Our Mission:
Putting the soul back into Karate
Zen Bujutsu Kai Karate is dedicated to returning karate to it’s original purpose as a means for self defence and self improvement.
Zen Bujutsu Kai Karate is dedicated to returning karate to it’s original purpose as a means for self defence and self improvement.
Join others in a small group setting learning the key principles of Shorin-Ryu Karate, the traditional empty hand martial art from Okinawa including strikes, kicks, body shifting, throws, & joint locks.
For those with Karate experience: Learn Ryukyu Kobudo, the traditional weapons martial art of Okinawa. Featuring Bo, Sai, Nunchaku & Tonfa.
1 on 1 training with lead instructor Ben who offers block bookings for Karate, Kobudo & supllementary training
Main Focus:
Strength & Conditioning
Self Defence
Form & Technique
Kata
Monday – Saturday
Early Morning, Afternoon or Evening
Zen Bujutsu Kai Karate is one of Edinburgh’s leading Karate schools for learning Traditional Okianwan martial arts.
It aims to promote mental and physical wellbeing by forming healthy habits.
In cultivating inner wellbeing, and learning vital self defence applications, Edinburgh Karate seeks to empower it’s students to face the challenges and threats of the world.
The students of Edinburgh Karate should, with sufficient training, feel confident and self disciplined enough to achieve lifetime goals by persevering and reducing the intrinsic fear of others.
"To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the highest skill. To subdue the enemy with out fighting is the highest skill. The ultimate aim of the art of karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the characters of its participants.”
— Funakoshi Gichin, Founder of Shotokan-Ryu Karate
“I think we must avoid treating Karate as a sport – it must be a martial art at all times! Your fingers and the tips of your toes must be like arrows, your arms must be like iron. You have to think that if you kick, you try to kick the enemy dead. If you punch, you must thrust to kill.”
— Chibana Choshin, Founder of Shorin-Ryu Karate
Having been stuck in a rut with my karate journey after religiously practicing for several years, Ben’s unique expertise and enthusiasm helped revive my passion for the art. He went over concepts often forgotten or misunderstood in most dojos -- if you’ve trained in one exclusively, be prepared and keep an open mind as it can be akin to taking the red pill. I did notice a pattern of dialogue where Ben would ask leading questions to get the conventional (aka wrong) answer out of us so that he could explain the correct way. This learning framework may not be suited to everyone, but given the context that he might be used to working with (dispelling commonly taught misconceptions in karate), the approach does make sense. Overall, the content Ben shared during our session really helped me understand the potential techniques behind my movements. He’s also incredibly patient and excellent at explaining things in a relatable and fun way. If you’re in Edinburgh, I highly recommend training with Ben! His friendliness and willingness to share his rare knowledge makes him a gem of a teacher.
- C Cain