Martial Arts FAQs in Basingstoke

The best starting point depends on the student’s age, interests, goals and preferred style of training. Children join an age-specific programme, while adults can choose from Karate, Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, ladies-only Kickboxing and Tai Chi.

Some people want a lively fitness challenge, others want confidence, practical self-defence, traditional Martial Arts or a calmer form of movement. Our coaches will discuss what you hope to achieve and help you select the most suitable adult class or children’s programme.

Our Basingstoke academy offers children’s Martial Arts, children’s Chinese Kickboxing and family training, together with adult Karate, Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, ladies-only Chinese Kickboxing and Yang-style Tai Chi Chuan.

Our broader Martial Arts programmes develop striking, kicking, blocking, throwing, grappling, groundwork and practical self-protection skills. Each dedicated class has its own technical focus and progressive syllabus.

Karate develops precise strikes, kicks, blocks, movement, partner skills and kata. Kung Fu combines traditional Chinese striking, close-range skills, partner practice and forms.

Muay Thai is an energetic striking art using punches, kicks, knees, elbows, pad work and conditioning. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu concentrates on grappling, positional control and submissions, mainly on the ground. Tai Chi uses slow, controlled movement to develop balance, mobility, coordination and relaxation.

Yes. Most people begin with no previous Martial Arts experience. We introduce the essential movements and safety principles step by step, demonstrate skills clearly and provide individual feedback.

You will not be expected to keep pace with senior grades or somehow know a technique before anyone has taught it. Everybody starts somewhere—even Black Belts once had to work out which foot went where.

Children can start from four years old. Our principal age groups are:

• Rising Heroes: ages 4–6
• Young Legends: ages 6–9
• Urban Warriors: ages 10–13
• Cadets: ages 14–17

We also offer children’s Kickboxing for ages 11–16, family classes and a range of adult programmes.

Yes. Our Family Martial Arts classes in Basingstoke give parents and children the opportunity to learn together, share goals and enjoy positive family time.

Family members can also choose separate age-specific or specialist classes while remaining part of the same friendly academy community.

Of course. If you want to discuss an injury, additional need, confidence concern, previous training or the type of class that will suit you, please contact our Basingstoke team.

We would rather give you an honest recommendation than leave you wondering whether you are fit, flexible or experienced enough to begin.

Complete our free taster class form and tell us which programme interests you. A member of our team will contact you to recommend and confirm the appropriate class and answer your initial questions.

We may also ask about relevant injuries, medical conditions or individual support needs so the coach can prepare properly for your visit.

You will take part in a genuine Shin Gi Tai class, meet the coaches and experience how we teach. A team member will welcome you, show you the facilities and introduce you to the coach.

During the lesson, you will join suitable exercises and techniques with guidance throughout. You will work at an appropriate pace and will not be expected to perform skills you have never encountered before.

Yes. It is a free, no-obligation opportunity for you or your child to experience the programme, coaching approach and atmosphere before deciding whether to join.

Afterwards, we will answer your questions and explain the next steps if you would like to continue. There is no requirement to make an immediate decision.

Wear comfortable sports clothing without zips or hard fastenings. A T-shirt with tracksuit bottoms or leggings is normally ideal. Please bring a drink and remove watches and jewellery before training.

You do not need to buy a Martial Arts uniform or specialist equipment for your taster class.

Please arrive around ten minutes before your first class. This gives you time to find us, meet the team and get ready without rushing.

It also allows the coach to discuss any injuries, concerns or adjustments before the lesson begins.

Yes. We encourage parents and carers to watch children’s lessons, and adult beginners are welcome to bring someone with them.

Our Basingstoke academy has comfortable air-conditioned viewing areas and a café, so you can see what is being taught and support the student’s progress.

You will be able to ask questions and tell us how the session felt. If you or your child would like to continue, our team will explain the suitable training schedule, membership arrangements and any uniform or equipment requirements.

If another programme would suit you better, we will say so and help you explore that option.

Our core memberships are based on attending two classes each week. Members follow a structured syllabus, receive regular coaching and feedback, and work towards meaningful long-term progress.

Our team will explain the membership appropriate to the selected programme after the taster class. We do not publish prices on this page because the correct arrangement depends on the programme and student.

Martial Arts are physical skills, and regular practice is essential. Two weekly classes provide enough repetition to remember techniques, improve coordination and fitness, and continue building safely from one lesson to the next.

For children, the routine also reinforces focus, responsibility and perseverance. Consistency produces much stronger results than occasional attendance.

You do not need a uniform or specialist equipment for your free taster. After joining, the items required will depend on your programme and stage of training.

We will explain exactly what is needed, when it is needed and how it is used. Beginners are not expected to arrive carrying half a Martial Arts shop.

We understand that illness, holidays, work and family life sometimes interrupt attendance. Please let our team know when you will be absent.

Where the timetable and programme allow, we can advise you about an appropriate alternative class or catch-up option.

Gradings are separate, professionally organised events at which students demonstrate the knowledge and skills required for their next level. They are not simply awarded for completing a set number of lessons.

Students are recommended when their coach believes their attendance, understanding, technical ability and behaviour meet the appropriate standard.

A four-year-old and a sixteen-year-old have very different attention spans, coordination, emotional maturity and communication needs. Our four principal age groups allow us to adjust the lesson structure, teaching language, activities and expectations to each stage of development.

This makes training safer, more engaging and more effective than trying to teach every child in one broad mixed-age group.

Yes. Many children feel uncertain when they first enter a new setting. Our coaches introduce nervous children gradually through encouragement, clear routines and achievable steps.

We do not try to change a quiet child’s personality. We help them develop the confidence to participate, communicate and recognise what they can achieve. Parents can remain nearby and watch from the viewing area.

We regularly adapt coaching for different abilities, learning styles, communication needs and confidence levels. Whether a class is suitable depends on the individual child, the programme and the support they require.

Please speak to us before booking so we can understand your child’s needs and give an honest recommendation about the best environment and any reasonable adjustments.

No. Properly taught Martial Arts develop self-control, respect and responsibility. Children learn that physical skills must be practised safely and used responsibly.

We teach awareness, avoidance, communication and sensible decision-making alongside physical self-protection. The goal is not to make children eager to fight, but confident enough not to feel they have something to prove.

Children begin partner work through pre-arranged drills, pad work and controlled exercises. Appropriate forms of sparring can be introduced gradually in relevant programmes as a child’s skill, confidence and understanding develop.

Children are never thrown into uncontrolled fighting and do not take part in hard or full-contact sparring. Safety, control and responsible partnership always come before winning.

Coaches assess progress through our structured syllabus and regular observation. We consider technical ability, understanding, effort, attendance, confidence, behaviour and the ability to work safely with other students.

Children are measured against their own development rather than constantly compared with classmates. We also recognise effort and achievement throughout the year.

For a child training consistently twice each week, the journey to Black Belt commonly takes around five years. The minimum age at which a Shin Gi Tai student can achieve Black Belt is ten, although reaching the required standard at that age is unusual.

This is a guide, not a guaranteed deadline. A Shin Gi Tai Black Belt represents genuine knowledge, skill, maturity and character—not simply time served.

Probably not. Adults begin Martial Arts at many ages and with very different goals. The key is selecting an appropriate programme and receiving coaching that respects your starting point.

Karate, Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and ladies-only Kickboxing offer more dynamic options, while Tai Chi provides gentler, lower-impact training for balance, mobility and wellbeing.

No. Trying to get fit before joining a Martial Arts class is a little like trying to become fluent before taking a language lesson.

Our coaches adapt exercises to different starting levels. With regular training, you can improve cardiovascular fitness, strength, mobility, balance and coordination while learning worthwhile skills.

Training can often be adjusted around an old injury, disability or physical limitation. Please tell us before your taster so the coach can consider suitable adaptations and recommend the right class.

Every situation is different. For some conditions, we may advise you to obtain guidance or clearance from an appropriate healthcare professional before beginning a new activity.

No. Competitions are optional, and ordinary classes are not uncontrolled fight sessions. Partner skills begin with structured exercises that teach distance, timing, technique and safe control.

Controlled sparring may be introduced in suitable programmes, but it is developed progressively. Technical improvement and being a responsible training partner remain the priority.

Muay Thai and ladies-only Kickboxing provide energetic training built around movement, striking, pad work and conditioning. Karate and Kung Fu combine fitness with a broad traditional syllabus and practical partner work.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gives a demanding whole-body grappling workout, while Tai Chi develops controlled movement, posture, mobility and balance at a gentler pace. The most effective option is usually the class you enjoy enough to attend consistently.

Yes. We welcome experienced practitioners as well as complete beginners. Tell the coach about your previous style, grade and training history so we can help you enter the most appropriate class.

Your previous experience will be respected, although grades from another organisation or Martial Art may not represent exactly the same syllabus or technical standard.

Yes. Shin Gi Tai has provided ladies-only Martial Arts training in Basingstoke for more than fifteen years.

Our ladies-only Chinese Kickboxing classes offer a friendly and supportive setting in which women can improve fitness, learn striking and practical self-defence skills, and build confidence. Complete beginners are very welcome.

Yes. Our Yang-style Tai Chi classes are especially suitable for adults seeking gentler, lower-impact exercise. Progressive practice and controlled movements can support balance, coordination, mobility, posture and relaxation.

No previous experience is required, and exercises can often be adapted to individual needs. Tai Chi is not exclusively for older adults, however; younger people can enjoy and benefit from it too.

Our full address is:

Shin Gi Tai Martial Arts Academy
Unit A, Daneshill Central
Armstrong Road
Basingstoke
RG24 8NU

We are in Daneshill, close to Chineham, Lychpit and Old Basing, and approximately half a mile east of Basingstoke town centre. You can also find us using What3words: stars.thanks.mash.

Yes. Free parking is available on site and on the surrounding roads. Please park considerately and follow any restrictions or signs displayed when you visit.

We train in a purpose-fitted, full-time Martial Arts academy rather than a temporarily hired hall. The centre has a 14 × 18 metre ground-floor training area and a 7 × 18 metre upstairs training space, both with specialist Martial Arts flooring.

Members can use an extensive range of striking, grappling, fitness and age-specific training equipment. Parents and visitors have access to comfortable air-conditioned viewing areas and our café while lessons take place. You can explore our Basingstoke facilities here.

Every Shin Gi Tai coach holds a minimum Level 2 coaching qualification recognised through an appropriate Sport England National Governing Body. Our coaching team brings more than 250 years of combined experience and undertakes continuing professional development.

Head Coach Bryan Andrews has around 45 years of Martial Arts experience and more than 40 years of teaching experience. His qualifications include a Master’s degree in Advanced Sports Coaching Practice, senior national coaching awards and Black Belts in five Martial Arts, including 7th Dan Karate and 7th Degree Kung Fu.

Yes. Every coach and member of staff has a current DBS check and receives First Aid and Safeguarding training.

Coaches also complete ongoing development in technical knowledge, safe practice, child development and professional coaching standards.

Safeguarding is central to the way Shin Gi Tai operates. We achieved the Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts kitemark in 2018 and maintain clear policies covering safeguarding, child protection, equality, anti-bullying and coaching conduct.

Concerns can be raised with our Head Coach or welfare team, and our relevant policies and procedures are available on the website.

Qualified coaches plan and supervise every lesson. Techniques are introduced progressively, and students learn how to practise with control and look after their training partners.

Specialist flooring and suitable equipment support safer practice. Pad work, throwing, grappling, groundwork and sparring are introduced according to the student’s age, experience and ability. Safety means providing the right challenge with the right preparation and supervision.

We run children’s, teenage and adult classes across the week. The precise days vary by age group and Martial Art.

Please check our current Basingstoke Martial Arts timetable before booking, as availability and class times can change.

We recommend two classes each week. This provides enough repetition to build physical skills while allowing time to recover and process new information between sessions.

Regular attendance also helps students form friendships, maintain motivation and progress steadily through the syllabus.

Students follow a progressive syllabus in which new techniques, knowledge and responsibilities are introduced at each level. Early grades build sound fundamental movement, control and understanding.

More advanced grades include increasingly complex combinations, practical applications, partner skills and deeper knowledge. The exact grading pathway depends on the Martial Art or programme being studied.

Grading opportunities are organised regularly, but students are invited only when their coach believes they are ready.

Readiness is based on attendance, knowledge, technical standard, effort and the ability to perform safely and consistently. This protects the value and credibility of every grade.

No. Competition is available for suitable students who want it, but it is never compulsory. Many members train for fitness, self-defence, confidence, wellbeing or personal development.

Our record of 11 World Champions and more than 170 National Champions demonstrates the standard of coaching available, but every member’s personal goal is respected.

Yes. Depending on the programme, students learn movement, striking, blocking, throwing, grappling, groundwork and methods of escaping from holds.

Effective self-defence begins before physical contact, so we also teach awareness, avoidance, boundary setting, decision-making and the responsible use of force. Avoiding unnecessary confrontation is always the best result.

Depending on the programme, students may use focus mitts, Thai pads, kick shields, punch bags, grappling equipment, protective equipment and tools for fitness, balance and coordination.

Using appropriate equipment helps students practise with resistance, accuracy and control while developing timing, fitness and power safely.