Pee Wee Club — Kids Karate in Wakefield
Kids Karate
in Wakefield
Our Pee Wee Club has been teaching Wakefield children traditional Wado Ryu karate since 2007 — in a club that has been going since 1968. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6–7pm, at Lakeside Methodist Church in Newmillerdam. The first session is free, and there is never a contract to sign.
6.00pm – 7.00pm
Barnsley Road, Newmillerdam
Keen four-year-olds, just ask
Then pay as you train
What happens in a class
An hour goes quickly. Sessions are built to keep children moving, laughing and learning something real — not standing in a line waiting for a turn.
Warm up & games
Running, reaction games and stretching. It burns off the after-school energy and gets everyone ready to concentrate.
Real karate
Proper Wado Ryu basics — blocks, punches, kicks and kata — taught the traditional way, at a pace that suits children.
Working together
Partner drills, pad work and controlled practice. Children learn to look after each other, which is where the respect comes from.
Why parents send their children to us
We are a small club run by people who grew up in it. Nobody here is on a sales target.
Who teaches it
Diane Townsend
Diane has run the Pee Wee Club since it started in 2007 and is second in charge of the club as a whole. She was taught in the traditional Wado Ryu style and has spent years adapting it for young children without watering it down.
Her family have been part of Newmillerdam for around thirty years — her husband Garry and her daughter Katie both teach here too. She is helped every session by graded black belts who know how to work with children.
Part of something older
Newmillerdam Karate Club was founded in 1968 by Don Snaith. Ann Walker joined his class in 1972 and went on to lead the club for three decades. Her son Shane is the chief instructor today, and her grandson George teaches here too.
It is not unusual for a former member to walk back through the door with their own children — or their grandchildren. When your child joins the Pee Wee Club, they are joining the same line.
Before your first session
How young can they start?
Around five is the usual starting point. If your child is four and desperate to join in, have a word with us first — we will often take them.
What should my child wear?
Just a t-shirt and loose jogging bottoms, and bare feet. Don’t buy a karate suit yet — wait about four weeks and see whether they take to it. A suit with a belt is around £20 when you are ready.
Do I need to book?
No. Message us or just turn up a few minutes before six and introduce yourself. The first session is free and there is no pressure to come back.
Can I stay and watch?
Yes, and most parents do. There is seating at the side of the hall.
Is karate safe for young children?
Karate is physical, but it is practised under control and injuries are rare. Every adult instructor is DBS cleared and first-aid trained, and children are matched carefully for partner work.
How do they move up a belt?
Gradings are held roughly every three months. Children perform their kata and techniques in front of a panel of instructors. Nobody is put forward until they are ready.
What happens when they turn eleven?
They move up to our mixed-age class, 7–8.30pm on the same nights, and carry on training with the adults and teenagers.
Come and try a class
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6–7pm, at Lakeside Methodist Church on Barnsley Road, Newmillerdam, Wakefield WF2 6QQ. The first one is on us.
Get in Touch 07776 344172