Reviews of Surrey Karate Academy

The first time I came over to train with SKA everyone was so friendly

you'r made to feel so welcome not just one day but every day you train.

Which puts you at ease and you fit in straight away everyone helps

each other training and teaching is at a high level but great fun.

Would I recommend SKA to people yes I would.

SKA is a great academy with great instructors, it's refreshing to train at a club where there are no ego' s.

I walked in to SKA one day from a different discipline not

Knowing what to expect, I was made very welcome from day

One. What a great bunch of people to train with no matter

What your discipline or level.

SKA have been helping improve my Kumite ready for an

Important grading in Ju Jitsu.

Fernando is an awsome sensei with a lot of passion for

Martial arts.

I met Fernando and Mark at a karate seminar and was impressed by their effective close range training techniques. I decided to make the journey from London to Surrey on a weekly basis and my karate has taken a new and exciting direction. Every class is different and varied with an intense warm up. Fernando focuses on each individual and their personal development, there is plenty of teamwork and it is a great unified learning experience.

On a personal level - I had been training in another form of karate for about a year prior to this. I always felt that there was something missing, the help and encouragement Fernando has given me has bridged that gap and given me fresh confidence.

Karate at SKA is enjoyable and functional and I would highly recommend it.

I started at SKA 8 years ago as a complete novice, and i can honestly say that Sensei Fernando’s enthusiasm and motivation inspired me to aim for my black belt from day 1.

Although we study a traditional Japanese goju syllabus, a traditional Japanese karate clubs we certainly are not!!

Instead we are encouraged to participate in a collaborative approach, in an environment of respecting traditional Goju technology but also encouraged to research other styles of Karate or wider Martial Arts styles and bring our ideas back into the class.

Sensei Fernando’s passion for Karate is infectious, and his ability to motivate me has led me partake in other complimentary training such as boxing, Japanese Jujitsu and CrossFit.

I have recently passed my 2nd Dan black belt and am certainly planning to be a member of SKA for the long haul!!

Karate is very much a personal journey, but having the right support structure to aid you in your development is vital. I started with SKA mid-2015, having come across from South Africa from another club as a brown belt Goju-ryu practitioner. I had a lot to adjust to despite the main foundation of teaching being relatively the same. From the offset I was really impressed (and somewhat intimidated) at the high level of martial arts knowledge of the group as well as overall fighting technology utilised amongst other things. Although I initially went through a rough transition and actually took a few months off from karate, decided that if I was going to keep my promise to myself to continue my training & eventually get my black belt, I would not be able to do this at any other club. So, I went back and through hard work, consistent training, support & encouragement of my peers (whom I hold in very high esteem) obtained my black belt in November 2017 - a very proud achievement. Now I continue to look forward to all the amazing experiences in store for me as I grow from strength to strength.

I came across SKA searching for a Goju Ryu school having become disenchanted with the existing school I had been training with for the past 8 years. As I'd grown I had come to realise that there was something missing from my training. How glad I am that I came across SKA where my karate has grown greatly over the past 5+ years since I started training. I still remember the first session with Fernando and the buzz afterwards in that I'd found somewhere I could grow in the direction I wanted to. If you want to stand in line repeating basic drills ad infinitum and leaving with a good workout but not having learnt much SKA is not for you. If you want to train in a collaborative environment where everyone's opinion is valued and each student is treated as an individual with the input tailored to where each student is on their karate journey then do come and check us out. We are a Goju Ryu based school but take from wherever we see value and are open to all opinions and backgrounds. Everyone has something to both contribute and learn.

I joined SKA as a way to stay in shape and to learn to defend myself.

From day 1 I realised it wasn't what I was expecting. The instruction is 1st class. You are not a nameless face or a source of income. Instead you immediately embark on your own personal karate journey, without even realising it.

You are encouraged every step of the way by everyone in the class.

The size of the class is small enough and the experience of the class is vast enough that you are never left to struggle by yourself. The karate is personal, we train the same drills to a point and then make them our own, we make them feel natural to each of us. This means that no 2 people do the same karate.

We train together and help each other improve. Nobody is above improving, we question everything so that we better understand why we do what we do and we all contribute to improving each other and ourselves. We also have a lot of fun.

By products of showing up and having fun include discipline and self confidence that you carry with you to all areas of your life, healthier mental status (how can excersize and fun be anything but good for your mental state), new friends, and an obsession with karate.

I'm coming up on 3 years in SKA and I look forward to every single class.

I came across this dojo 2 years ago after struggling to find like minded individuals to train with. I joined fernando as a shodan in goju ryu after many years of on and off training.

The coaching is superb. In the time I have been training here my Karate has developed 10 fold.

The level of engagement, research and experience is phenomenal within this group.

Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned martial artist looking to improve your knowledge and ability I can truly recommend this dojo.

SKA is a good place for everyone who wish to train learn and practice true and functional karate and karate Jutsu. This place is full of great people in front of head sensei, Shidoin Fernando.

Real professional and friendly attitude, individual attention and scholars / psychical development of each student makes this school very unique in karate community. I was fortunate to learn from Fernando and his group a couple of times and can't wait for more.

If you just look for good excercise and social benefits, or you want to learn realistic and practical selfdefence karate system, this guys are the ones to train with.