Classes for Adults

Twelve WYSOK clubs take adult students, across karate, ju jitsu and kickboxing, in Wakefield, Leeds, Dewsbury and Barnsley.

Most adults who walk into a martial arts class for the first time are worried about the same three things, and all three are worth answering plainly. You do not need to be fit — the fitness comes from the training, not before it. You will not be thrown in with people who know what they are doing — beginners are taught separately within the class until the basics are there. And you will not be the oldest person in the room, because you almost certainly will not be.

A good number of our adult students started in their forties and fifties. Some trained as children, stopped for twenty-five years, and came back when their own children joined. Several of our instructors are in exactly that position. Wado Ryu karate in particular does not reward being the biggest person present — it is built around timing, body movement and getting off the line of an attack, which is why it remains practical well past the age at which strength-based training stops being enjoyable.

The clubs run on weekday evenings, with most sessions between 6:00pm and 9:00pm, so training fits around work. Several clubs run two sessions on the same night, lower grades first and higher grades after, which means a beginner is never holding anyone up.

If self-defence is the reason you are looking, Optimal Martial Arts and Self Defence in Wakefield puts particular emphasis on adapting technique to real situations. If you want striking and competition, Hanshin runs kickboxing alongside its karate. If you would rather work close in, with throws and locks, the ju jitsu clubs will suit you better. The club finder lets you filter by style, night and age group.

Training as an adult is also, bluntly, a reliable way of getting two hours of exercise a week that you will actually turn up to, because it is more interesting than a gym and there are people expecting you.

Every instructor is DBS checked, first aid trained and fully insured. The first session is free at every club, with no contract and no joining fee — come and watch first if you would prefer.