FAQs

Getting started is easy.  In fact, you’ve already made the first step since you’re reading this page!  Well done!

To get started, all you need to do is come along to one of our locations at one of our published class times.  Check the schedule for current classes.  Show up at least 10 minutes prior to the start of class and introduce yourself to Sensei Arpi, one of our instructors, or one of our senior students (wearing a green, brown, or black belt).  We’re all very friendly and don’t bite!  You’ll be able to jump right in and join a class or, if you’re more comfortable, you can watch a session of two before you get started.  If you do plan on joining in right away, please make sure you wear comfortable exercise clothes (no jeans) and bring a bottle of water.

If you want to get the ball rolling before you come to class, simply click the Start Today! link on this site and fill out the online form.  Someone will be in touch and explain the next steps.

Yes!  Our students come in all shapes, sizes, fitness levels, strength levels, genders, ethnicities, religions, nationalities, ages, and political persuasions.  No matter your background, we offer a warm, welcoming, safe environment in which you can learn Kyokushin Karate.  We only ask that you adhere to our rules and protocols, show respect, consideration, and encouragement to others, and try your very best.

Absolutely.  One of the founders of North Harbour Kyokushin Karate is Shihan Diane Takiwa (5th Dan) and a top leader at New Zealand Kyokushin.  Shihan Diane is highly accomplished, highly respected, incredibly talented, and an all-around awesome person and she works hard to lift up other women in Kyokushin Karate.

Our students come in all shapes, sizes, genders, races, and religions.  There is a place for everyone and all students are treated with respect and courtesy.

Absolutely!  In fact, Kyokushin Karate provides a solid grounding for young people, making fitness a habit, ingraining positive attributes such as honour, respect, discipline, and humility, and instilling the confidence that comes from working hard to achieve success.

Whilst Kyokushin is a full-contact style of karate, kids start slowly and are gradually introduced to sparring in a safe, controlled manner.  In tournaments, kids wear additional protective gear to ensure safety and a positive experience.

We do ask that, in our dojo, kids are generally at least 10 years old before coming to class.  The reason is that, unlike some styles of karate, children are held accountable to the adult syllabus and children under 10 often don’t have the necessary understanding or attention span to correctly learn the material.

Our classes are energetic, so you should wear loose, comfortable exercise clothing (not jeans) and bare feet.  For yours and others’ safety, you will need to remove any loose jewelry before class and ensure your nails are trimmed and tidy.

If you decide to join the dojo, you’ll need to purchase a dogi (uniform) along with gloves and shin pads.  Groin and breast protectors are optional, but recommended.  If you go on to compete in tournaments (optional), you will need a proper mouth guard.  Juniors will also need a helmet and chest protector.  We will provide information on how to purchase everything you need.

Of course!  We all had to start somewhere and there is no better time than the present to get started.  It may seem a bit strange at first and some people feel a bit self-conscious, but don’t worry!  We were all beginners at some point and we’re there to help you learn in a supportive and friendly environment.

Your experience will help you grasp forms and concepts more rapidly than someone who has never studied martial arts.  That said, as Kyokushin is its own distinct style, experienced martial artists all start as a white belt just like everyone else and should bring a beginner’s mindset to class.  You may have to “unlearn” some things you’ve learned with other styles and you may have to learn techniques that are unique to Kyokushin Karate.  The reward is in the journey, not the rank, so enjoy the experience!

Ultimately, you will get out of your training what you put into your training. Kyokushin training is intense and rigorous.  If you train regularly, you can expect to get fit and toned, and improve your power, agility, and flexibility.

Alongside the physical training, you will learn discipline, respect, and humility through our approaches, lessons, and traditions.

We would say that the best self-defense is to avoid dangerous situations in the first place and, if you can’t avoid the situation, try to diffuse it and only use force as a last resort.
That said, unfortunately in life, there are sometimes situations where force is the only option left to protect yourself or others.  Because Kyokushin Karate is a full-contact, traditional style of karate, the techniques are real, not theoretical, and are regularly tested against opponents.  Therefore, Kyokushin Karate is extremely effective in real world scenarios.  The techniques themselves are designed to cause the opponent to lose the will to fight and the rigorous training conditions the student’s mind and body for fight scenarios.

You can train as much or as little as you like to suit your schedule.  We recommend, however, that you train at least two times per week at the earlier grades and three times per week at the more senior grades.

Obviously, you will progress through the grades and master the material faster if you train more regularly and slower if you train less regularly.

In short, yes.  Kyokushin is a full-contact style of karate and sparring is a mandatory component of each grading.  That said, we are here to help people learn and push their limits in a safe, controlled way, not cause injury or embarrassment to anyone. Students are taught from the beginning to show respect to their training partners…. after all, if people are not shown respect and feel unsafe, they simply will not return and the disrespectful student will have no training partners.

Beginners start sparring with little or only very light contact, always wearing protective gear, and always under the watchful eyes and guidance of the instructors and senior students.  As students move up in rank, the pace and intensity of sparring increases, but always to a level that the student can handle.

Regardless of capability level, if you have an injury or disability, this is taken into account and we will err on the side of your safety and well-being.

We certainly hope not!  However, Kyokushin Karate is a full-contact style of karate with an intense training regimen. Bruises and soreness are a part of the journey, but serious injury is rare.  Still, injury is a possibility in any sport and especially in a martial art.  Our instructors are first-aid qualified, should any problems occur.  We take safety seriously in our training and in our competitions and do not tolerate horseplay or a disregard for our rules.  Any student who does not show respect and abide by safety rules will be removed from the dojo.

North Harbour Kyokushin Karate is a recognised and respected member dojo of New Zealand Karate Organisation Kyokushinkaikan, which is in turn a branch of the International Karate Organisation Kyokushinkaikan (IKO1), founded by Sosai Masutatsu Oyama and currently run by Kancho Shotei Matsui.  Our training techniques and syllabus are the real deal and come directly from Japan.

We can trace our lineage directly to Sosai Mas Oyama.  Our Branch Chief is Shihan Stephen Takiwa (6th Dan), one of New Zealand’s most successful full-contact karate competitors.

Refer to our About Kyokushin and About North Harbour pages for more detailed information.

Yes!  Competing in tournaments is not mandatory, but we offer the opportunity for students of any level to test themselves against others at the regional and national levels in both kata (forms) and kumite (fighting).  Those who do well may be invited to compete at the international level.

Many people in our dojo choose to compete in tournaments and we usually do very well in competitions.  We have both NZ National champions and International champions who are members at North Harbour Kyokushin Karate.

Many first-time martial arts students see earning a black belt as the ultimate goal.  Whilst earning a black belt is indeed an awesome achievement, it is the journey that is important not the destination.  Indeed, many black belts consider that learning the essence of karate only truly starts after the black belt is earned.

Progressing through the ranks in Kyokushin karate generally takes more time than in other styles.  The reason for this is that our standards are high and our gradings challenging.  You don’t simply pass a grading by coming to class and paying your fees; you must put in the effort.

With the current standards, if you train regularly (2-3 times per week), and you learn all the required material between gradings, it will take you approximately 6 to 7 years to be allowed to test for your Shodan (1st Dan black belt).

Kyokushin grades or ranks follow the typical Japanese system of “Kyu” grades for coloured belts and “Dan” grades for black belts.

In addition to belt order, there are certain honorary titles that are granted along with rank:
1st Dan – Senpai
2nd Dan – Senpai
3rd Dan – Sensei
4th Dan – Sensei
5th Dan – Shihan
6th Dan – Shihan
7th Dan – Shihan
Ranks above 7th Dan are honored with Hanshi, but it should be said that few ever reach this level.  Further, whilst the system goes to 10th Dan, no one can ever earn a 10th Dan, as that is reserved solely for the founder of Kyokushin Karate, Sosai Mas Oyama.

North Harbour Kyokushin operates as a club rather than a for-profit enterprise.

Rates include all classes in a given period.  Come to as many classes as you would like.