Traditional Shotokan Karate in Bracknell

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Instructor

Andrew Marriott :: 1st dan

I began to get interested in Martial Arts at around the age of 17, whilst at college. I was friends with a Special Constable and he decided it might be good for his development and fitness if he did some sort of training in a martial art. He suggested we both go to a Wado Ryu class at the local leisure centre so I went along to see what it was all about. I never really intended staying long.

Once there I found it surprisingly interesting, my instructor was pleasant and lessons were a lot of fun, so I kept going back. I stayed there for just over a year, grading every 3 months to Green belt until I had to leave when I signed up to join the British Army, late 1994.

After spending 8 years wearing green and seeing some wonderful (and not so wonderful) places around the world, I decided to leave the Army in 2001. A couple of years went by and I'd started thinking back to my first taste of Karate, and how much I enjoyed it. So a friend and I looked through the local free paper and discovered a brand new Karate class starting up at...yes, the local leisure centre, only this time it was Shotokan! So we enquired, were both encouraged to come down for a free lesson to decide if it was for us.

Tuesday 4th February 2003 was the beginning of a very exciting path for me. I trained as hard a s I could, as many times a week as I could and under the careful instruction of my Sensei I graded every 3 months, without fail. After 3 very successful and enjoyable years my instructor deemed it time, and I was ready for my Black Belt grading!

Sunday 19th February 2006 - The Link Centre, Swindon. A gruelling and difficult 1 hour grading, under the careful watch of the Chief Instructor, pervious to this we'd had a 2 hour lesson. I was tired, my muscles had started to sieze and I was getting dehydrated. I pushed on, I pushed through everything my body was throwing at me, purely because, at that moment in time, there was nothing more that I wanted in the world than that Black Belt. It was my goal, 3 years worth of training rested squarely on me and what I could produce at that moment in time. I passed. I was the happiest man alive, I couldn't believe it. Out of 10 people to grade that day, only 4 passed, a 40% pass rate.

I didn't stop smiling for days. The spirit I'd aquired from Karate had helped me reach my ultimate goal, and it's that spirit and perfection of character that can aid you to achieve in your every day life.

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