A: We use a variety of exercises to build strength, stamina, and agility, think press-ups, squats, and burpees alongside sprints, jumps, and hops. Whether you’re a complete beginner, getting back into fitness, or already training hard, there’s a place for you here. These come together in four main routines:

Old School: 20-30 minutes of strength, stamina, and stretching, the classics done right and a great starting point for anyone new to training.

Tabata: High-intensity intervals, 20 seconds of exercise followed by 10 seconds of active rest (planks, cobra, side plank), repeated 8 times with fresh exercises each round. Music keeps the energy up, and it’s a real test for those who like to push themselves.

Equipment: Pads, ropes, stepping blocks, and whatever’s to hand, plus stretching to build suppleness, improve tolerance to locks, and reduce strains, useful at every level.

Stations/Circuit: 4-5 stations, each with a different exercise, 60-90 seconds per station before moving on, all set to music to keep the buzz going, easy to scale up or down depending on your fitness.

We’ve also introduced a Boxercise-style warm-up for those who love music and sequenced exercises, along with back-to-back drills and semi-contact sparring for friendly competition and added realism for the more hardcore among us. We like to blend old-school and new-school methods to keep training fresh, and we’ll always adapt exercises for anyone with limited mobility or other conditions we can work around, so however fit you are when you walk in, you’ll find a way to train that works for you.

A: YES but not  in the sport or commercial sense. Jujitsu started centuries ago in Japan and was created by the Samurai to fight unarmed against armed opponents. It combines other Martial Arts and traditional weaponry, using a variety of standing and ground techniques from Karate, Judo and Aikido. It is a traditional Mixed Martial Art that has been around for centuries. The term MMA is more widely used to describe the different systems and styles that are combined and used competitively in cage fighting/UFC. We like to keep the traditions such as bowing, speaking Japanese and wearing traditional dress (Gi’s) out of respect for the art.

A: You will never be placed in any danger or at risk of serious injury as Health and Safety is taken very seriously and the well-being of our students is of the utmost importance. Our art uses controlled contact but keeps the techniques realistic for a self defence scenario. Pressure points are also used but the pain from these lasts for split seconds at a time. It is important that there is contact so that you are physically and mentally conditioned and toughened up. You might get  the odd bruise, ache from warmups or sweat buckets but all of members leave in one piece.

A: Each lesson is charged at £8.50 (your first lesson will be free).

Recently we introduced a fantastic new payment scheme offering real value for money, £30 per month for 1 lesson per week or £35 for all access. We also have some very family friendly discounts for families that train together.

An annual combined license & insurance fee of only £5 is payable a month after being with us. If you intend to be graded then you must be licensed and insured by us first. The only other cost is the grading fee of £5, which is paid when you take your grading.

A: The techniques we teach are effective for males and females because our techniques do not rely on strength. Females tend to have better technical skills as they do not try to rely on strength as much as males. We currently have almost 50% of female students. Any form of self defence is better than none, so it’s up to you to try it for yourself.

A: No Martial Art is ‘better’ than others and popularity of an art can be misleading in showing this. Effectiveness of the techniques, commitment, effort and a good instructor are important, not the number of students in a class, equipment or paying over the odds. It is also about personal choice and finding an art that suits you, your needs, interests and requirements.

A: For your first lessons suitable clothes such as t-shirts and jogging bottoms are ideal. You only need a Gi (Martial Arts uniform) when you are ready to stay with us, but if you already have one feel free to wear it. Karate Gi’s and Judo Gi’s are acceptable. If you wish to purchase a Gi we offer them at a competitive discount price from an official supplier or you can buy your own if you are able to find them cheaper. It is also advisable to bring a drink with you for the first few lessons, a towel is also a good idea, ventilators if you suffer from Asthma and anything else you may need for medical reasons. Feel free to come armed with questions too!

A: The desirable starting age is 8, any younger is strictly at the instructors’ discretion and subject to trial lessons. We will teach up to a reasonable age for adults (our past adults have been older than 50) based on their desire to train and whether or not Jujitsu suits them as an individual.

A: Yes, The Dojo has male and female toilets with room to change. There is parking on site. All bags and personal items are kept in the hall during training.

A: We have a very short break halfway through the lesson and also when people are pushing themselves as much as they can. We want you to get the most out of your lesson, and therefore like to keep downtime to an absolute minimum.

A: We have taught students in the past depending on the level of impairment. Where someone has limited movement, vision or comprehension skills we can adjust the technique to be easier for the student but still effective without ‘watering it down’.

A: There are 8 Kyu’s (belts/levels), Red, Yellow, Orange, Green, Blue, Purple, Brown, and Black. There are no half grades or stripes.

A: It takes a lot of hard work to EARN a Black Belt in this art and any other. It will not be a matter of 1-2 years to earn it. Unfortunately not everyone makes it to Black Belt but many do become very capable students in the meantime and continue training up to their limit.

A: Gradings are held on an individual basis at present and time between belts depends on the student. When a regular student shows commitment, hard work and progression we will give them a ‘mock grading’ date, on this date we will assess whether they are capable of passing their grading. If they are, we aim to grade them the following week. If they are not, we will agree the next soonest time for them to be ready for another mock grading and focus on improving whatever has held them back. We want the best for our students and will not force anyone to be ready by a date with the intention of grading them there and then. We will not force anyone into a grading if we think and can physically see that the student has not got the technical skills or capability to defend themselves effectively.

A: Everybody starts as a beginner with us except for guest instructors (visiting only, not permanent) and former students of Goshin Combat Jiu-Jitsu/ Combat Jujitsu Ryu (providing they can prove their previous grades and affiliation). If you have previous experience in other arts you are welcome to join us but can not come in above current students unless you know and can demonstrate our syllabus. Techniques in one art are not always the same in another and some people find it difficult to re-learn or alter their techniques due to muscle memory. However, previous and relevant experience will help you progress quicker with techniques.