About

The BCKA was formed in 2011, a spin off from the British Combat Association (BCA) to provide a ‘home’ for those Instructors and Clubs that are still involved in mainstream Karate. 

The founders of the BCA, Peter Consterdine and Geoff Thompson are at heart Karateka and never lost their appreciation of the great foundation Karate gave them, and on which they built their own unique combat systems. 

The BCKA mirrors the key principles upon which the BCA has been very succesfully built – no politics, a great administration service, immediate help and support, an understanding of the need for change and growth and, above all else, a network of friendly, like minded people for whom Karate has been life enhancing.

After 23 highly successful years of service to the self defence and mixed martial arts community through the British Combat Association (BCA), Peter Consterdine 9th Dan and Geoff Thompson 8th Dan, in 2011 launched a new Association to cater specifically for the interests of the UK Karateka – the British Combat Karate Association (BCKA), which provides a ‘home’ for the traditional (all styles), freestyle, sports and the more ‘combat’ (jutsu) oriented club or group.

Opened in 2017 by Sensei Joe Andrews, Somerset Applied Karate is all about moving Karate into the future and providing a rounded curriculum to for all to learn how to defend themselves and gain crucial life skills like confidence and coordination. Self-defence is a right and we believe it is important to cover subjects like fight prevention, de-escalation and sufficient fight tactics to shorten and end conflict using reasonable and necessary force, all whilst developing the important life skills you only get from martial arts.

Somerset Applied Karate believes there is much knowledge to acquire in and out of Karate and students are encouraged to get out there and train with as many respectable instructors as possible to broaden their understanding of martial arts. The syllabus is a reflection of the knowledge of the instructors. The more the instructors learn, the greater the syllabus becomes and ultimately benefits the students in the long run.

Sensei Greg Lynham joined Somerset Applied Karate in 2019 as a fellow experienced instructor and it wasn’t long until the two instructors realised they had the same ideas and ambitions to push Karate into the future, coincidently being part of the same association was a great start to this collaboration. The ethos of Somerset Applied Karate and the focal drive of both instructors is to put Karate back to the forefront of practical and artistic merit in the martial arts world and make people understand that Karate is far more than just kicking and punching…