As 2018 draws to an end we thought it would be nice to look back over what has been a fantastic year for JKS Edinburgh.

In the last couple of weeks Arimoto Sensei attended and taught the last of this years courses at JKS Edinburgh, once again he blew us away with his technical ability and incredibly friendly style of teaching.  As with all of the JKS Honbu instructors, his course was fantastic and it gave some our newer students a chance to see some world class karate on show!

Previously in the year we hosted Matsue Sensei and Makita Sensei who show that JKS don’t just produce world level instructors and competitors but also first class ambassadors for our martial art.

We’re truly lucky to have access to such instructors throughout the year!

In addition to these courses, we’ve also been able to start taking more of our students up to the JKS Scotland Honbu on a more regular basis.

This is a great opportunity not only to meet and learn from other karate-ka, but also to see the wider JKS Scotland community outside of our own club.  This is something we’re very keen to keep pushing in 2019 and the below looks to highlight our other successes over the past year.

Our Tigers class has been growing block on block all year with the classes now regularly pushing around a dozen regular students every week.

Not only are the classes proving a fantastic success with the parents, who regularly stay to watch their children becoming little karate-ka, but the program is seeing visible results at the gradings, with several of the Tigers now transitioning up into our main classes and training right alongside our adults with incredible ease!

Being able to see our younger students learning the basic discipline and coordination skills needed along with gaining confidence at every lesson is a joy and a real testament to the effort put in by Maja Sensei and Susie!

2018 has also been a fantastic year for our main classes which have gone from strength to strength with an array of kids, adults and families joining our classes and getting involved at all levels.

It’s made the already great atmosphere we had at JKS Edinburgh evolve into a closer knit family, though I have no idea how wthe instructors and senior grades fit into this… can we all be “weird aunts/uncles”??

Either way it’s something we’re proud of and it makes teaching and training with you all a highlight for us every week!

Thanks for all of the effort that everyone has put in, not only to their karate training but also in welcome all of our new students throughout the year.

Having spoken to many of them I know that your friendly and welcoming attitude is a credit to the club and yourselves and a massive factor in how we’ve been able to grow steadily over the last couple of years.

Wrapping up what is turning increasingly into a “soppy post”; looking back over the photos we’ve taken for the students of the week, courses, grading successes, social events (of which we’re all in agreement that we need more!) and other posts there’s a clear progression from all of you.

Whether it be the first pics of some of our students winning student of the week without a gi to moving through the grades and gaining a splash of colour around their waist or even the odd medal success at the JKS nationals, there is a clear development from everyone.

2019 looks to be another busy year for us all at JKS Edinburgh, this includes:

–   A few of our senior grades hoping to sit various dan gradings

–   More Japanese instructors coming to visit our humble dojo

–   One or two other projects such as the idea of another regular training date added to our training calendar and a potential partnership around our fitness bursts.

We’re very proud of everyone at our club and can’t wait to see what else 2019 will hold!

Sensei’s Robert, Maja and Declan