Akagawa Blog

Welcome to our blog

This is where we will be uploading our events and happenings within and outside of our clubs.

Please check back regularly as we will be updating this area frequently.

We hope to bring you the ups and downs of our clubs as well as achievements and accolades from our students and instructors.

Feel free to get in touch using the form in the 'Contact us' section.

May '23 - Karate for Mental Health - How did Akagawa start?

In May 2023 Sempai Rachel, Sempai Kev and myself went on a course in Newquay. This was held by Atlantic Karate based in the town. It was our first time attending this course, but I had met with Sensei Lee Phillips, Atlantic Karate's founder, on a previous course the year before. What we witnessed was 50 or so like minded karate ka, all looking at the same point but from slightly different angles. For us it was an epiphany and was the catalyst for our becoming independent and creating Akagawa.

Six weeks later, after some brilliant advice from Sensei Lee Phillips and Sensei Clare Potter from Sakura Martial Arts in Newton Abbot, we had gotten all our ducks in a row including DBS clearances, Child protection policies, H&S policies, Risk assessments and Safeguarding practices. We sorted our insurances etc and on the 22nd June 2023 Akagawa was born.

Karate for Mental Health - 14th May 2023, @ St Columb Minor Academy, Newquay

June '24 - More great courses for Akagawa

2024 was a brilliant year for us, we attended another KFMH course again in Newquay, a course hosted by Atlantic Karate with John Johnson Sensei as the guest instructor at Sensei Lee Phillips dojo in the town and we held our own course at Buzz Fitness in Scorrier, Redruth during the same two weeks in June.

All the courses were incredible with some awesome people in attendance, but our own course, instructed by John Johnson Sensei (Adaptive Karate) and Sensei Dave Shaw (Sheffield Karate Club) was very special. Not a massive event but a well attended course and a lot was taken away by our students as well as Sandokai karate and Tresillian Wado Ryu who attended the event as well.

December '24 - Apparel

Akagawa Karate supply students with student Karate-Gi's but for a bit more 'snap' we can supply heavier weight styles from one of our four suppliers, however, Akagawa karate also supply our own, bespoke karate gi made to our own specification and are available in both black and white 14oz cotton fabric.

We also have a dedicated Art Martial store online in which students, parents, friends and family can kit themselves out with hoodies, tee shirts and beanies along with holdalls and rucksacks to carry their kit to training. Students can order direct and have the 'merch' delivered to their home address.

May '25 - Doing it for the girls!

Meet Sempai Rachel Collett and Sempai Antonina Sienkiewicz. They are two of the new Dan grades at Akagawa.

Sempai Rach obtaining her Shodan in November '24 and Sempai Antonina obtaining hers in May '25.

Both women showed an incredible amount of effort and understanding in their relative gradings and did not just do Akagawa proud but also themselves.

They are the first (including Sempai Kevin Singh) Dan grades Akagawa have trained and hopefully are the first of many more with a few more hot on their tails, including a couple of potential junior black belts.

What is great is that they add a female perspective to our training with Sempai Rach being the assistant instructor at Lanner Dojo and Sempai Antonina teaching and training at both Lanner and Troon clubs.