http://www.harpendenjka.com en-gb harpendenjka.com 2010-3-25T00:00:00Z harpendenjka.com http://www.harpendenjka.com/page2.htm#61420 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 kizamizuki step forward 4 punches in sequence vs ageuke then four different blocks finishing with a counter. Good tough spirited training and conditioningWe 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 recoveringEveryone please note JKA courses are open to ALL GRADES see httpwww.jkaengland.orgEventsjkaenglandevent09b.html OssSensei Simon 2010-3-25T00:00:00Z http://www.harpendenjka.com/page2.htm#55057 Just recovering from a visit to Sensei Ohtas 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 2009-12-27T00:00:00Z http://www.harpendenjka.com/page2.htm#51534 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 Shiinas 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. ExcellentSensei 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... 2009-10-28T00:00:00Z http://www.harpendenjka.com/page2.htm#50559 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 2009-10-14T00:00:00Z http://www.harpendenjka.com/page2.htm#42423 No training at the After School Club this week but students were asked to practice 100 punches and 100 kicks over half term. Tuesday nights 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 httpwww.beckenhamkarate.co.ukroytomlin.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 counterattack vs defence counterattack defence counterattack. This was followed by gojushiho dai an intricate kata demanding balance and control but they all do dont they Oss Sensei Simon 2009-5-28T00:00:00Z http://www.harpendenjka.com/page2.htm#41357 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 Senseis 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 5th dan Wareham amp 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... 2009-5-10T00:00:00Z http://www.harpendenjka.com/page2.htm#33583 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 WaltononThames. 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 ... 2008-12-9T00:00:00Z http://www.harpendenjka.com/page2.htm#32191 Tuesdays 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 Sainsburys 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. OssSensei Simon 2008-11-10T00:00:00Z http://www.harpendenjka.com/page2.htm#31860 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 hours 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 PaulOssSensei Simon 2008-11-2T00:00:00Z http://www.harpendenjka.com/page2.htm#31488 Thank you Sainsburys 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 kiaiIt 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 2008-10-20T00:00:00Z http://www.harpendenjka.com/page2.htm#30856 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 dont 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. httpwww.budokwai.co.ukkarateseniors12yearsadultsintermediateadvancedkarateyourinstructorsI trained with Sensei Sue in the early 80s when we were at Marshall Street under Sensei Enoeda. I recommend anyone to visit Budokwai for... 2008-10-12T00:00:00Z http://www.harpendenjka.com/page2.htm#30172 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 WednesdayTuesday 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. 2008-9-25T00:00:00Z