Asai and Yahara Sensei Video

Above: Asai & Yahara Sensei

A short TV advert from France but well worth a look.

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Karate @ Barlby schools

This week Rebecca and Andy were at Hilltop school on Wednesday with 29 children undertaking their second week of karate, Liam, Leila and Abby also attended from our club. It was useful for the beginners to have someone to follow and Rebecca said it was good for Liam, Leila and Abby because it gave them an opportunity to revisit the very basics of Kihon.

Thursday we were at the Barlby Bridge school for week 1 of their course where there were 17 budding little karateka. They arrived in the hall with flying jumps etc all full of enthusiasm which was great to see. A big hello to you all: Milly, Stephaine, Connor, Rebecca, Amy, Hannah, Kaine, Robbie, Joshua, Jack, Lucie, Ryan, William, Joshua, Samuel & Ella. There is a lot to learn but hopefully by the end of 10 weeks you will have a small range of punches, blocks and kicks, and be able to do a kata, you will probably learn a few words of Japanese along the way.

We look forward to seeing you all next week.

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Shotokan Kata Videos

The collection of kata video is still growing, I have recently added a video of Makita Sensei JKS performing Gojushiho Dai, this was forwarded to me by Hans Ranah Sensei JKS from Loughborough, Many thanks.

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Shotokan & IJKA Kata

Kato Sensei's Kata Course

What a weekend for Josh to attend his first Black and Brown belt course at Whitchurch at the home of Kato Sensei! As a teenage 2nd kyu it is daunting enough turning up at Sensei's on a Friday night, it is so different from anybody elses home that you would walk into. As Rebecca put it there is always so much to look at, items from all other the world.

Training started at 10.30 on Saturday when Sensei announced " No Kihon, No Kumit, just Kata this weekend, we must all work hard to remember Asai Sensei kata....this weekend Junro kata, Shodan... Nidan... Sandan... Yondan... Godan, also Joko Kata, Issei... Nisei... Sansei... Yonsei... and Gosei" My maths skills have always been ok but I wasn't sure but I thought Sensei had just told us that we would be practicing ten Asai Ryu kata over the coming two days?

What a baptism of fire for young Josh. I have always been a bit slow to pick up kata so I was glad that although I don't regularly train in any of the ten that Sensei had just mentioned I had a least seen / tried at least six or seven of them. At Shodan I am still trying to concentrate mainly on the core Shotokan kata, although I do enjoy dabbling in Asai ryu kata.

Saturday was a long day starting at the Whitchurch school and after lunch continuing in Sensei's garden until a little after 17.00hrs. The session had concluded with Sensei Peter Custance teaching Joko Gosei. After training Thomas, Josh, Dom and myself ran few the kata that we had been taught during the day while some karateka retired to the sauna and some to the bar for a well deserved pint.

I also used the time in the early evening to practice some of the Asai kata that we were not practising that weekend. I was very grateful to Sensei Brian Toomey from Ireland of his corrections to my performances of Kashu and Meikyo Nidan. I aslo went through Rantai with Simon from Haxby and again Sensei Brian was kind enough to gave us a few pointers.

Sunday started with about ninety minutes of Joko Gosei bunkai. I am never failed to be amazed at Sensei's bunkai of kata. For each sequence he would demonstrate multiple applications depending on technique used for attack. We would then practice that sequence of moves and then partner up and practice the bunkai.

Over the weekend Sensei also announced a number of Dan grading results. Quite a few IJKA Dan grades had been undertaking examinations for period of up to eighteen months and only got their results at the weekend. Our congratulations go to Sensei Dr Jonathan Lyons - 5th Dan, Lisa Woods - 4th Dan, Frances Kenny - 3rd Dan, Steve Cameron - 3rd Dan, Sunil Agalgatti - 2nd Dan and Steve Crowe - 2nd Dan. Claire was also taking Sensei Stacey's 2nd Dan certificate back to Ireland for her. Also recently promoted in 2009 Sensei Mike Kotowski - 5th Dan and Dave Sanderson 4th Dan. Late on Sunday Sensei also completed the final stages of Sensei Milena Galabova grading and promoted her to 3rd Dan. Sensei-ni-rei, Osu!

Well back to Josh, what a weekend, I was very proud to be your Sempai, Thomas, Dom and Josh all were perfect ambassadors for our club.

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Tuam Karate Club's blog

You will probably remember Sensei Stacey and Malcolm from our last York cse. Malcolm has got a blog up and running for the Tuam club, its well worth a look, click on link below.

Tuam Club - Ireland

I have aso added it to the lnks page under karate clubs, so you know where it is if you want to keep returning to it.

Stacey has just E mailed me to confirm the dates Sensei is in Ireland:

20/21st June - Summer Course in Dungarvan
24/25th October in Tuam

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Shotokan wheelchair kata videos

I added to the Kata Video pages 6 posts with shotokan wheelchair kata from Heian Shodan through to Tekki Shodan. They are performed with good Zanshin and strong technique.

If you click on the Kata link below, the disabled Shotokan katas are at the very bottom of the kata table in the left hand column in the disabled kata section. I hope I can get some Asai wheelchair kata footage to post soon. If anyone has any I would greatly welcome their donation.

I can faintly remember Kato Shihan teaching me the first Asai wheelchair kata when I was probably a yellow belt and I have not done it since, I can only remember the first 4 moves.

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Kagawa Sensei course review on the Shotokan Way

Simon dropped me an E-mail to say that the Shotokan way had reviewed the recent course in Nottingham with Kagawa Sensei.
Follow the link below for the full report and you will also see a few familiar faces in the background.

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Kagawa review

Barlby Hilltop Primary School

Today was session 1 for 24 pupils of Barlby Hilltop primary School, headmaster Rob Taylor was enthusiastic about bringing karate to the school. The sessions are being lead by Sensei Andy assisted by Rebecca in a non contact environment.

Today the young karateka from 7 to 10 years learnt how to make a fist, how to punch choku Zuki and Oi Zuki and how to make front stance.

By the end of the session the headmaster saw a long line of beaming red faces leaving the hall.

We hope to see you all after half term, well done to Ben, Holly, Victoria, Warwick, Chloe, Michael, Declan, Holly, Lauren, Jasmine, Samuel, Tom, Lana, Liam, Olivia, George, Gemma, Thomas, Lorcan, Aithn, Joel, Luke, Bradley and Arran.

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