabus will not be the same as for Shorinji Kempo. As you will not know the Shorinji Kempo techniques you will have to start as a beginner/white belt, in much the same way as learning any thing new.
If you were to wear a coloured belt this may also cause confusion among other students and instructors and could place you at a disadvantage.
How fit do I need to be?
Fitness or lack of it is not a problem. One reason many people start learning Shorinji Kempo is to improve their level of fitness. You will not be expected to keep up with the rest of the class when you first start training, you will be encouraged to train according to your own level of fitness. Eventually you will attain a level of fitness that enables you to keep up with the majority of the class.
Do I need to make contact before attending my 1st lesson?
No it is not necessary to make contact before attending you are welcome to turn up to a lesson and talk to the Sensei or other students and either watch the lesson or join in. However, you are welcome to contact us if you wish either via the address or using the contact details on the club pages (where listed).
How much does it cost?
As each club has different running costs the training fees vary, details of these fees can be found on the individual club pages.
In addition to the training fees payable each session students are required to join WSKO and pay an annual membership fee which includes insurance.
When attending your first lesson you will be charged £4 for temporary insurance, this will insure you for 4 lessons.
New Membership Fees:
This includes WSKO membership and Insurance cover.
Adults (16years +) |
£35.00 (minus the £4.00 already paid ) |
Juniors (13 - 15yrs) |
£22.00 (minus the £4.00 already paid) |
Juniors (12 and under) |
£17.00 (minus the £4.00 already paid) |
How should I address the instructors and senior students?
You should always address the instructor as 'Sensei'. Although dojo etiquette states that you should address senior students as Sempi and the captain as Shusho this is rarely practiced in Britain and it is generally acceptable to use the persons first name.
Some clubs will be attended by senior students of 3rd Dan and above who are not the clubs Sensei, they should also be addressed as Sensei.
Is Shorinji Kempo suitable for women or small people?
Yes, Shorinji Kempo is practiced by many women without any problems. The techniques do not rely on strength or physical size so no matter what your size you will not find it a problem.
Is Shorinji Kempo safe?
Injuries are rare in Shorinji Kempo, this is mainly due to the emphasis of co-operation during training and the nature of the techniques, which are designed to be effective without causing injury.
However, when taking part in any physical activity, be it running or working out in the gym, you could potentially suffer some form of injury.