About
We are a fun and friendly traditional karate club based in South Yorkshire. The club was established in 2019 by Sensei (Teacher) Craig Batham and Sensei Amy Anderson-Beecham to focus on the Meibukan Gojyu-Ryu style of Karate. Craig and Amy have a combined knowledge and experience of over 40 years as Karateka (practitioners of karate) and over 40 years studying the Meibukan branch of Gojyu-Ryu Karate. Sessions are structured to include traditional karate-do and fitness elements. Students of all abilities are welcome.
Kihon - Kata - Kumite - Kobudo
Craig Batham (Yon-Dan)
Meet Sensei Craig Batham
Craig began training at a young age, joining his cousin who was training at a local club. He initially started out training in Freestyle Karate, and stopped when the club was no longer local.
In April, 2000 he joined a Maltby based club after seeing a poster in the library. The club was under the instruction of Shi-han (Master) Geoff Pearce. This saw the start of Craig’s traditional karate journey, training in Okinawan Gojyu-Ryu. In 2002 the club became part of the International Meibukan Gojyu Ryu Association (IMGKA), and Craig is still a member today.
Joining IMGKA saw a number of changes in the club, and including what was taught, and Craig has been lucky enough to train in the UK, Italy, and Okinawa under the instruction of 10th Dan Hanshi (Grandmaster) Yagi Meitatsu.
Craig achieved his Black Belt in 2006 grading in Naha, Okinawa, the birthplace of karate, by Yagi Meitatsu after an intensive training course and grading on all aspects of the Meibukan Syllabus.
Since 2006 Craig has continued to develop his knowledge of both Meibukan Gojyu-Ryu and karate attending a range of seminars and visiting other dojo’s.
In 2013 Craig was graded to 3rd Dan, achieving the title Sensei, and in November 2022 at a seminar in Germany Craig was graded to Yon-Dan (4th Dan Black Belt) by Hanshi Yagi Akihito. He continues to train and further his knowledge of Karate and Gojyu-Ryu, and sees every style of Karate as another branch from the same tree.
Craig holds a current first aid certificate, an enhanced DBS check and a range of teaching qualifications.
Favourite Karate Quote - “Nanji Kyokuden - apply all one strength, to be determined in everything that one does; defeat is not the end, losing is not the end of everything.” - Miyagi Chojun
Amy Anderson-Beecham (San-Dan)
Meet Sensei Amy Anderson-Beecham
Amy began her karate journey in 2003 whilst in her late teens, after years of wanting to learn karate. This initial foray into karate was under the instruction of Shi-han (Master) Geoff Pearce and later Sensei's Duncan Slade and Kevin Shepherd.
Amy developed over the years learning the Meibukan branch of Gojyu-Ryu karate and achieved her Sho-Dan (1st Dan Black Belt) in 2012 and later achieving Ni-Dan (2nd Dan Black Belt) in 2015.
Amy continues to develop her karate and martial arts knowledge and at a seminar in Germany in 2022, Amy achieved San-Dan (3rd Dan Black Belt), after grading with Hanshi (Grand Master) Yagi Akihito.
A favourite karate quote is, “There is no secret to Karate but to train a hundred techniques a thousand times.” - Yagi Meitoku
Our History
White Rose Budo was established in September 2019 by Craig Batham and Amy Anderson-Beecham.
For many years both trained under Shi-Han Geoff Pearce until his retirement. At this time the club was taken on by his two senior ranked black belts, Sensei Duncan Slade and Sensei Kevin Shepherd. In early 2019 the club formed a second evening taught by Sensei Craig, but due to changes with the venue a new home for this second evening had to be sought. This ultimately not only spawned a new evening of training but a new club under the instruction of Sensei Craig.
As a club we train in traditional Okinawan Gojyu-Ryu, which is a style of Karate founded by Miyagi Chojun. The style focuses on self-defense and close combat, looking at a wide range of defenses and attacks, with no frills to how we train. As a Gojyu-Ryu club we follow the teachings of the Meibukan branch of Gojyu-Ryu under Yagi Meitatsu Sensei, with a number of our students having trained with him, and graded under him.
We are a proud member of the International Meibukan Gojyu Ryu Karate-Do Association (IMGKA https://www.imgka.com) based in Okinawa, Japan and have been for a number of years, teaching all aspects of the IMGKA syllabus, and in 2022 Sensei’s Craig and Amy were privileged enough to grade under Hanshi Yagi Akihito.
As a dojo we also teach Kobudo (weapons), including Sai and Bo, and kata. The club aims to be friendly and helpful in how we operate and train, but also as life-wise and as safe as we can be, with our instructors being insured, having DBS checks and first aid certificates.
If you want to see how we train and what we do our door is always open, and your first lesson is free.
We welcome new starters, as let’s face it, we were all white belts once!