Welcome To Cornelly Karate

Welcome to The Cornelly Karate Website.  This site is associated with Cornelly Shotokan Club, Pyle Shotokan and Cefn Cribwr shotokan. They are run by Sensei Darryl Thomas and founded by Sensei Adam Kinsella 5th Dan.  These clubs are just three of the many clubs under the guidance of the Welsh Karate Union run by Chief Instructor Sensei Paul Watson 6th Dan. Together these clubs cover a variety of nights to suit everyone.  The clubs within the Welsh Karate Union are Cornelly, Pyle, Cefn Cribbwr, Bridgend, Bryncethin, Pencoed, Llantwit Major and even Kidwelly...  Recently we have also welcomed clubs from Maesteg, Bryn, Cardiff and Cowbridge, for more details on these clubs please visit the Welsh Karate Union link on the task bar.

All of the above clubs are taught in the Shotokan form of Karate.  Shotokan Karate is a modern exponent of Okinawan Karate, which was founded by Sensei Gichin Funakoshi.

Gichin Funakoshi was born in shuri, Okinawa in 1868. As a boy, he was trained by two famous masters of that time. Each trained him in a different Okinawan martial art. From Yasutsune Azato he learned Shuri-te. From Yasutsune Itosu, he learned Naha-te. It would be the melding of these two styles that would one day become Shotokan karate.

Funakoshi-sensei is the man who introduced karate to Japan. In 1917 he was asked to perform his martial art at a physical education exhibition sponsored by the Ministry of Education. He was asked back again in 1922 for another exhibition. He was asked back a third time, but this was a special performance. He demonstrated his art for the emporer and the royal family! Atfer this, Funakoshi-sensei decided to remain in Japan and teach and promote his art.

Gichin Funakoshi passed away in 1957 at the age of 88. Aside from creating Shotokan karate and introducing it to Japan and the world, he also wrote the very book on the subject of karate, "Ryukyu Kempo: Karate-do". He also wrote "Karate-Do Kyohan" - The Master Text, the "handbook" of Shotokan and he wrote his autobiography, "Karate-Do: My Way of Life". These books and his art are a fitting legacy for this unassuming and gentle man.