Take control of your karate journey with Shotokan Connect

Who are we– we are a group of dedicated practitioners of Shotokan Karate with years of experience. While we work with and learn from other associations and styles, we do things differently while still facilitating the sharing of knowledge, skills and experience.

Our core values – Honour, Honesty, Respect, Inclusion


Here’s why you should join us

As an Individual

Join us and train

  • TRANSPARENCY- We publish all our constitutional documents and policies on our website. Also, we file annual returns and accounts at Companies House and these are freely accessible to all.
  • EVERYONE HAS A VOICE- we are open and transparent with democratic management and when you join us you also get a chance to join our leadership via our Steering Committee or our QA Committee. Or you can simply give your thoughts and keep up to date at our annual general meeting.
  • NOT FOR PROFIT- We are ‘not for profit’ so you can expect reasonable prices and transparency of costs. We do this for the karate, not the profits.
  • TRANSITIONAL LEADERSHIP- We rotate all leadership positions including our chair so that we keep our leadership fresh and new, and people have a chance to do a role based on their willingness & ability rather than their karate grade.
  • NO HIERARCHY- we don’t believe in hierarchy so training courses will always have a variety and mixture of instructors, giving students the opportunity to train with more people and learn in different ways.
  • PERSONAL AND CONNECTED APPROACH- we have a very approachable and friendly team who are happy to help and available to chat and get to know you at courses. We value creating a safe and warm environment and encourage connectivity between clubs and members. Our annual Christmas Party is open to all and is a great opportunity to chat to the leadership team and the instructors you train with and grade under.
  • FUN COMPETITIONS- we strive to make competitions fun and enjoyable and encourage all levels and abilities to compete without the fear or stress often involved.
  • ECO FRIENDLY- environmentally friendly, paperless, no physical license.

OPEN-MINDED- we often bring in instructors from other associations at our training courses to have a breadth of knowledge within our practice. We like to connect: it’s in our name!

As a Club/Instructor

Contact us to get involved

  • TRANSPARENCY- We publish all our constitutional documents and policies on our website. Also, we file annual returns and accounts at Companies House and these are freely accessible to all.
  • INSTRUCTORS RETREATS- We have instructor’s retreats every 2 years to ensure all our instructors (re)connect with each another and boost our sociability. We also take this time to hone teaching styles and methods and standardise our approach to syllabus, technique and mindset.
  • NOT FOR PROFIT- We are ‘not for profit’ so you can expect reasonable prices and transparency of costs. We do this for the karate, not the profits.
  • TRANSITIONAL LEADERSHIP- We rotate our chair so that we keep our leadership fresh and new and people have a chance to do a role based on their willingness & ability rather than their karate grade.
  • OPEN-MINDED- We value competing and training with different associations and styles to stay open minded and aware of different possibilities. We like to connect: it’s in our name!
  • KYU EXAMINERS- Instructors above 3rd Dan can hold and examine their own kyu gradings, reducing costs and encouraging a more personalised experience within clubs. This gives instructors the opportunity to be more active in their students’ journey and makes gradings a more friendly and comfortable environment.

NO HIERARCHY- we don’t believe in hierarchy so training courses will always have a variety and mixture of instructors; giving students the opportunity to train with more people. We love to hear what our instructors have to offer and like to give opportunities for this variety of ideas and techniques to be spread.