Wirral Shotokan Karate Club

Wirral Shotokan Karate Club Sensei Frank Cope 8th Dan was the founder of The British Martial Arts Association and WSKC. We train We have gradings every three months for all club members.

We practice Kihon, Kumite and Kata adhering to the principles of Sensei Gichin Funakoshi the founder of Shotokan karate. Started by Sensei Frank Cope (7th Dan) in 1965, Wirral Shotokan Karate has been a feature of Wirral Martial Arts for nearly 60 years. We train Tuesday, Wednesday,Thursday, Friday and Sunday across multiple locations. Sensei Cope learnt his art from the world famous Sensei Enoeda

and Kanazawa and was one of the first students of the famous Red Triangle Club in Liverpool. We are a very friendly and welcoming club for beginners and all abilities. Feel free to come along to one of our training sessions. We offer your first week as a free trial. Also have a look at our website. Look forward to meeting you. Club Times
Tuesday 6.00pm Juniors - Co-op Academy Bebington
Tuesday 7.00pm Adults - Co-op Academy Bebington
Wednesday 6.30pm Adults - Windsor Close Community Centre
Thursday 6.30pm Juniors and Adults - New Ferry Village Hall
Friday 7.00pm Adults - New Ferry Village Hall
Sunday 10.00am Adults - Windsor Close Community Centre

Weekly Instructors
Sensei Frank Cope Jr
Sensei Eddie Bailey
Sensei Ian Cope
Sensei Philip Keary
Sensei Gary Jones
Sensei Mel Kelly

We also have multiple other in-club instructors and regularly invite instruction from other styles and arts.

05/06/2026

Our members trying to explain to their wives why they’re bought 5 Gi’s, a Makiwara board, 3 punch bags and a samurai sword.

31/05/2026

Karate drills are often designed around pairs because most techniques involve a clear attacker–defender relationship. When you add a third person, several challenges appear:

1. Uneven participation
* In a two-person drill, both people are active all the time.
* In a three-person drill, one person can easily become a spectator unless the drill is specifically designed to rotate roles rapidly.

2. Distance and positioning
* Most kihon ippon kumite and partner drills assume a single line of attack.
* With three people, someone is often out of range or in an awkward position.

3. Safety
* Multiple moving people increase the chance of collisions, accidental strikes, or stepping into another person’s technique.

4. Learning focus
* Beginners benefit from repeating the same movement many times.
* In groups of three, each person gets fewer repetitions because roles must rotate.

5. Traditional curriculum
* Many karate training methods evolved from one-on-one combat concepts, so instructors naturally have a large library of partner drills but fewer three-person drills.

The trick is to design the drill so all three people are engaged almost continuously. If someone spends more than a few seconds waiting, the drill usually feels awkward compared with a pair exercise.

A bit violent at training tonight poor Phil had his toe nail completely ripped off, I hope it doesn’t put him off 😂
28/05/2026

A bit violent at training tonight poor Phil had his toe nail completely ripped off, I hope it doesn’t put him off 😂

Well tonight was hotter than Megan Foxes lingerie shoot, but a few dedicated lads braved the heat to train. There’s no b...
26/05/2026

Well tonight was hotter than Megan Foxes lingerie shoot, but a few dedicated lads braved the heat to train. There’s no better feeling than leaving that dojo dripping in sweat, tugging for breath with a massive smile on your face. Well done those lads. In a bizarre turn of events, Sensei also let us dress down. He must be going soft!

When it’s bank holiday weekend and you can slip in a few drinks between your karate 🍺🍺🍺
02/05/2026

When it’s bank holiday weekend and you can slip in a few drinks between your karate 🍺🍺🍺

Let’s welcome our new Wednesday night members, Liz and Rich. Both loving it
22/04/2026

Let’s welcome our new Wednesday night members, Liz and Rich. Both loving it

A sweaty session last night, even our new members got stuck in.We have a new beginners section starting soon, contact us...
22/04/2026

A sweaty session last night, even our new members got stuck in.

We have a new beginners section starting soon, contact us for details

One of our newest members young Blake has previously trained in the Philippines. He’s training hard and will be graded s...
21/04/2026

One of our newest members young Blake has previously trained in the Philippines. He’s training hard and will be graded soon.
He has been made welcome by all members. He has definitely found his home at WSKC.

15/04/2026

A quiet class last night, but it gave us a chance to break away from the syllabus and play around with different techniques and delivery applications.

Although we still practised our karate basics, we worked through a variety of feinting techniques. First of all feigning the body kick which usually prompts the opponent to drop their hands and block, leaving the face and throat exposed.

The attacker then delivers a barrage of strikes straight down the barrel after the feint.

Kizame Geri (feint) - Gyaku Tsuki, Mawashi Empi
Mi Geri (feint) - Oi Tsuki, Gyaku Tsuki

Tips for Effective Feinting:

✅ Use Your Hips: Authentic feints require shoulder and hip movement.

✅ Switch It Up: Feint with your right leg to set up a left-side strike, and vice-versa.

✅ Watch the Reaction: If they lower their hands to catch a body kick, fake the kick and follow up with a punch to the head and / or elbow.

✅ Keep it Realistic: Do not overcommit or you may get countered.

Have some fun and enjoy your training.
That’s what we are all there for 🥋🥊

It’s sensei Ian Copes birthday in a few days. Spot the difference 😂😂😂
27/02/2026

It’s sensei Ian Copes birthday in a few days.
Spot the difference 😂😂😂

Address

Licence Applications, 42 Childwall Green
Wirral
CH495NP

Opening Hours

Tuesday 7pm - 8pm
Wednesday 7pm - 8pm
Thursday 7pm - 8pm
Friday 7pm - 8pm
Sunday 10am - 11am

Website

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