519-265-4504, 511 Edinburgh Road S., Suite 102, Guelph, ON N1G 2S5
Discover confidence, strength, and joy through a Traditional Karate program tailored specifically for seniors.
- Enhance strength
- Improve balance, stability & prevent falls
- Engage in gentle joint mobility exercises
- Acquire traditional karate skills
- Learn self-defense techniques
- Participate in cognitive training
- Foster social connections
All in a secure, inclusive, and friendly dojo environment.
Mature senior adults ages 50, 60, 70 or 80 plus
Retirees
No previous martial arts experience necessary
All fitness levels welcome - feel free to talk to us about your limitations - we can help you out!
Silver Griffin Karate - Our Specialty Karate Program for Seniors
Register now for the next session
Classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30-10:15am
$150 includes your first uniform.
Maximum 15 participants per 6-week session.
Our next session: February 3 to March 12, 2026
To register click here> Silver Griffin Register
Our Silver Griffin Karate Student, Michèle, wrote us a beautiful testimonial in June 2025 we just had to share here:
I was looking for a way to add some physical activity to my life after several years of spending most of my day at a computer. Problem was, all the "fitness" stuff seemed either geared for mostly already-fit 25-year-olds or promised to "boot camp" participants into shape. I'm 70, and while I'm still quite mobile I can't keep up with either of those models of fitness. The other end of the spectrum had classes and activities for older folks already quite restricted in their mobility and so was not much more than I already do when I walk my dog twice a day, clean the house and lift groceries into and out of my car and put them away.
Then I remembered my 18 months training in karate many years ago. I knew I couldn't necessarily keep up with a regular karate class, but hoped to find something that provided the benefits of karate training for folks like me. I came across Silver Griffin karate and, after visiting a class I joined up. This is my second set of classes and I'm signing up for the next one.
I have been so happy with the silver griffin classes. The first part consists of mobility and other exercises - much like a regular karate class but geared towards older folks. The mobility work has been very beneficial - arthritis in my foot has improved and I can bend joints in my foot that were too stiff and cramped a few weeks earlier. The other parts of exercise benefit strength, balance and coordination - all things I had, but that had decreased naturally with age and a sedentary lifestyle.
The second part of class is very much traditional karate and all it entails. Unlike what some may think karate class is about, we don't throw each other around the room all class. Rather, we learn karate - courtesy, respect, proper form, and the elements of traditional formal karate kata or what you might call routines of blocks and transitions. There is an inherent beauty in these moves, coupled with a sense of calm and peace that comes from practice. Of course, karate is also about self-defence and that element is an important part of every class.
I would be remiss if I didn't also include the other benefit, the group effect. This is not a class where you come in and work alone among a bunch of strangers and a distant teacher who just stands up front and tells you what to do - and then you just leave. We work together, we encourage each other and this breeds a sense of community and common purpose that is invigorating and makes this so much more than just "a class". The instructors are knowledgeable, helpful and encouraging. Each one spends time with all of us and it is clear that they not only know what they are doing (experts) but that they also care very much about our success and well-being (good teachers).
If you're over 50 and looking for a new way to add physical activity to your life that takes into account the reality that your body has some mileage on it; if you are also looking for a place to do that where you're more than just another body in the class, where you won't be judged but rather encouraged, and where you will learn to be stronger and more confident in your body all while connecting with a very old tradition, then I highly recommend you try out Silver Griffin Karate.
Kind regards,
Michèle