Two members from Haslemere Karate Academy went to France for a special training seminar with a grandmaster.

The three-day seminar in Paris was run by Wado-Ryu Karate Grandmaster H. Otsuka III with nine hours of training per day. Otsuka who is from Japan, is conducting a short tour of Europe in Rome, Paris and Oslo.

Club instructor Corin Pegden (5th Dan) and senior student Amir Din (1st Dan) participated in elite level training sessions alongside more than 200 other attendees. The seminar covered many aspects of karate, specifically showing how to move in a martial arts way to generate power, efficiency and relaxed movement.

It is an exciting time for the club as student Madi Silver will be in Japan in August, where she will be fighting for England in the Wado-Ryu World Championships. The club trains every Wednesday at Shottermill Junior School and has a children’s class at 6.30pm and an adults and teenager class at 7.30pm.

It runs under the guidance of chief instructor and world renowned expert M. Shiomitsu (9th Dan Hanshi). New students are always welcome whether they want to start or continue a martial arts journey. Getting to learn dynamic, authentic and traditional Wado Ryu karate in a safe, controlled and friendly environment.

Corin said: “I have been teaching the class in Haslemere since 1997 and I’m pretty sure it is the longest standing martial arts club around!”

There are also clubs in Aldershot, Farnham and Guildford. For more information, visit www.surreykarate.co.uk