🥋 The Dojo Digest
Autumn 2026 — Stamullen Martial Arts
Stay Connected with the Dojo
Our website is packed with information about the services offered at the Dojo, including YouTube videos for at-home practice across belt grades, plus articles and updates from the Dojo and the wider karate community.
Visit us at: www.stamullenmartialarts.com
The Family That Trains Together… Stays Together
Training with family members, sweating together, building strength together, and working towards a shared fitness goal can bring a family closer. If you have ever thought about taking up a hobby with your child, we highly recommend considering Karate. Even if your child has already started their martial arts journey, it is never too late to join them.
We asked parents and children to share their experiences of training together.
Parent Questions
Why did you decide to start Karate training with your child?
Silvija: “To understand Karate better so I can help Domantas in practice, to have fun together, to keep fit — and it’s a sport I’ve always wanted to try.”
John: “I found the Dojo to be a place of excellence. It is bright, warm and safe with very high standards. Sitting watching Brayden in class, I asked Sensei if I was too old to join, and the rest is history.”
Do you see any difference in your child since learning Karate?
Silvija: “Having the same hobby keeps the relationship even closer between child and parent, and it motivates Domantas to keep going rather than giving up.”
John: “Karate teaches respect, exercise in safety, how to defend and how to fight. Karate is taught, but also the importance of walking away from a fight. I hadn’t appreciated all of this until I watched Brayden training. All of the above has certainly helped Brayden in his development; he walks taller and is a lot more confident.”
Child Questions
Do you like doing Karate with your parent? What are the pros or cons?
Domantas: “I like to train with my Mom because I trust her the most, and I like when she watches me train.”
Brayden: “I enjoy training with my Dad, I especially like doing sparring and pad work.”
If partnered together, do you go easier or harder than with others in the Dojo?
Domantas: “We both go hard on each other!”
Brayden: “Dad’s punches and blocks are firm with control because that is what I expect from him.”
Skills & Drills
Let’s do some homework together. What we are taught in class is important to practise at home. Over the summer, we have heard the phrase “Body Forward” over and over again. The reason it is being drilled into us is because of the importance of this technique. This is where we generate power from — our whole body — and that starts with our legs and hips.
Sensei’s advice is to stand in front of a mirror and practise. When we are blocking, our hip should be back; when we are striking, our hip should be facing to the front.
“Practice Makes Permanent — only perfect practice makes perfect.”
Going to the Doctor
Written by Sensei Seamus O’Dowd
I have used this analogy in class a few times and it seems to hit home, but some of you may not have heard it. It is an extremely important message.
Let’s say you have a chest infection and you go to the doctor. The doctor gives you a prescription for antibiotics and tells you to take them three times a day for seven days, and then you will be cured. You say, “Yes doctor, I’ll do that,” but you go home and don’t do it.
A week later you go back to the doctor and tell him you still have a chest infection. The doctor asks if you took the antibiotics and you tell him you didn’t. “Okay,” he says, “please take the antibiotics this week — three times a day for seven days.” You say, “Yes doctor, I’ll do that,” but again you go home and don’t do it.
A week later you go back to the doctor because you still have a chest infection. Again the doctor asks if you took the antibiotics, and again you admit you didn’t. Again he tells you to follow his instructions, and again you promise to do so. But you don’t.
How silly would this be? How many times would it take for the doctor to get fed up and tell you that he can’t treat you if you won’t follow his instructions?
This is how it often feels in Karate class. From the day you started Karate with me, I have told everyone that it is not enough to come to class and then go home and forget about Karate until the next class. I tell everyone that they must put in some work at home — even just a few minutes each day.
I ask students to “brush their teeth” (you all know what that means). I tell students that when I give a correction in class, it is up to them to work on it at home and at least show improvement by the next class.
I tell people that if they are in the habit of doing something the wrong way, it will take hundreds or even thousands of repetitions the correct way to fix the bad habit, and that this must be done at home. Yet very few people ever follow my instructions and put in the required work outside of class.
The people who do put in the effort outside of class make great progress. The ones who don’t put in the effort struggle to advance and wonder why others are passing them out.
You don’t pay me to be your trainer. You pay me to teach you what you need to know in order for you to become good at Karate. Not following what I tell you to do seems to me just as silly as the person not following the doctor’s orders.
Upcoming Karate Events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 12–13 September | Sensei Ray Payne is visiting our Dojo for a weekend seminar. More details will follow via email. |
| 1–30 September | We are inviting entries to an essay-writing competition. Any essay that includes either Karate or Tai Chi as part of the essay will be accepted. Prizes will be awarded for children (12 and under), teens and adults. |
| 31 October · 4:00pm | Halloween Party at the Dojo. Everyone is welcome to attend for a disco and treats before an evening of Trick or Treating. We look forward to seeing all the scary costumes! |
| 23–29 November | Sensei Murakami will be visiting Ireland, with seminars and gradings taking place. Those who are grading and advised to attend the training seminars will be notified by email closer to the time. This week of seminars is strongly advised for all Brown and Black Belts. |
| Monday 21 December | Our annual Sensei Santa class. More details will follow via email. |
New Members
- Beginner Karate: Classes start Friday 4 September and run every Wednesday and Friday at 6:00pm, plus Sundays at 10:00am.
- Beginner Tai Chi: Classes start Friday 4 September and run every Wednesday and Friday at 7:00pm.
- Tiger Tots: Ongoing throughout the year. New members are welcome. For ages 4–6, every Tuesday at 5:00pm.
- Fitness Classes: Resume Tuesday 8 September at 7:00pm.
Help us spread the word! If you know someone who would like to join, please pass on my details. For every new person you refer to the Dojo who joins, you will receive a cash payment: €10 for Tiger Tots and €20 for Karate or Tai Chi. This applies to new members only.
“Train together. Improve together. Belong together.”
Recent Dojo Events
The summer holidays are nearly over, and we have enjoyed some great recent Dojo gatherings. In class we work hard and take Karate seriously, but outside of class we know how to enjoy ourselves and connect on a different level.
In May, there was a coffee morning where we gathered for treats, drinks and a chat, with proceeds going to humanitarian aid for Ukraine and to support the Dojo.
In July, we had a summer party with a bouncy castle, swimming pool and BBQ. It was great to see so many people from Karate, Tai Chi and Tiger Tots all coming together for some fun. There was great teamwork when it came to bringing food, ice, drinks, ice pops, bubbles and outdoor games. A great time was had by all!
Congratulations! 🎉
Kuba and Kyle recently passed their Black Belt grading with Kanazawa Nobuaki Sensei in Cork. They have settled well into their new role as Seniors in the Dojo and are a great example to all our young members, showing what hard work and hours of practice can achieve.
Congratulations to Ania on receiving her Shodan Diploma from her Black Belt grading with Murakami Sensei last year.
Thank you to everyone who helps make the Dojo a welcoming and supportive community.
Stamullen Martial Arts
📞 085 280 4000
🌐 www.stamullenmartialarts.com
Autumn 2026
Stamullen Martial Arts 