TISKA Karate Edgware is a brilliant martial arts club in London. Every Week in a plethora of locations, the club takes place. People old and young practice karate and rank up through the belts, perfecting old moves and learning new ones all the time.
I first learnt about TISKA Edgware when I was looking for a sports club to join. There were many options, but TISKA stood out. The friendliness combined with the atmosphere made it the perfect fit.
Every session, you do a warm up, followed by a hard but fun session. Then, after a short break, you do a fun partner activity. Afterwards, you always feel like you have learnt something new and valuable! Another feature of karate is the belt system. This is a brilliant way to learn discipline, especially for younger children, as everyone who has a higher belt, no matter the age, is better at karate than you. Karate is also a good way to learn respect. This is done when you bow to the sensei (the teacher) when you enter the dojo (classroom) or when you bow to your classmate before you do a partner activity with them.
TISKA Karate takes these principles and makes them even better. Along with these basic principles, the club is a community. When you get a new belt, everyone celebrates it with you. When you compete in a competition, everyone congratulates you for attending and trying your best, even when you did not do well, as you represented the club in a positive way by showing your determination to succeed. The club also regularly lets members run the warmup or, for members with higher belts, teach other less experienced members on a one-to-one basis. This creates a unique but welcoming atmosphere, where there is someone always happy to help you! TISKA Karate just had its 30th anniversary this year, showing their dedication in teaching karate.
I talked to Sensei Gregory, who leads TISKA Karate Edgware. When I spoke to him, he enforced these ideas. He told me about how he loves ‘helping students grow as individuals’ and also, especially with shy students, helping them ‘build their confidence and self belief’. He also said that this applies to himself as he has used these skills he has learnt to ‘achieve a multitude of goals outside of karate’. Karate and other martial arts are brilliant ways to build confidence and other vital skills in life. And as Sensei Gregory said: ‘karate is much more than just a martial art’.
Overall participating in the TISKA karate club is a brilliant experience. It always puts a smile on my face, challenges me and I have never gone a week without learning something new. If you live nearby one of their clubs, or of any karate or martial art club in general, I recommend you to try it out as it really helps you build key skills in life.
