Following our karate grading earlier today, we are very pleased to announce the following rank promotions.

Requirements tested against included basic techniques and combinations, kata, practical applications, self-defence, pad-drills and sparring.

Big congratulations to everyone who took part in the grading, stood up to be tested and gave their very best effort!

Successful candidates will be awarded their new belt and certificate in class once we have completed all the admin.

Although it may be disappointing, those who were unsuccessful today should try use this experience as inspiration to bounce back stronger and perform to a higher standard next time. Please remember also that It is our responsibility as well as yours to help you succeed, so rest assured we will try our best to support you in class over summer, in preparation for the next grading day...

...it's all part of the journey as karate-ka and if it were easy then it simply wouldn't be worth it!

Big thanks to members of the grading panel for their assistance and council during the day. Your time and commitment is always much appreciated. 

Rank promotions are effective immediately - members who have earned Yellow or Purple Belt, please remember that you have now progressed into the next level so don't forget to book classes appropriately from tomorrow onward.  

Congratulations once again and keep up the great work!

We're very proud to announce the following rank promotions after our grading day held yesterday in Egremont.

Around 65 members took their test and performed to the best of their abilities, some of whom pushed beyond what the panel expected. This always gains our utmost respect.

This marks a very postive end to yet another uncertain year - let's hope that 2022 is kind to us all and allows us to get back once again to unrestricted training. However, with every cloud there's a silver lining and we're pleased to say that our focus toward solo attributes has further increased general standards, as we had aspired to.

A note to members who were unsuccesful...

We understand that it's never easy to push hard, try your best and still not make the cut. However, you can respond to this in one of two ways. The first will make what happened today a negative catalyst for failure. The second will make what happened today a positive stepping stone toward your success. It's totally up to you which road you choose to take. Our advice would be to lick your wounds, listen to the panel's feedback, be honest about what you need to do to improve, get to work and prepare for a re-sit in a few months time. Rest asured, you have our full support to help you get there!

We will be presenting new belts and certificates in our classes this week to the successful candidates listed below.

Special recognigiton goes to Sola Takeda-Holmes and Olivia Johnston, who both earned first class passes for exceptional performance!

​On behalf of us all...CONGRATULATIONS and keep up the great work!

Big thanks to black belt instructors John Smallman and Lewis Cullen, who asissted on the grading panel - they're time, expertise and advice was much appreciated.  

Amelia McMillan 9th Kyu P (Red Stripe)
Antonio Carlos 9th Kyu P (Red Stripe)
Emmeline Ditchburn 9th Kyu P (Red Stripe)
Jack Ditchburn 9th Kyu P (Red Stripe)
Joey Allison 9th Kyu P (Red Stripe)
Myles Barwise 9th Kyu P (Red Stripe)
Owen Wilson 9th Kyu P (Red Stripe)

Andrew Noble 9th Kyu (Red Belt)
Dominic Grove 9th Kyu (Red Belt)
Ethan Dacre 9th Kyu (Red Belt)
Ethan Watson 9th Kyu (Red Belt)
Florence Kerr 9th Kyu (Red Belt)
Harry Dickson 9th Kyu (Red Belt)
Isabelle Denwood-Ling 9th Kyu (Red Belt)
Isabelle Dacre 9th Kyu (Red Belt)
Jude Ponsonby 9th Kyu (Red Belt)
Kyra Green 9th Kyu (Red Belt)
Logan Thompson 9th Kyu (Red Belt)
Olivia Johnston 9th Kyu (Red Belt) FIRST CLASS PASS!
Rachel Ward 9th Kyu (Red Belt)
Sola Takeda-Holmes 9th Kyu (Red Belt) FIRST CLASS PASS!

Adam McConnell 8th Kyu P (Yellow Stripe)
Dominic Branney 8th Kyu P (Yellow Stripe)
Heidi Mair 8th Kyu P (Yellow Stripe)
James Hattrick 8th Kyu P (Yellow Stripe)

Jack Branney 8th Kyu (Yellow Belt)
Jamie Fowler 8th Kyu (Yellow Belt)
Joshua Smallman 8th Kyu (Yellow Belt)
Leon Penn 8th Kyu (Yellow Belt)
Robert Hagan 8th Kyu (Yellow Belt)

Bea Evans 7th Kyu P (Orange Stripe)
Benjamin Whitworth 7th Kyu P (Orange Stripe)
Christopher Whitworth 7th Kyu P (Orange Stripe)
George Borrowdale 7th Kyu P (Orange Stripe)

Arlo Sutton 7th Kyu (Orange Belt)
Chloe Long 7th Kyu (Orange Belt)
Jackson Merrett 7th Kyu (Orange Belt)
Mike Branney 7th Kyu (Orange Belt)
Reggie Mcgrady 7th Kyu (Orange Belt)

Imogen Freeman 6th Kyu P (Green Stripe)
Jackson Borrowdale 6th Kyu P (Green Stripe)
Max Hodgson 6th Kyu P (Green Stripe)
Oliver Mair 6th Kyu P (Green Stripe)

Greg Fowler 6th Kyu (Green Belt)
Jessica White 6th Kyu (Green Belt)
Josh McDowell 6th Kyu (Green Belt)
Kian Dunstan 6th Kyu (Green Belt)
Lucas Lavin 6th Kyu (Green Belt)
Nisha Merrett 6th Kyu (Green Belt)
Stephen McDowell 6th Kyu (Green Belt)

Grace Hanratty 5th Kyu P (Blue Stripe)
Ricky Gao 5th Kyu P (Blue Stripe)

David Mason 5th Kyu (Blue Belt)
Leon Gibson 5th Kyu (Blue Belt)
Shaun Taylor 5th Kyu (Blue Belt)

Dylan McDowell 4th Kyu P (Purple Stripe)

Campbell Sutton 4th Kyu (Purple Belt)
Rebecca Hanratty 4th Kyu (Purple Belt)

Abbie Long 3rd Kyu P (Brown Stripe)
​
Simon Chilton 3rd Kyu (Brown Belt)

Ian Sessford 2nd Kyu (Brown Belt)
​
Natasha McDonald 1st Kyu (Brown Belt)

It is with great pleasure that we announce the following rank promotions from the karate grading we held yesterday at Egremont.

We have been very proud of the way with which our members have pushed the boundaries of their training so far during the pandemic, persisted despite being under restrictions and worked hard to improve together no matter what.

It is times like this that show us those who truly understand the message we strive to deliver in our classes. The message that the periods of discomfort and the barriers we face represent a huge potential for growth, should we only be strong and tenacious enough to pursue. Giving up is easy...holding steadfast despite the challenges ahead is what traditional martial arts was born from.

We can make the choice to only associate negativity to the recent COVID restrictions, or we can continue riding the waves of uncertainty and strive to find a positive way forward. That's what we've tried to do here at E.S.K.K Martial Arts & Fitness, to lead by example, and it's amazing to see so many of our members joining us with unwavering strength and resilience. Indeed, it is through our incredible members that we are where we are now.

Congratulations to everyone for what were some excellent performances. We always aspire for high standards so that members can be assured that the ranks they earn with us are very well deserved. This is even more apparent here, as the members listed below have not only met those standards, but have also achieved under additional challenges that the current pandemic has forced upon us.

Please wear these new ranks with pride!

​Chris & Jenny x

Apologies that we were unable to take pictures of the whole event, but here are a few from the day, plus a little kata montage we managed to film...

Huge congratulations to our members who were presented with one of our 2021 member awards last weekend!

In addition, we also crowned our 2021 Students of the Year - Simon Marley and Shaun Taylor (pictured above) - more information on their achievement HERE >>

Ten of our members also received special recognition certificates for their sterling efforts and showing exceptional qualities throughout the year. These were:

1.  Arlo Sutton
   
2. Campbell Sutton
   
3. Oliver Mair
   
4. Jayden Denwood-Ling
   
5. David Forsythe
   
6. John Hopkins
   
7. Kelly Scott
   
8. Michael Branney
   
9. Nigel Forster
   
10. ​Nisha Merrett
    

Especially given the challenges we've al faced this year wrt coronavirus, I'm sure you will join us in congratulating the above members for what are truly well deserved awards 🙏🙇‍♂️

There's only two more weeks to wait until we are able to resume our face2face karate classes for children and teenagers up to 17 years old 👍
​
Unfortunately, adults will have to wait until 17th May before they can return, but please don't worry - we have you covered 👌

For the five weeks between 12th April until 16th May, we will be releasing a hybrid class timetable. Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays will be online, with Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays being face2face at Egremont, Workington and Whitehaven respectfully.

We will have a virtual karate class every week that everyone can join regardless of grade and we will also hold a special weekly class dedicated solely to adults (again, all ranks). In the adult classes we will focus on more 'mature' content, important principles and short lecture segments, with a view to using those five weeks to enhance your understanding of the history, theory and application of Okinawan Karate.  

All our face-to-face classes will initially be based on our social distanced model with curriculum adaptations to suit. Then all being well, we may be able to move towards a controlled contact/partner training environment in time for the summer.

All exciting times and a long time coming, so fingers crossed this will be the start of some form of normality returning for us. 

We'll be in touch with all our members next week to share our new hybrid class schedule and procedures in preparation for Monday 12th April. But if you have any questions in the meantime, then please don't hesitate to drop us a line.  

How do I prepare for face2face classes? Easy - spend the next two weeks participating in as many virtual classes as possible! Get stuck into the fitness class as well as the karate classes and this combination will get your body, mind and spirit ready to go! 🥋💪 

As always, thanks so much for your amazing support - we simply couldn't have survived this long without your continued kindness, enthusiasm and encouragement. We will never forget those members who have stood firm beside us during what has been for us all, an incredibly challenging period...

#eskk-family
#kicking-corona-together 

Best wishes,
​Chris & Jenny x

Following the recent government announcement, it looks like we have a prospective road map out of lockdown and towards meeting again face2face. This is obviously great news, but we want to make certain the details before sharing any plans with you for the coming weeks and months ahead.

Our national governing body (BMABA) along with NEST Management, are working hard to interpret the latest guidance so that we can fully understand what it means for our martial arts and fitness training.

Rest assured, we will continue to keep the safety of our members and their best interests number one priority during this next transitionary period, be sure to follow all recommended guidelines and share with you regular updates as things progress. 
​
Once again, our sincere thanks to all our members for their incredible support during this time and we're looking forward to the day (hopefully soon) where we can once again practice what we love together in an unrestricted face2face environment. What a milestone that will be to celebrate!

In the meantime, we encourage our current members and any new beginners looking to take up our martial arts or fitness classes (we've enrolled a number of the past few months) to take advantage of our comprehensive virtual training platform 👍

Lockdown hasn't stopped us from delivering world-class martial arts and fitness training to families here in West Cumbria! 🥋💪

Fancy trying out something new from your own home, then why not join us virtually? This is a great time to start 👌

We have classes almost every day of the week including karate for all ages, bodyweight fitness, Pilates and kettlebells!

We also have literally hundreds of hours of past lesson content to catch up on, learn at your own pace, plus a supportive community of awesome instructors and members to help guide you along the way!

Furthermore...if you join us during this lockdown, then we'll upgrade you to 2-months of UNLIMITED training when we return to face2face classes 👍

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  

A huge well done to everyone who came along and took part in our karate grading today!

We had upwards of 70 members taking on their next grading challenge and whether successful or unsuccessful, we are always very proud of their efforts. It takes a lot of hard work and courage to stand up and be counted like this, and regardless of individual outcome, it is a positive learning process for all and respect is given where respect is due..

Despite having a new venue, a new curriculum, a new format and some additional precautionary modifications made due to current issues here in the U.K, the day still ran very smooth. As usual, this was all down to the help and support from grading panel members, admin officials and instructors/assistants who kindly dropped in to lend a hand. We are always very grateful to you all.

​So on behalf of us everyone at E.S.K.K Martial Arts & Fitness - congratulations once again to the following successful candidates and we look forward to seeing you back in the dojo again soon!

We're very pleased to announce the launch of our brand new video tutorial service, exclusively for E.S.K.K dojo members!

We always strive to offer the very best possible services to our members and this special addition puts us a the cutting edge of delivering high quality martial arts training to our local community here in Cumbria!

Accessible 24/7 and completely responsive, our members can watch high quality in-depth video tutorials on their PC, tablet or mobile device in between their regular classes. And these tutorials are mapped directly to our official dojo curriculum!

Now of course, although we know only too well that is not possible to learn karate without regular face-to-face tuition each week, practising at home in between sessions will help ensure that the time our members spend in class will be as productive as possible. In short, standards will be raised and quality will be improved!

Within the first few days since launch, we have already released upwards of 120 minutes of content, with new video tutorials being added every couple of days. Over time, this will turn into a fantastic resource for our growing membership.

Thanks to all those members who have already singed up...to subscribe, simply hit the link below. Please note that this service is for E.S.K.K dojo members ONLY and all subscription requests are monitored...    

Back in October, we took part in the 100 Kata Challenge for World Karate Day and took this as an opportunity to raise some sponsorship in order to support our dedicated Community Fund, from which we make generous charity donations every year.

Those who kindly helped support this event helped us raise a significant amount. And by the time we included some additional funds generated by other community-based events throughout last year, we came to a staggering total of £1,313.56!!

On behalf of everyone at E.S.K.K Martial Arts & Fitness, we'd like to thank everyone who contributed to helping us achieve such a magnificent lift for our Community Fund. Let's see if we can maintain the same momentum to support both local and national causes as we move forward into this new decade!

Best wishes,
​Chris & Jenny

New Year is the best time to try out new things...

​We know it's often difficult for new people to appreciate the diverse benefits that quality martial arts training has to offer or indeed, to make the decision to come along and give it a go.

​So to help start 2020 with a bang, we have a fantastic New Year Special Offer for those who'd like to try out our classes...

We invite all children from 5 years, juniors, teens and adults to take part in our dedicated beginners programme. Our team of instructors are qualified, experienced and passionate about helping you achieve your goals...

We are very proud to announce that on Tuesday evening, our Chief Instructor Chris Denwood was awarded both Rokudan (6th Degree) and conferred the title of ‘Renshi’ (polished teacher) during a surprise gathering that was organised by his close students.

This special award was presented by Paul and Michelle Enfield, who are two leading exponents of Traditional Okinawan Karate in the World today and head the internationally renowned organisation, GKC Global, of which E.S.K.K Martial Arts & Fitness are associate members. Chris’ achievement was also independently endorsed by the senior committee of the Malta Karate Federation (in view of Chris’s long-term contributions to the development of karate on the island), plus a number of respected karate practitioners from around the world including UK, US, Canada and Okinawa.

As a fantastic end to his 30th year of martial arts training, Chris would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in making this promotion so very special and in particular, to all his teachers, students and friends for their amazing support and inspiration along the way. He considers this an achievement for us all, to be used as a platform for future growth, and to help continue our work in preserving, sharing and promoting to all who will listen, the incredibly valuable and diverse benefits of Traditional Okinawan Karate.

I'm sure you will join us in congratulating Chris on this well-deserved recognition!

​Jenny x

​West Cumbria group E.S.K.K Martial Arts & Fitness is leading the charge in safeguarding, having successfully attained the Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts “mark”.

The Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts has been created so that parents and carers can make informed decisions about selecting safe and quality tuition for their child. Achieving the Safeguarding Code demonstrates an organisation’s commitment to upholding its duty-of-care to the community and young people and now recognises E.S.K.K Martial Arts & Fitness as a provider that has reached and maintains good safeguarding standards.

A great end to another fantastic year at E.S.K.K Martial Arts & Fitness with some great results at our grade examination today in Whitehaven!

One trait that really stood out was that no matter what rank was being challenged, no matter what age the challenger and no matter the outcome...everyone gave it their absolute all, left everything on the dojo floor and exhibited the spirit we all aspire to in karate. For that, everyone deserves to be congratulated on a job well done and have earned our utmost respect.

We are always very proud of our dojo members because we ask a lot in terms of effort and standard. None of our gradings are easy, but it is through this challenge and discomfort that makes the grading experience so worthwhile. Facing fear, exposing chinks, coping with failure, being humble with success and coming face-to-face with one's true self is all part of the grading process. And the self-confidence one gains from this is immeasurable.

So, our sincere congratulations to all who took on their personal challenge today and thanks to all the panel members and table officials who helped make the day run as smooth as possible. We look forward to seeing you all back in class again soon to start your next part of the journey!