About Us
Established over 30 years ago to teach Karate, Judo and Jujitsu to all levels of adults and children in South London and Surrey
Yoshin Ryu started in the late seventies as a collection of clubs based in youth centres and sports halls around the Croydon area run by Errol Field as its Founder and Senior Coach.
Then in the mid nineties Errol purchased an old church in Coulsdon and converted it into a full time dojo and HQ of Yoshin Ryu. This building was called Coulsdon Martial Arts.
The dojo now hosts classes 6 days of the week and special events, such as competitions and grading’s are held on Sundays. Please see the Classes section for a description of the different martial arts on offer and the Timetable section for information on times, and who would be best suited to each class.
The club is very active in each of its disciplines regularly competing in local, national and international competitions as well as providing displays for schools, festivals and we are often called upon to provide genuine martial artists for television programs.
Styles of Martial Arts taught
JuJitsu – JuJitsu is probably best described as a combination of Judo and Karate, it was also the inspiration that led to the creation of these two martial arts. Sometimes called JuiJitsu or JuJutsu it combines the stand up elements of punching, kicking and throwing with the ground techniques of grappling, hold downs and submissions.
JuJitsu Kumite (Sport JuJitsu) – A modern sport that takes the techniques of Ju-Jitsu and allows competitors to fight against each other using a combination of punching and kicking typical of Karate competitions and the throwing, locking and ground techniques seen in Judo competitions, all rolled into one event. This is semi contact and has rules that are designed to keep the fight as exciting as possible while keeping a very high level of safety.
Judo – Judo has developed into probably the best known and most popular martial art and has been an Olympic sport for many year now. Known as the Gentle Way, Judo is based on gripping and throwing your opponent in an effortless fashion without any of the impact of punches or kicks.
Karate – Karate is a martial art of Japanese origin that deals with attacks through evasive body movements and / or blocking, and counter attacks using kicks, punches and strikes.
We teach a style of Karate known as Shotokan Karate it was developed by Gichin Funakoshi (1868 – 1957).
Shoto – meaning “pine waves” (represents the movement of pine needles when the wind blows through them) and Kan meaning “house or hall”.
The practice of karate is divided into three elements: Kihon (basics), Kata (forms or patterns of moves) and Kumite (sparring). In Karate these three elements constantly overlap and rely on each other. As a system of self defence, karate does not teach a set of standard responses to a set of limited scenarios, but instead teaches a set of principles that can be applied to any situation.
Karate will keep you fit and healthy, it develops balance, co-ordination, aerobic fitness, strength, flexibility as well as developing speed. It also challenges the brain and requires constant mental alertness and agility. The “Dojo Kun” “training hall” rules, lists five philosophical rules for training in the dojo: seek perfection of character, be faithful, endeavour to excel, respect others and refrain from violent behaviour. Funakoshi wrote: “The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of the participant.”
Our President
The club President is Mr Brian Jacks – 10th Dan Judo, Olympic judo medallist, countless other European and World titles and probably best known for his dominance of the BBC Superstars programs.
