The History of our Club

Way back in March of 1968, Hugh Hastings, who is the club's founder started to practice Shotokai Karate with a group of friends in Prestwick. This was a town in the district of Kyle, at that time, in the west coast of Scotland. After a great deal of deliberation they called the club "Kyle" after the district rather than the town, and it has remained Kyle Karate Club ever since.

We practice and teach traditional karate based on Shotokai as developed by the late Sensei Mitsusuke Harada ( picture show right ) who was awarded his 5th Dan Black Belt by the great karate master Gichin Funakoshi.

Over the years since that first session, we have practised in many venues throughout the area but have always insisted that Kyle Karate Club would be a non-profit making organisation and that we would always practice Shotokai karate.

  

Until 1988 we were part of the "Karate Do Shotokai" organisation, and when it split up, we joined the "Shotokai Foundation".

Alistair, Hugh, Jim and Tam at KDS summer school. A demonstration at a KDS weekend courses. Kyle course Attendees from 1978.