Karate clubs in Barnsley

Trojan Karate is WYSOK's club in the Barnsley area, training at Kexborough Methodist Church on Churchfield Lane on Wednesday evenings from 6:00pm to 7:00pm. It takes students from age six upwards, and all grades train together.

The club is run by Sensei Jay Stephens alongside his son, Sensei Alfie Stephens, who holds 1st Dan. A father and son teaching side by side sets the tone for the whole club, and a good proportion of those who train there come as families rather than as individuals.

Trojan is well established — it has been running for years — and joined WYSOK relatively recently, bringing its own character with it. Students travel in from Darton, Kexborough, Mapplewell and Woolley Grange.

The club teaches Wado Ryu karate, one of the four major Japanese styles. Wado Ryu emphasises timing, body movement and evasion over meeting force with force, which makes it a practical choice for lighter and smaller students as well as stronger ones. Children learn the same principles as the adults, taught at a pace that suits them.

A single evening class a week suits a lot of families better than two or three. It is enough to make real progress, and it does not take over the week. Grading happens through WYSOK, so a student at Trojan progresses through the same syllabus and the same black belt register as every other club in the association.

It is also worth knowing that a short trip up Barnsley Road brings you to two more WYSOK clubs at the Lakeside Methodist Centre in Newmillerdam: the main karate club on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and the Pee Wee class for four to eleven year olds in the hour before. For families on the northern side of Barnsley, that is often a realistic option too.

Every WYSOK instructor is DBS checked, first aid trained and fully insured. The association has been teaching in Yorkshire since 1979 and is affiliated to NAKMAS, a national governing body for martial arts schools.

Your first session at Trojan is free. There is no contract and no joining fee — come and watch, or join in, whichever you would prefer.