Dom's Mail
(Archive Photo)I would like to say thank you for persuading me to go to Whitchurch, because if you had not kept asking me, I would never have known what an experience this course was. As it was my first time, I was a little nervous and apprehensive, but once I had met everyone, I felt very welcome and more relaxed.
It was good to meet and train with other members and be able to see Sensei in his home environment, this for me has taken that nervous edge off the whole grading experience.
Training for me was brilliant, I enjoyed the various activities that took place and particularly enjoyed triangle-training, where we followed an attack-block combination around in a circle.
I have learnt a new kata, Gojushiho Dai , this kata was very intresting to learn, difficult at times, but fun! We also learned the bunkai for parts of this kata in pairs. (One attacks whilst the other defends)
I would recommend this course to any brown belt karateka as it is both useful and enjoyable. I thought that I would be nervous and under-perform but after relaxing, I was able to enjoy myself and also gain useful advice from other Black belts.
Regards,
Dom.
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Labels: Black and Brown belt, Dominic Schilke, IJKA, Sensei Kato
posted by Selby Karateka at
2:12 PM
2 Comments:
Hello! I'm sorry to jump in the middle of a conversation, but I saw your comment on supergroup7's blog (Going My Way), asking about ways to get serious, female karate students.
I think that's a very interesting question, and I think it's wonderful that you're asking it. As the majority of the time I remain the only female in my dojo, I have to say that I too would love to find a way to encourage more female students. Obviously, though, I haven't had any luck. I generally would think that self-defense type advertisement only brings people in for a short time, and for an immediate problem/solution type thing. Personally, I think that the best thing, though it might not be a thing you would do, is to actually TALK to people. Spread the word. Have your female students talk to their female friends or you talk to yours - allow prospective students to hear what karate is like from a female point of view. Draw them in, excite them, but not with cheap talk of 'defense' - though karate is defense, so much of me says that it is so much more - a lifetime dedication - or some such thing.
I know that, regardless of how true it is, I do not like to be told that I am vulnerable because of my sex. I want to be told that I am strong, that women are strong and - look what they can do! I want to be respected FIRST as a karateka, second (or even further along) as a woman. Emphasizing strength; moral, spiritual, and physical, rather than the typical 'strength, flexibility, and weightloss' so pushed towards women would very much be the type of thing many women who are truly interested in martial arts and who would make dedicated karateka would be drawn to.
:)
I hope this helps, and I sincerely hope that, with time, more women become drawn to the martial arts.
OSS!
Sarah
By
Sarah, at 2:08 AM
Many thanks for your comment Sarah, particularly the lifetime of dedication bit, its given me something to think about.
Regards
Paul
By
Anonymous, at 12:44 PM
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