How old do I have to be to do karate? We take children from as young as four years old. We welcome adults of all ages to join. Remember you are never too old to try something new.   Membership. It is our policy to never ask you to sign a contract, set up a direct debit or pay for membership, you simply pay as you train; if you can't make training for any reason then you don't pay.   How much are karate suits? Karate Gi's (suits) are priced from £11.50, belt included. We recommend that when you start at the club you don’t buy a Gi until four weeks have passed so that you aren’t spending money unnecessarily if you decide that karate is not for you.   If I have an illness or disability will that stop me from doing karate? No; if you have an illness or disability and can't do certain things (i.e. kick) then we will teach you other things that you would be able to do.   Are there other types of martial arts that I could learn by doing karate at IRUKA? IRUKA is part of WYSOK (West Yorkshire Schools of Karate and Oriental Arts). Through the association you can learn Mu-Chindo, Jujitsu, Kobu Jutsu, Kickboxing, MMA (mixed martial arts) and different Okinawan weapons such as Bo, Jo, Nunchaku, sai, Kama, Tonfa and Iai Jutsu (Samurai sword).   Will I get hurt? Karate is very physical but because of the controlled way it is practised injuries are very rare. Every black belt at IRUKA Karate Club is certified in first aid and our adult instructors are fully CRB cleared. After your first four weeks of training you will need your own insurance, which comes with your karate licence provided by NAKMAS, the UK martials arts governing body, and WYSOK (West Yorkshire Schools of Karate and Oriental Arts).   How often do I have to train? We train twice a week on a Wednesday 7-9pm and a Friday 7-9pm. We encourage everyone, especially high grades, to train twice a week so that you are completely ready for your gradings or tournaments.   How long does the class last? Each session is two hours. We ask you to get down a bit early to help put out mats for sparring and ground fighting.   Would I be able to enter competitions? We have two tournaments a year in the association, one in April and one in November. You can enter as many categories as you want to, from kata, sparring, weapons, to creative and team kata.   How do I get my next belt? Coloured belt gradings are held every three months. To get your next belt you have to perform katas, techniques and know some Japanese terminology. Once you reach black belt you wait three years to obtain your 2nd Dan, in that three years you will teach students and pass on your knowledge to the coloured belts.