When do the beginners courses start?
We welcome new beginners in August /September and in January /February, when the terms begin. If you have practiced karate before, then write what level you are at, and we can often arrange a place during the semester as well.
How old must I be to join Yorokobi?
You must be at least 7 years old before the start of the term, but can be any age over that. We have members who have passed both 50, 60 and 70 years of age. You train karate based on your own conditions. At Yorokobi, many parents start training together with their children. Approximately half of all children and young people in our club have parents who also train. We also have many adult members who train in the club without accompanying children.
Please note that no exceptions are made to the rules above. This also applies if you turn 7 shortly after the start of the term, an older sibling is about to start training or is already training in the club or if you consider the child to be very mature for its age.
Why does Yorokobi not accept students who are younger than 7 years old?
Children develop differently and in different pace, especially when it comes to coordination and concentration. We practice traditional karate with complex movement patterns and our beginner sessions are one hour long. You must be able to participate, listen to the instructor, be able to concentrate and train for a full hour. Although we have some playtime and games and movement exercises during the training sessions, the main focus is to learn traditional karate. The children should be able to perform the same exercises as adults when grading for the next belt. In addition, it should be fun and inspiring to train, practice and there must be a will to learn karate. If you are younger than 7 years old it can be difficult to keep up and then it usually doesn’t feel that much fun to exercise – and at Yorokobi we believe that exercise should be joyful, fun and developing! From our long experience of training children, we know that if the training does not feel fun or too difficult or too disciplined there is a big risk that you will stop training and that’s very sad. Then it’s much better to wait a semester or two before you start training karate. There is no rush to start too early with martial arts. This is the main reason we have set an absolute minimum limit of seven years old at the start of the semester. This also applies if an older sibling is about to start training or is already training in the club, or if the child is very mature for its age. No exceptions are made.
What does it cost?
Membership fee is 100 kr/year and is paid on the first invoice of the year.
Training fee:
1050 kr/term for children up to 17 years old
1450 kr/term for adults from 18 years old
Do adults and children train separately in Yorokobi?
No. At Yorokobi, we have chosen not to divide the groups according to age, but instead according to the belt level, which means that adults, teenagers and children train together. It enables, among other things, parents to be able to exercise together with their children. It sometimes happens that we divide larger groups into children’s groups and adults groups during the training session for different exercises, but we stay in the same classroom.
Do I have to fill in a registration form if I just want to come and try karate twice for free?
Yes, it’s mandatory to fill in the form, even if you only want to try karate for free twice. If you don’t want to continue practicing karate after the trial sessions, just open your digital invoice that you have received by e-mail and click the option to unsubscribe, and the information you have provided will be automatically deleted.
Please note that if you are an adult who is going to train with your child/children or if several siblings are to be registered, separate forms must be filled in for each person who is going to train. (it’s not possible to use one form for the whole household due to technical reasons in our admin system. If only one form is used:only one person will be registered).
When can I/we come for the two free of charge sessions to try karate?
The two trial training sessions is to be done in connection with the start of the semester. From the start of the term, you can test for free twice within a thee-week period. You do not need to register or inform which day you are coming, however, it is mandatory to have filled in a registration form on this website and you must have received an OK by e-mail that you are welcome to come. (Sometimes the group is full and then you may have to wait for a short while). To know which date the term starts: If you have registered via our registration form you will received and e-mail with information. We know that sometimes the e-mails from us ends up in peoples junk mail (nothing we can influence unfortunately), so please also check you junk mail if you haven’t heard from us. It’s always recommended to keep an eye also on our website, where important information is published.
My/my childs friend is a Yorokobi member since a while back and I/ my child want to practice with the friend - is it possible to skip the beginners class and join the friends group instead?
No. (Only to the extent that you have practiced karate before and grading has been registered in the grading book, you may start training in a group other than the beginner group).
I have other activities the same day and time as the beginner class - can I join a different group that practies on a day that suits me better?
No. (Only to the extent that you have practiced karate before and grading has been registered in the grading book, you may start training in a group other than the beginner group).
I wish to join my childs classes and practice together with the child - do I also need to apply for a personal membership and pay fees for both of us?
Yes, both young and adult members who participate and train must register and pay the personal membership fee and the training fee.
We are two parents/legal guardians who are planning to take turns and train with our child every second training session – is it enough that we register and pay for only one adult?
No, it’s not possible for several persons to share the membership fee and training fee. If both parents/legal guardians will train with the child, both parents need to sign up an pay the fees, even if you choose to only attend only every other training session.
Do I have pay the invoice before the first training session?
No. All beginners get to try karate for free the two first times. The invoice for the membership and training fee is sent out to all members by e-mail at the start of the term, which means that the invoice usually arrives before you have had time to do your two free trial training sessions. If you decide to continue to train karate with Yorokobi you need to pay the invoice by the third training session. Please note that no refunds of the fees will be made if you or your child chose to drop out later during the term. If you don’t want to continue; just click that you want to unsubscribe directly in the digital invoice, and you will automatically be removed from reminders and the mailing list. The information you have provided about yourself will be automatically deleted. You don’t have to give a reason why you don’t want to continue, but are welcome to give us your feed back of course.
How do I cancel my/my childs membership?
If you/your child do not want to continue after the two free trail training sessions, click that you want to unsubscribe directly on the digital invoice that you received by e-mail. You will automatically be removed from reminders and from our mailing list. The information you have provided about yourself/your child will be automatically deleted. You don’t have to give a reason why you don’t want to continue, but are of course welcome to give us your feedback.
I/my child started training and paid the invoice, but later regretted it and quit training. Can we get a refund of the training fee?
No, there is no refund of the membership and training fee if you/your child choose to quit later during the term.
Something came up and I/my child cannot join the next training session - do I need to contact the club or an instructor and inform them that we are unable to attend the class?
No.
I/my child have missed several training sessions, can I pay a lower/adjusted training fee or get a refund?
No. The training fee is fixed and is not adjusted for individual members due to not being able to participate in all training sessions during the term. This applies regardless of whether, for example, you were unable to participate due to illness, had obstacles, were on a waiting list and got a place a while after the start of the term, training sessions had to be canceled by the club, you yourself consider that you have received unclear /late information etc. (We remind you that we are a completely non-profit sports association, where no profits are collected and no one who is involved in the association, as instructor or board member is paid for their work)
Do I have to wear karate clothes to start beginners class?
No. Appropriate clothing in the beginning is tracksuit trousers and a t-shirt. When you decide to continue training, you can buy a karate suit (gi) and a belt. You can buy this through the club, find second hand or buy a new set in a budo shop. We always train barefoot.
Do I need to remove my jewelry and my watch?
Yes. Please note that all jewelry (earrings, rings, necklaces, bracelets, piercings etc) and watches must be removed due to the risk of bodily injuries (both to yourself and your training companions) and also the risk of valuables getting damaged or lost. If earrings or a piercing cannot be removed you must cover them with tape. Hair pins or similar in metal or plastic must also be avoided (soft material is ok).
Do I have to train hard?
You participate in the training based on your own conditions and goals, but of course always based on the rules in the dojo. Our instructors are there to help and to guide you. If you aim to grade at the end of the semester you must attend training and know and be able to show the techniques for the next level. If you are unsure about grading, talk to your instructor.
When does grading to a new belt take place?
The possibility of grading to a new belt is offered at the end of each term. In order to be allowed to try for the next grade you must have achieved sufficient knowledge and skills for the next level and have had at least 50% attendance during the term (and even higher attendance for higher grades). If you are unsure, talk to your instructor, who is there to guide and support. Please remember: the color of the belt is not the most important thing, but it is that the training should be joyful and that you thereby develop your karate. Grading to a new belt is something you try when you are ready and when that happens varies from person to person – everyone is different! For beginners, the vast majority are usually ready to graduate to their first belt after the first term, pending on at least 50% attendance. However, when reaching higher grades it is not as obvious that you grade as often. At Yorokobi, you train karate based on your own conditions and you can train karate throughout your life, so there is no rush.
What are the times and days for beginner classes?
Information about times and venues for each training group is found in the top menu.
Where do you train?
We train in Liljeholmshallen and Västertorpshallen. Information about time and venue for each group is found in the top menu or in the calendar here on the web site.
Can I get a receipt of the training fee for employer health care allowance purposes?
Of course you can. Do this:
- Wait a few days after paying the invoice.
- Click on the invoice link you received (the invoice e-mail). The invoice should now be marked clearly with “paid”. (If it’s not marked “paid” even though you have paid more than a week ago, please contact kassor@yorokobikarate.se)
- Print the invoice. (Please do this asap as the link to the digital invoice stops working after a few weeks)
Is Yorokobi a profit-driven business?
No, Yorokobi is a completely non-profit sports association. No profits are withdrawn or paid out. No board members, instructors, assistant instructors, or any other person are paid for their work in the club. All people who are involved in the club volunteer for free in their spare time.
What does Yorokobi means and what karate style is practiced in the club?
Yorokobi is Japanese and means joy. We want the training in the club to bring joy.
Wadoryu is the karate style we practice in the club, where “wa” means peace/harmony and “do” means way and “ryu” means style. Wadoryu is one of the four major karayte styles in the world along with Gojoryu, Shitoryu and Shotokan.
Yorokobi is affiliated with WIKF , Wado International Karate-Do Federation.
Yorokobi is a member of Swedish Karate Association and the Swedish National Sports Association.
Are there some more photos from Yorokobi’s trainings sessions and events?
Sure! Feel free to visit our member group on Facebook (public) and our Facebook page (public) and/or our Instagram account (@karateklubbenyorokobi). Please find links on the top right side on our website.
How do I get in touch with Yorokobi?
You are always welcome to talk to your instructors in connection with the training sessions. You can also send an e-mail to Yorokobi @ yorokobikarate.se, however please note that since we are a non-profit association and everyone who answers e-mails does so outside of normal office/working hours, we do not guarantee that you will receive a swift response.
