Core movement
Stance, balance, footwork, guards and clean lines. The stuff that makes everything else work.
Training
What we get up to in class
We warm up, drill, laugh, move, pair up, try things, mess things up, fix them, and slowly become a little bit better than we were last week.
Wednesday night saber club
8:15-9:30pm
Hermitage Park Community Centre, Allington, Maidstone.
Foundations
Start here. Everyone does.
Foundations are where we build the good habits: how to move, how to strike, how to keep each other safe, and how to look just a little bit cooler every week.
Element drills
Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Lightning drills help your body learn the language of the saber.
Happy training partners
Control, distance and communication first. The goal is to learn together, not flatten your new friends.
Start kind
We build confidence before speed, power or pressure.
What should I expect?
A typical session has three parts.
Every session is built to help you move better, learn safely and enjoy the exchange. Some parts are solo, some are cooperative, and anything involving sparring is introduced gradually.
Movement exercises that build the foundations.
Drills are cooperative rather than competitive. They are designed to improve balance, coordination, timing, footwork and control. They build cardio, confidence and muscle memory, and they form the foundation for everything else we do.
The learning part of the evening.
This is where we learn techniques from the syllabus: guards, strikes, footwork, partner exercises and the principles behind them. You will gradually build your technical skills over time.
Choose how you want to apply those skills.
Combat means safe, controlled sparring with another person. It is not about beating people up. It is about applying technique, learning from one another and enjoying the exchange.
You will not spar until you have learned the basics of safe attacks, defences and footwork. At first you will work with instructors, then with senior students. Once you reach Apprentice level and we have seen that you can spar safely and with control, you can spar with other Apprentices.
Kata is the other path. These are structured sequences of movement that combine techniques into flowing forms. Some members prefer kata, some prefer combat, and many enjoy both. There is no right answer. Follow the part of the art that you enjoy.
Pick your flavour
You can follow the fun in a few directions.
Flow, rhythm and confidence
Kata gives you a solo path to practise. You will build clean movement, memory, rhythm and your own little spark of style.
- Shii-Cho kata foundations
- Accuracy of movement
- Control and consistency
- Progression through kata levels
Duel without being a menace
Combat is exciting, but it is not chaos. We work on timing, distance, choices and control so both people leave smiling.
- Controlled sparring and target discipline
- Partner and environment awareness
- Decision-making under pressure
- Preparation for combat grading and events
Make it look brilliant
Style combat is teamwork. You and your partner build readable, dramatic exchanges where everyone gets to shine.
- Partner choreography
- Performance-ready control
- Attack and defence cues
- Demonstration skills
Move more, smile more
Flow work is great if you want fitness, confidence and movement without jumping straight into sparring.
- Solo combinations
- Oblique and transverse strikes
- Fluid transitions
- Low-pressure practice
A usual Wednesday
A bit of structure, a lot of encouragement.
Warm-up and mobility
We get bodies moving, wake up the joints and shake off the day.
Technical focus
We pick one idea and give it time to settle in properly.
Partner practice
You practise with another human, which is where the real learning happens.
Rounds or forms
We finish with sparring, kata, style combat, games or a focused challenge.
Find your route
Not sure where you fit yet?
No stress. Answer three tiny questions and we will point you toward a friendly first-visit route.