Frequently Asked Questions
You can join at any time of the year. We start training in September and finish in June.
The minimum you should go is twice a week. We have classes five times a week, and any member is free to train at any of our clubs at no additional charge.
When you first join, we require a commitment of 3 months. We ask for post dated cheques, and if Karate is not for you then we simply return the cheques. Once you are a member, we strongly encourage that you train at least twice a week.
Joining anything new requires a slight learning curve. Everyone is at a different level, and it won’t take long before you will be kicking, blocking, and punching with the rest of the members. The instructors are very good at keeping the classes challenging for each member, no matter their level.
For our junior members, contact is not allowed. As our students reach the age of 16, light contact is allowed to the stomach, but face contact is never allowed.
During tournaments, for athletes under the age of 18, there is no contact allowed but accidents may happen. Like with any combative sport, bumps and bruises are not uncommon.
The youngest we allow members to be is 6 years old.
It is never too late to start Karate.
Karate can be enjoyed at any age and is a great way to stay in shape.
We have lots of adults in our club ranging from beginners to black belts.
- Karate – Japanese martial art
- Tae Kwon Do – Korean martial art
- Kung Fu – Chinese martial art
- Judo – Japanese martial art with an emphasis on grappling, throws, and submissions
Yes. What kind of martial art you took in the past will determine how many skills you will transfer.
You will not forget the training of the past and can only build on to it.
Yes – after a grace period.
You will be tested during our gradings at that level. If you meet our standards, then you will be awarded that belt.
At our club, we test twice a year.
Our season usually starts in September and ends in June. Typically we have one grading in December and one in May.
If you fail a test, it’s not the end of the world.
Since we grade twice a year, you can take a retest at the next grading.
If you are training 2-3 times a week, and miss less than 20% of classes, you may earn a black belt as quickly as 5 years.
We usually have a club tournament once a year.
Our club is a member of the KAA (Karate Alberta Association), which holds at least three competitions a year all over Alberta. Should you make the provincial team (14+ years old and green belt+) then you can compete at the nationals. If you place 1st or 2nd at the nationals then you make the national team and can compete all over the world.
Karate competitions are broken up into two parts – Kata and Kumite.
Kata are forms, and Kumite is semi-contact free sparring. Each part is then further broken up into divisions of ages and belt levels.
A junior class usually consists of white to orange belts, ages 12 and under. Senior classes are ages 12 and up.
Please contact Sensei Doug Smerek at (403)560-4508, or info@seiwakai.ca, for further details.