TRADITIONAL VALUES. INNOVATIVE APPROACH.
Kyudokan Goju Ryu Karate Do
Winner of the Martial Arts School of the Year 2021/22 for Southern England and in 2022/23 for Southern England and Nationally, Kyudokan is a renowned and well established karate school, studying Goju Ryu under the direction of David Morris Sensei.
Since its inception in 1979, the Kyudokan has represented the traditional values of karate and is one of the very few in the UK still teaching authentic Japanese karate.
David continues to study and at 70 his visits to Japan have afforded him a wealth of knowledge, which is evident in the Kyudokan’s teaching ethos: a great depth of tradition, sometimes lacking in the more modern ‘Westernised’ schools.
Whether you are an experienced karateka or just beginning your journey; the Kyudokan will help you on your own martial arts path.
The Kyudokan has weekly training at Chamberlayne Leisure Centre, Bitterne Leisure Centre, Lockwood Community Centre in Locks Heath, Places Leisure Centre in Eastleigh and Winchester Sport & Leisure Park.
All classes cater for all ages from 7 to 77 years old, all genders and abilities allowing adults and children and families to train separately or together depending on their preference.
The structured syllabus helps the student gain and develop confidence and fitness while learning the traditional ways of martial arts.
Everyone has the opportunity to progress through the grades from white belt to black belt and beyond with encouragement to undertake more in-depth study.
Why choose Kyudokan?
'Kyudokan' means to search for the way. Here are six reasons why we believe your search begins here.
Quality, individually focussed teaching: Our classes are split into small groups, where typically 5 - 7 students, of the same level of experience, are assigned their own sensei (teacher), this ratio ensures highly efficient progression.
Traditional: Kyudokan practices Goju-Ryu (Hard - Soft) Karate - a style for life that is highly practical for all ages, fitness levels and strength. It is signified by combining soft flowing movement with powerful strikes and throws.
Support: Kyudokan has a strong admin team that ensures our members are up-to-date on all club information. We have a free app ( and ) featuring class timetables and booking, club message board and progress tracking.
Karate for real life: Students start with very light contact and progress to full contact as they become more proficient at Kumite (sparring) and controlling their technique. This syllabus helps prepare our students for the real world.
Unrivalled Value: An all-in monthly fee giving members access to all Kyudokan dojos. Our monthly fee includes everything - we do not charge extra for gradings / belts or insurance, and there is no joining fee. Our members only shop offers everything you need, usually at less than MSRP.
Belonging: A club with a family atmosphere that has been running for over 45 years. Annual events include a xmas party for students and families, regular seminars, camping trips, and the opportunity to study in Japan!
Latest Posts
He has grown in confidence and I feel happy he is getting exercise every week and learning to defend himself. He has made friends and also felt included. Grading is done with out the children being aware so there is no pressure. And everyone celebrates when they grade to the next belt.
My son attends at this venue and locks wood. He goes twice a week.
Despite informing members of the team about my son's neurodiversity, the response for the majority of our time there was to label him as naughty rather than adapt their approach. This is particularly disappointing given the club claims to have senseis trained in neurodiversity. These very recognisable traits went unaddressed for months with no proactive communication whatsoever.
When this was finally raised, the person running the club showed little accountability, made no effort to manage the situation proactively, and insisted he needed access to my son's personal medical records before any adaptations could be made. This was never going to happen — particularly given that the same club continued to share images of my son on social media for six months after we had signed an agreement explicitly stating no images were to be shared. That is a serious safeguarding failure and a breach of the agreement we had in place.
I want to be fair — some members of the team were absolutely brilliant. One senior sensei and the younger assistants showed exactly how to get the best from my son — encouragement, positive reinforcement, and keeping him engaged. They were outstanding and deserve real credit.
But the overall experience has been let down by poor communication, a lack of accountability at management level, and an environment that ultimately did not have my child's best interests at heart. No parent should have to fight this hard to be heard.
Despite informing members of the team about my son's neurodiversity, the response for the majority of our time there was to label him as naughty rather than adapt their approach. This is particularly disappointing given the club claims to have senseis trained in neurodiversity. These very recognisable traits went unaddressed for months with no proactive communication whatsoever.
When this was finally raised, the person running the club showed little accountability, made no effort to manage the situation proactively, and insisted he needed access to my son's personal medical records before any adaptations could be made. This was never going to happen — particularly given that the same club continued to share images of my son on social media for six months after we had signed an agreement explicitly stating no images were to be shared. That is a serious safeguarding failure and a breach of the agreement we had in place.
I want to be fair — some members of the team were absolutely brilliant. One senior sensei and the younger assistants showed exactly how to get the best from my son — encouragement, positive reinforcement, and keeping him engaged. They were outstanding and deserve real credit.
But the overall experience has been let down by poor communication, a lack of accountability at management level, and an environment that ultimately did not have my child's best interests at heart. No parent should have to fight this hard to be heard.
