Selby Shotokan Karate Club: Nowhere to hide.

Unfortunately Josh couldn't make it this weekend so it was left to Gullen Shihan, Mike from York and myself to represent IJKA Yorkshire at Kato Shihan Whitchurch course this weekend.

For one reason or another numbers were well down and there was nowhere to hide in the dojo. The lack of karateka meant that those of us that managed to make it were getting very personalised tuition, brilliant.

There was a strong focus on short quick kihon, designed to develop speed and reaction for kumite. This was the main focus for the weekend training, but Sensei still managed to get a fair amount of kata into the sessions as well.

On the Saturday we trained in Heian Shodan, Tekki Shodan, Junro Shodan and Kibaken Shodan. In Heian Shodan Sensei explained how with slight alteration within the transition of a movement more power could be developed, there is much for me to do with personal practice here.

The work on Tekki Shodan was really useful, Sensei corrected some of the errors in my technique. This is great because the club has a number of karateka currently learning Tekki Shodan.

Next was Junro Shodan, I have been training in the first three Junro kata with Gude Sensei at Haxby over the last 4 or 5 weeks. So It was handy to confirm a few of the finner detail.

Lastly on Saturday we practiced Kibaken Shodan, this is not a kata I have seen before and to honest I was struggling.

First thing Sunday Gullen Shihan was running through parts of Empi with me and then he went onto Kanku Sho as a warm up.

Kato Shihan taught the Meikyo series, Shodan the standard Shotokan kata, Nidan (Asai ryu) and Sandan (Kato Ryu) . Shihan also taught Matsumura Rohai and concluded with Kibaken Yondan.

Again I found the Kibaken kata not that easy to pick up and will need to train in it a few more times.

Sensei did some great bunkai to Meikyo and it was a great refresher it has been a while since I have practiced it.

Meikyo Nidan is one of my favourite Asai Ryu kata and this time round I picked up even more detail that I was not aware of.

Meiko Sandan, I need to go away and learn properly. Luckily Sensei Simon from Haxby was down tonight and was asking a couple of questions on M3, I might not be able to remember the kata but I managed to remember all the moves that he wanted to check with me. Hopefully I can practice the kata with Simon over the next 2 weeks, in case Sensei teaches it while he is with us on the York Course at Barlby on the 20/21st February.

Sensei also gave me three Dan grade certificates, Helen and my Nidan and Dom's Shodan. Helen I hope you will be able to collect yours soon.