There is no upper age limit for Karate. In the 20 years I have been training, I have trained alongside, have taught and been taught by, people still in primary school and a very nice couple who were in their late 70's. On the same day I got my Black Belt, a lady who was at least in her 60's also passed. If you are interested in competing seriously in Karate competitions, then obviously, the younger you start the better. But competition Karate is only a very small part of the discipline. So the short answer is no. Whoever you are, and whatever your age, you are not too old to start Karate.

For insurance purposes, we can not take anyone below the age of 5 years. I started training when I was 7 years old and we have in our club beginners of 6 years old.

To start Karate you don't need a lot of any of these. As with any decent sport, these will develop the more you train. You do not need to be able to wrap your legs around your head, rip telephone books in half, tap dance or even leap tall buildings in a single bound. However, you will learn what you are capable of (and I'll bet it's a lot more than you ever thought!) and you will learn to work within your own personal limits and get the best out of yourself.

The best Karate people I know are not macho. You will learn what you are, and what you are not capable of. I have seen many people fall flat on your faces because of their overconfidence.

No. As with all other decent sports, you get out what you put in. If you want to be the best in the world, then yes, you will have to start getting up early and putting the hours and years of effort in. However, if you are like the majority of people out there who just want a fun and enjoyable way of improving your own mind and body, then you come training whenever you can.

There are no membership fees to join Clwb Heb Enw. Your first training session is free, then each training session is £2.50 after that. You don't need to pay in advance or anything. Just pay "on the door". After 3 training sessions (if you are enjoying yourself and want to keep coming) you will need to get a "licence" from our governing body, the Karate Union of Great Britain (KUGB). This is a record book for your gradings (exams) and also insurance cover in case of any accidents (in the 20 years I have been training, I have never needed to claim, and I don't know anyone who has). The current price is £20 for seniors (16 and over) and £18 for juniors. Click here for a KUGB Licence Synopsis.

The only piece of equipment you need to train, is a Gi (the white uniform we wear). Prices of these start at £10. And that's it. You don't need anything else at all. But, of course, there is a whole world of stuff you can spend your money on. We are supplied by a company called Blitz. Take a look at what they supply, and remember that as a club, we get serious discounts on their prices. Or click onto our "Shop" to see what stuff we have in stock at the moment. Remember, Club Members get big discounts to what are shown here. Ask next training session!

Nope. I have trained with and helped teach people who have been blind and have had limbs missing. If you have any serious disabilities, just let us know in advance, and I am sure we will be able to accommodate you.

No, you don't have to learn the Japanese language to do Karate. All the moves have Japanese names that you will pick up as you go along, and to help you we have a very good Glossary with words and pictures and even mp3 audio files for your iPod, so you can get used to them in no time at all!

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