Independent Martial Arts (IMA) is a non-political democratic group teaching traditional Japanese Shotokan Karate whose members are from all walks of life. IMA focuses on the values and principles of Traditional, Sporting & Tournament, Self Defence and Advanced Combat Orientated Shotokan Karate from the ground up.

The group’s origins were founded in 1993 by Andrew JM Nightingale who spent many years creating a balanced system of teaching and training which lives by its own well used line: “Always room for improvement”. Andrew’s introduction to Martial Arts was through Judo as a schoolboy in 1979 followed by Shotokan Karate in 1980/81. He went on to have a successful national and international competition career spanning over 10 years from 1992 and now tries to pass on and promote personal and physical development whilst creating the right environment for the character to evolve through experiences collected and the teaching of Karate.