About Us

SHUHARI-KAI is a family orientated Club specialising in Traditional Karate and Weapon tuition. The traditional style of 'Wado-Ryu', as taught by Professor Hironori Otsuka (founder of Wado-Ryu) to his students including the late Professor Tatsuo Suzuki, is taught and practiced. This provides a unique sense of tradition and belonging. Tuition is provided by our fully insured and qualified Instructors. Japanese commands and instructions are progressively taught during the lessons thereby allowing Karate to develop not only a physical discipline, but a mental discipline too.

We create a friendly atmosphere with weekends away and a Summer and Autumn camp each year. Parties and social fun raising events have been hosted for our students and their families. Special courses are often arranged where a specialist guest such as the late Professor Tatsuo Suzuki 8th Dan Hanshi, Leon Walters, World Kumite Champion, Wayne Otto OBE, World Champion, and various other world champions are invited to teach the students.

Unlike other clubs, we are not a business orientated club. We do not charge a joining fee and our lessons are at affordable prices with most of the money going back into the Club to buy equipment such as weapons for students to learn, mats, kick bags, etc.

Unlike other clubs, our lessons last between one-and-a half hours and two hours allowing the students a greater opportunity to learn whilst providing exceptional value for money. Most gradings are conducted at the Student's Club when they are ready removing the need for extra unnecessary travel expenses or extra training sessions. Many other clubs like to run special grading events you must attend to pass a grade, not at Shuhari-Kai.

We have entered many Local and National Competitions and have won many trophies and medals, with the club containing former and current National Champions. Shuhari-Kai is a member of the EKF (English Karate Federation, the Governing Body for Karate) and WKF (World karate Federation).

Sensei Richard Burridge

Richard started learning Karate, Jujitsu and Kung Fu at the age of fifteen. He began his training at Ardleigh Green College in Hornchurch. In 1980 he started training in Wado-Ryu Karate where he gained his 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Dan grades! Richard has now been teaching Karate and running clubs for over three decades.

The main reason why Richard formed Shuhari-Kai Karate Club is that he wanted a club that was different, a club where business was not the main emphasis, a club where the students are the most important thing. Since its inception, Richard has made it a very popular family club. He has arranged parties for his students and their families, special courses where a specialist guest is invited to teach the students, caravan holidays for the students to train which they thoroughly enjoy.

Richard is deeply involved in our association where they are now members of the English Karate Governing Body. Everything he has ever learnt he has poured back into his students education. Richard is one hundred percent committed to his students and his patience, dedication and determination encourages them all to want to succeed. Indeed, Richard has trained children up to become World Junior Kata Champions and National Kumite Champions. He is well respected by all his students and their parents and many other people in the Karate community.

With the knowledge of Health & Safety matters through his work which he brings to his clubs coupled with his first aid qualifications, he succeeds in making the training environment a safe place to learn in and makes his students aware of the dangers around them. There are training mats in most clubs, kick shields and bags to enhance the safe environment and this in part is thanks to the Jack Petchey Foundation who has supported the club and aided the purchase of this equipment. 

Richard was the most successful Havering coach which run the Havering Youth Games for Margaret Campbell at Harrow Lodge which he was doing for over eight years. He increased the number of entrants by 45% in that time. He was also the coach for the Havering Karate team who competed at the Heathrow London Youth Games which took place at Crystal Palace. He has brought the Havering Karate Squad to victory in 1997. In 1998 the boys team finished first whilst the girls team finished second. Both the boys and Girls team finished first  in the 1999 Games. He brought the Havering team from nowhere to successfully top position. Since then, Havering have finished in the top three out of 32 boroughs. 

At present the karate section of the London youth games has been suspended due to internal politics.

Although specialising in Traditional Karate tuition, Richard has been awarded the English Judge's Badge, English Referee's Badge and British Karate Federation Referee Badge and has refereed Karate competitions all over the country from local club level to the English Nationals and International events. Richard is a member of the National Coaching Foundation and has received the Jack Petchey Leadership Award and was voted Sports Personality of the year in 2001 by the Havering Sports Council.

Shuhari-Kai Team