Despite the restrictions and challenges that have tested us this year, we were determined to hold a winter karate grading for all of our members who have been working so hard, both virtually and face2face in our COVID controlled classes.

Over 50 members took on the challenge and presented their competence against our specially adapted COVID Curriculum, which as usual for us, is no less demanding than our standard grading requirements...and in certain aspects even more so!

The challenge included fundamental karate techniques, footwork and combinations, kata, solo pad drills and simulated sparring, knowledge, written essays and even technical video submissions. It was a proud moment to see this all coming together in what were some excellent displays of skill, determination and tenacity.  

Members of the grading panel (big thanks for their assistance) were delighted with the standards, which proved that with enough passion and enthusiasm, even a global pandemic cannot stop those who look for ways to embrace the opportunity to learn, develop and grow.

What a fantastic end to the year and a great platform for us to rise even further from into 2021!

Please see grading results below - extra congratulations to Michael Branney, Jessica Wright and Shaun Taylor for attaining fist-class passes for what were exceptional standards.

Jenny I would like to wish all our members, instructors, parents, and supporters a very Merry Christmas from our family to yours and we look forward to seeing everyone again in January! 

So from today, the U.K. is back on national lockdown after coronavirus rates have increased past the point where action is once again necessary.

This is unfortunate for everyone and although not ideal, we at E.S.K.K Martial Arts and Fitness will strive to maintain positivity for all our members.

From Monday, we will transition once again to our virtual training framework, which will offer three karate classes plus three fitness classes per week. All our members and others within their household (parents, brothers, sisters, wives and husbands etc.) are very welcome to join in.

Given that everyone has worked so hard over the past couple of months, our plan is still to hold our grading in December, whether that be face2face (hopefully) or online.

So, although he country may be on lockdown, our training is certainly NOT!

We will continue to offer inspiring classes, support all our members and hope that they will be encouraged to make the best use of this time to get involved, practice and improve to help make sure that we end this very unique year on a high.

Best wishes,
Chris & Jenny x 

We are very pleased to announce that we have now opened up a traditional Okinawan karate club in Cockermouth at The Kirkgate Arts Centre!

Classes run every Wednesday evening from 5:30pm in accordance with our strict COVID-Control procedures to help ensure a safe and productive environment. Every student has their own 2x2 metre training space and does not come into contact with anyone else during the lesson.

As with all our locations, we've adapted our training methods to accommodate this particular way of operating to ensure that essential skills can still be taught within a inspiring and supportive environment.

So if you or your child is interested in starting their karate journey wit us at E.S.K.K Cockermouth, then please feel free to get in touch! 

After 20-weeks of virtual training, we are now pleased to make a return to face-to-face classes under COVID control measures. We held our first sessions over the past week and they all ran very smoothly.

We now make a transition into our Hybrid Training Platform, combining controlled face-to-face sessions at Egremont (Sundays) and Workington (Thursdays) with a number of virtual sessions throughout the week. Our aim, as always, is to provide first-class quality and value for all our members.

If all goes well over the next few weeks then we will look to gradually increase the number of our face-to-face classes at other venues. We will still however operate a virtual class schedule to support our members fully.

So here's to the next phase of our 'return to normality' and rest assured, we will continue to make sure that everyone's safety is paramount. 

Due to the Coronavirus restrictions, we decided to hold a live online grading for a dozen members, who have all been working exceptionally hard over the past three months since lock down began.

In addition to their technical standards being assessed, they were also required to complete a knowledge questionnaire, submit daily records and diary entries of their activities etc at home, plus their regular virtual class attendance and interaction in our member's group challenges were also monitored and taken into consideration. All of this together made this grading challenge one of the most comprehensive we've ever held!

These new rank awards signify a time in history where these individuals stood up to be counted, worked consistently hard, broke through barriers, took on challenges head on and were part of the minority who simply refused to let this virus halt their progress!

So please join us in congratulating the following members, who have demonstrated the true spirit of karate, making us very proud and earning our deepest respect...

If you're new to martial arts and fitness and would like some more information on how to join our dedicated virtual training programme, please hit the button below...

Despite the recent COVID-19 Lockdown, it is very important to us here at E.S.K.K Martial Arts & Fitness to maintain normality as much as possible for our members. This was very true for our prestigious Student of the Year Awards, which have ran annually in our association since our classes first began back in 2004.

As such, we are very proud to announce our 2020 Student of the Year Award winners, Paul Stewart (4th Kyu) and Natasha McDonald (3rd Kyu).

Both of these awards are very well deserved - Paul and Natasha have shown some exceptional qualities, not only over the past 12-months, but for a number of years before too. They are fine ambassadors for our group and inspiring characters for so many of our members. Big congratulations on behalf of everyone here at E.S.K.K Martial Arts & Fitness!

It's a shame that we couldn't celebrate these awards face-to-face due to the current situation, but rest assured, we will certainly be planning a big party once it's deemed safe enough to do so! However, we did have a formal presentation on Zoom and Facebook Live where many of our members joined in and had the opportunity to congratulate Paul and Natasha. 

We may be have been a little late with these awards, but we weren't going to let some virus stop us from acknowledging those members who have stood out this year by displaying amazing qualities in class!

Our 2020 Member Awards were presented yesterday evening using a dual stream via both Zoom and Facebook Live, reaching upwards of 150 members in total. Using the dual stream allowed us to see reactions, join in rounds of applause and bring our community more closely together for such an important occasion.

It's a shame that we couldn't present these awards in person, but rest assured, we will be sure to celebrate once this current situation is all over in true E.S.K.K style! As always, these were very difficult decisions to make as we have so many amazing members, but I guess that makes these awards even more special.

So please join us in congratulating the members listed below for their hard work and dedication over the past 12-months!

Chris & Jenny x 

We’re proud to announce that our chief instructor Chris Denwood has been nominated and selected for the National Blitz Heroes Award!

This recognition is to acknowledge the work E.S.K.K Martial Arts & Fitness have been doing during the current COVID-19 restrictions, to provide a comprehensive virtual training package and interactive platform to keep our community healthy, active and connected together.

We’d like to thank Alison for the kind nomination, plus all our members and parents for their support over the past few weeks. We are indeed fortunate to be surrounded by such amazing people!

Well, the last few weeks have been incredibly challenging for not only everyone here in the UK, but for people all around the World. The Coronavirus has been spreading quickly and striking regularly, causing individuals we may know personally to lose loved ones. Normal life has been replaced by lock-down conditions and there are uncertain times ahead.

On Monday 16th March, in order to protect the health of our members and their families, E.S.K.K Martial Arts & Fitness took the decision to temporarily transfer its services from face-to-face classes, to virtual online training sessions. Nothing has changed - we are simply serving our members in a different way than normal. In fact, we have actually added TONS of value to help support our loyal members ensure that they are all kept positively active, engaged and healthy during this challenging period.

Our current member support services during this time include...

• Access to private members-only Facebook Group!
• Live virtual classes throughout week and catch up facility!
• Dedicated karate, kettlebells, Pilates and interval training sessions!
• Special junior focused sessions and fitness workouts!
• Exclusive small group interactive training clinics!
• Personal video feedback and productive critique!
• Free access to our premium video tutorials subscription service!
• Regular pre-recorded content including top tips, training drills, healthy eating tips and recipes, plus more!
• Weekly challenges, quiz's, competitions, crosswords and word-searches!
• Guest teachers, collective member-share, plus special Q&A sessions!
• Live weekly round up session over a nice cup of tea or coffee!​

It's very important to us that we remain calm, strong and positive during this time and as a family-orientated organisation, we feel responsible to maintain a little 'normality within the storm' so that our members of all ages may stay fit, focused and healthy.

#eskk
#kicking-corona-together

To find out more about the services we're offering during the current coronavirus restrictions, please feel free to drop us a line. We are still accepting new members and in many ways, this may well be a great time for you to join us!

Best wishes and please stay safe,
Chris & Jenny x