Sunday 21st March was the JKA course at Bath University. An excellent venue and the course was well attended with many kyu grades as well as black belts. Ohta Sensei took us through basic techniques and then we progressed to some demanding combination techniques - one partner attacked with kizami-zuki, step forward 4 punches in sequence vs age-uke then four different blocks finishing with a counter. Good tough spirited training and conditioning!
We continued with several kicking techniques and then rehearsed the black belt grading syllabus with full spirit.
Kata practice for black belts was a choice of bassai dai, gion, or nijushiho sho with application (bunkai) training in threes. My arms are only just recovering!

(Everyone please note - JKA courses are open to ALL GRADES - see http://www.jka-england.org/Events/jkaenglandevent09b.html )

Oss!

Sensei Simon

Just recovering from a visit to Sensei Ohta's club at Oasis in London (sse links) on Tuesday 22 December. Sensei started the lesson by reminding us that this was the last lesson in 2009 so we would train for 10 minutes and rest, then train some more. Each 10 minutes was intensive punching, blocking, kicking, stepping etc to count, followed by sanbon kumite, ippon kumite, and all the heian katas and tekki. The atmosphere was enhanced by the poor air conditioning which meant all the mirrors were steamed up and the floor was wet with condensation and sweat! My favourite was sideways stepping in kibadachi with maegeri and then keage, which our students will be enjoying early in the New Year!

Oss!

Sensei Simon

To Budokwai in Kensington on Monday 26th where Sensei Shiina, 7th dan, took a special lesson. Look up youtube "Shiina JKA" and you will see some of Sensei Shiina's kumite, and you will realise what an awesomely powerful proponent he is. He was introduced by Sensei Ohta as a special friend and after a warm up from Sensei Sue we were straight into chokuzuki then punching and double punching from kibadachi to shizentai. Sensei Shiina wanted us to change from the traditional aim of punch and stance finishing as one to a more dynamic approach to punch and then settle in the stance. We continued with partners, first practising avoiding a blow by a quick hip flick and then zuki combinations, full speed, including attacking the length of the dojo. Excellent!
Sensei finished with souchin and explained how we should feel our back shoulder blade muscles squeeze together like a coiled spring ready to release fast punches like an arrow from a bow. We all finished with our favourite kata. Sensei also gave us a talk about the importance of attitude and spirit - when you put on a gi and enter the dojo you must always try your hardest and always try to improve your technique.
I sincerely hope we can see more of Sensei Shiina in the future.

Oss!

Sensei Simon
 

I demonstrated karate to about 300 pupils of Wood End School today, showing them basic punching, blocking, and kicking and the katas kihon and bassai dai.

At the end, I asked if anyone would like to be punched and at least thirty hands shot up! I thought it best not to, of course!

Great school. I am looking forward to taking the After School Club on Thursdays.

Oss!

Sensei Simon

No training at the After School Club this week but students were asked to practice 100 punches and 100 kicks over half term.

Tuesday night's club was preparation for the grading with Tairyoku Shotokan in Aylesbury on 6th June. We all worked hard but there is one question we all puzzled over - how do you make Heian Sandan last 40 seconds? The answer will follow when I have had the chance to consult with senior instructors over the next few weeks.

Sensei Roy Tomlin http://www.beckenhamkarate.co.uk/roytomlin.html  took the class at Oasis because Sensei Ohta was abroad with the Squad at the European Championships (which were very successful - see later). Sensei Roy took us through an excellent combination of attack, defence, counter-attack, vs defence, counter-attack, defence, counter-attack. This was followed by gojushiho dai, an intricate kata demanding balance and control - but they all do, don't they?

Oss!

Sensei Simon

Guildford Spring Course 2009

Friday 1 May 2009

Once again, clubs from all over England – and Europe – gathered at the Guildford Spectrum Leisure Centre for the JKA Special Spring Course. Familiar faces were everywhere as we stretched in preparation for the start; someone commented that you could tell who was planning to grade because they were rehearsing their kata in earnest before the sessions started.

We lined up eight deep for the Rei, getting our first glimpse of visiting Sensei’s Sawada and Ogura and of course Sensei Ohta, who announced that Sensei Osaka was delayed because of urgent JKA business in Japan and would be joining us the next day.

Sensei Morgan, 5^th dan Wareham & Purbeck, took the warm up and handed over to Sensei Sawada who took the whole group for basic kihon training. We started with hip twisting and inevitably Sensei saw that some students did not have enough tension in their knees. We teamed up in threes so that one student had their knees held in position by the other two while practicing hip twisting, holding the knees in the same position.

Next we practised maegeri front kick, and Sensei used a belt held in position to demonstrate the straight path the kick should follow from the ground to the target – demonstrating on Sensei Ohta. We tried this in threes moving the kicking foot slowly (and agonisingly for some) up the belt to the target. One of my partners had a replacement hip but still persevered!

The lesson continued with age-uke (rising block) naturally at full speed from standing (shizen-tai). Then we performed age-uke in several directions, side and back, emphasising big hip movements from shomen to hammi. We were told not to lose our toes because we will lose our energy, which is vital to move between stances.

An excellent start!

Part 2 – shodans & nidans

Separating kyu grades, brown belts, and black belts Sensei Ogura took my group for kanku dai. It is always amazing that something needs to be corrected every time you concentrate on a kata, and this was no exception. Sensei Ogura emphasised the importance of the circular movements in the kata (moves 16, 21, 36), as well as encouraging low stances especially after the drop down (moves 43 - 44) – which was hard for those of us the wrong side of 50!

Sensei also stressed the importance of keeping the gedan berai hand in the same position when moving from 59 to 60 with the stamping kick, which we practised many times to complete the session.

Part 3 – shodans & nidans

Sensei Ohta then took our group through kanku sho. The lesson started with training in narrow stances, moving us on from the days of shoulder width stances to the more fluid style of today which allows better and faster movement between techniques. I can remember having my feet swept by Sensei Bob Rhodes in the 70s if our feet were not shoulder width apart.

For the applications, we practised the grasping block (moves 7, 15, and 34) in two forms and also the blocks in back stance moving to double punch (moves 23 – 26) which, in my opinion, demand careful concentration to make a proper kibadachi with hip control.

Sensei Ohta then led us through kanku sho. We all admire the control Sensei shows when he demonstrates, especially when he explains the difference between “on” and “off” – power and relaxation.

The lesson ended all too soon and reminded me exactly how difficult kanku sho is – but there again, all the katas are like that, aren’t they?

November saw our students grading after a special training lesson with Sensei Adel Ismail at Tairyoku Club, Aylesbury. The training for black belts was particularly hard as we emphasised power in blocking - a few sore arms afterwards. Congratulations to our students who all passed their grades.
The next day I helped judge the kyu grade championships at Walton-on-Thames. "Manner" always impresses and those students who conducted themselves well before and after the kata or kumite invariably came out best. Judging can be as nerve racking for judges just as much as competitors, especially when you raise the only "shiro" (white) flag on occasions. I did feel better when I saw a respected fifth dan judge in a similar position in the next arena - there are often (inevitably) different interpretations on what is a good technique.
Training at Oasis has continued to be demanding with Sensei Hirayama. Sensei has been emphasising the importance of core strength and relaxation between techniques to develop speed and power. Sadly Sensei Hirayama will return to Japan on 15 December - I have enjoyed her training immensely.
Saturday 6 December was the Brown/ Black belt course with Sensei Bura as guest instructor. Our first period was with Sensei Ohta who put the black belts through a series of kibadachi/ zenkutsu/ kokutsu combinations followed by Bassai Sho which certainly warmed us up for Sensei Bura. Bura Sensei then gave the black belts a very technical lesson in Heian Shodan and Bassai Dai, showing us all the importance of moving from one technique to the next in the correct (and precise) manner. I felt mental fatigue as much as physical afterwards.
Now winding down for Christmas excess, so I hope you all have a good one and back in early Jan to work off the turkey!

Oss!
Sensei Simon

Tuesday's training focussed on the impending grading  to sharpen our technique, and more work on "keri" - kicking -  especially keage and kekomi  to emphasise the difference between snap and thrust.

I was pleased to be invited back to Loreto to introduce more students to JKA karate under the Sainsbury's Active Kids initiative.  Our training was interrupted by a wasp which sadly needed to be despatched with "fumikomi" - stamping kick.

On Friday at Oasis we welcomed our new guest instructor Hirayama Sensei, 5th dan and former  All Japan kumite champion.  The class was basic but very technical, with a few guilty looks when Sensei explained the difference between a coloured belt standard and black belt standard of technique.

Oss!
Sensei Simon

Last week  I had the privelege of visiting Sauncey Wood JMI junior school to introduce 34 pupils to karate. We punched and kicked through an hour's lesson and even the teachers joined in. I am pleased to announce that Harpenden JKA will start an afterschool club on Tuesdays very soon, and an evening lesson at the school on Thursdays 7 pm to 8 pm.
On Monday Sensei Ohta invited Imamura Sensei - JKA 7th dan - to the Budokwai in London for an evening lesson. See youtube to appreciate the kumite technique of Imamura Sensei. The class concentrated on zuki and centering and focussing our power - after Sensei had reminded us, of course, that there is no first strike in karate.
The week finished with Sensei Paul Steadman at Oasis and more practice of zuki with full fighting spirit - a trademark of Sensei Paul!

Oss!

Sensei Simon

Thank you  Sainsbury's Active Kids Initiative!  I was asked to  take a lesson at Loreto College  in  St  Albans  last week.  Fellow  instructors at the JKA gave me some useful  tips on how to instruct a class of 20  young ladies  and  I hope if any who were there read this they will confirm that the lesson seemed to go well.  The fighting spirit was awesome when it came to the kiai!
It is a challenge to show the benefits of karate in just one lesson, but we were able to cover basic punching, blocking, and kicking and even kihon kata. Everyone concentrated and worked hard, so thanks Loreto!

Slough all grades course with Sensei Ohta gave us excellent practice in moving through 90 degrees in stances. Basic training emphasised the need to execute technique in one smooth movement with everything focussed at the point of impact. The course finished with kata practice when we split into groups by grade.

Tuesday we worked on kikomi and more work on Heian Nidan and Sandan in our extended lesson.

At Oasis on Friday Sensei Ohta drilled students through Heians Nidan and Godan on the spot, starting from kibadachi. This is an excellent way of practicing hip technique - if you don't get confused! After two on to one kumite (seriously!) we warmed down with stomach churning situps and leg raises.

At a loose end on Saturday I visited Budokwai where Sensei Sue Waughman teaches. http://www.budokwai.co.uk/karate/seniors_12_years_adults/intermediate_advanced_karate/your_instructors
I trained with Sensei Sue in the early 80s when we were at Marshall Street under Sensei Enoeda. I recommend anyone to visit Budokwai for some hard full on training on a Saturday. Three shitei kata - bassai dai, kankudai, and jion - in succession is tough!

Oss!
Sensei

A tough  week at Oasis; stance training in zenkutsu and kibadachi on Monday. Sensei Ohta saw that Mme. F was stronger than me (she was in the French equestrian team after all!).  Not content with that, Mme. F  caught my nose with  kizamizuki jodan in the warm up kumite on Wednesday!

Tuesday night at Harpenden JKA went well with the first longer lesson, concentrating on kata (Heian Nidan and Heian Sandan) from 8 pm to 8.30 pm.  More work will be needed on keage and mawashigeri next week - difficult kicks to learn.