SSKC 2008 review

Well, what a year it has been in 2008, it was only when I sat down to look back through the blog I realised that we had been so busy, the highlights:

• Gradings - Sensei Kato came to York in Feb, June and October, Sensei Keith came to Barlby in December to grade some Yorkshire based Karateka that were not available to attend in October - 57 passes and Rebecca graded to Shodan at the Hombu dojo at Whitchurch in April.


• Black and Brown belt courses - We attended all four Whitchurch courses and also managed to send six members to attend a JKS session in Nottingham.


• Karate courses - Members attended courses in the UK with Sensei Dave Hooper JKA and Sensei Scott Langley JKS, we also attended the courses in Ireland with Sensei Kato and Toomey and Italy with Sensei Kato and Okazaki.


• Competitions - We had a very successful club competition in May with sections for U9, U12 and U17. Rebecca went to the Irish Open (on her own!) and came back with a bronze and a silver. At the Europeans championships we gained 1 silver and 4 bronze medals and at the JKS National Open we gained 2 gold, 1 silver and 7 bronze medals.


• Charity - We have supported Facing Africa throughout the year and have raised approx £1300 enough for the charity to carry out 2 extensive facial operations.


• Blog - The blog has evolved dramatically in the last couple of months to a more website based appearance. It is actually 15 blogs all linked together so it will load quickly and you can choose what snippet of information you want to look at. It is also easy to navigate using the buttons in the sidebar. A kata and Welfare section has just been added, something that would have been impossible with the old set up. We have just increased the number of people available to contribute to the blog to 7 and Since Feb 08 over 9500 have logged into our blog from 121 different countries.

What have we to look forward to in 2009?

• Gradings - Get some training in for the 22nd Feb 09 it will soon be here.


• Competitions - Sensei Andy and I would like to increase the opportunities for our members in 2009 and we are busy behind the scenes, if you are interested please let Andy know.


• Membership - We would like to increase our membership by 10 to 15 members, we plan to run a beginners course at the end of February 2009.


• Schools - We have been asked to get involved with the local authority and run a few sessions in schools. If you think you can help please let me know.

Not bad for a small town in the middle of nowhere is it?

We also welcome your ideas for 2009, lets make 2009 better than ever.

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IJKA European Championships Italy 2008 Pt1

Pt 1 General post and Kata

Rebecca, Helen, Sam and I were joined by Simon from Haxby club on our trip to Italy to compete in the European championships. We took Sensei Keith and Ian from York and Haxby to keep us on the straight and narrow.

We flew out on the Sunday and had Monday and Tuesday as free time. It was useful for Simon, Sam and myself to use this as an opportunity to have Sensei Keith give us some focused competition training. We trained for 2 hours in the morning and afternoon on both days. It kept us out of the sun and got us used to the mats etc.

The girls did their own preparation to ensure they tried to keep injury free, this included the beach and the Irish Bar! I think Helen may have had too many liquids and Rebecca doesn't seem to have her mind on karate.

Above: Helen with Jordon

Jordon has travelled to train at York before and is soon to spend his gap year in Japan. During his time there he will be training with Okazaki Sensei.

Above: Rebecca and Jammie

Jamie's dad, PJ, informed us in Ireland that Jamie would not be competing in Italy. Rebecca never believe what those Irish men tell you!

There was a training course with Sensei Kato and Okazaki on the Wednesday and Thursday followed by the competition on the Friday.

Saturday we enjoyed a trip to Venice.

Above: The Square was particularly busy.

Above: Sam enjoys the sights of Venice

Italy was hot, damn hot. So Sensei decided it would be best to commence training on the Thursday at 06.00hrs on the beach.

The training was lead by Sensei Kato and Okazaki, Sensei Okazaki was focused mainly on Kihon training.
Unfortunately I don't have a good video clip of Sensei Milena from Bulgaria who for her birthday faced a line of over 100 karateka in Ippon Kumite, after she finished she dropped to her knees in exhaustion...happy birthday! P.S. never let Sensei know it is your birthday.

The Friday came round quick and the competition was due to start at 08.30hrs, we thought the Pee Wee grades were going to be on first but no, Rebecca was called up to perform her kata, the first person to perform in the whole competition. Rebecca had been practising her Bassai dai, but then decided to perform Nijushiho at the last minute.

Above: Rebecca's Kata

Young Sam was up next with his kata performance, It was a very big stage to be standing on for an eleven year old and Sam was disappointed that he did not perform as well as he could have. Sam we were all very proud of your efforts, competition is a learning experience, you need to get a few under your belt, then you can get to the stage where you enjoy them.

Above: Sam's Bassai Dai

Next up is Helen, Helen had been suffering with her back all week but still competed, you can see in the video how uncomfortable she looks.

Above: Helen's Kata

I was drawn against Brian Toomey the Irish Chief Instructor in veterans kata, after suffering from the "frozen kata" I was pleased to get to the end with out stopping.

Above: Paul's Bassai Dai

Simon was also drawn against Sensei Brian in the senior kata, it was to be an unfortunate draw for both of us. Simon's performance was commended by a number of the Whitchurch mafia and I think he was unlucky not to beat the IJKA general Secretary.

Above: Simons Kata

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Okazaki Shihan's Christmas message

Okazaki Shihan sent me this Christmas message from Japan, can anyone help with a translation?


お元気ですか
新年明けましておめでとう
私は貴方からの手紙を幸せに思っています
貴方は誰ですか　　　貴方の名前を教えてほしい
私は貴方が大好きです
一度日本に来てください　　　心からお待ちしてます
さようなら
また　お会いできますことを祈します

okazaki

Translation Courtsey of Sensei Andre Bertel

Here you go Paul (Mr. Okazaki's letter to you). Happy New Year. From Andre
お元気ですか How are you?
新年明けましておめでとう Happy New Year
私は貴方からの手紙を幸せに思っています I'm very happy to recieve the letter from you.
貴方は誰ですか　　　貴方の名前を教えてほしい Who are you? I want to know your name.
私は貴方が大好きです I like you very much.
一度日本に来てください　　　心からお待ちしてます Please come to Japan some day. I 'm really forward to it, from my heart.
さようなら Sayonara
またお会いできますことを祈します I pray to see you again.
Andre Bertel



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IJKA Championships Hungary

Above: Shuitsu Okazaki Shihan IJKA Japan (7th Dan)

Sensei is chief instructor and president of the IJKA in Japan he instructed a number of sessions in the two training days on the Thursday and the Friday.

Above: The Championships had the support of the Hungarian Sports Minister and IJKA Hungary, the 2007 Championships were designated as the 1st Asai Shihan memorial championships.

On the Sunday a minutes silence was observed for Asai Shihan.

Above: kato Shihan with the young ladies from Russia

As you would expect the Russians put forward a really strong team, with an equally strong determination to win. The Young lady to the left of the photo had a particularly strong kata and kumite. I believe her name to be Anastasia Nazarkin, she came first in Kata and second in kumite.

Above: Kato Shihan teaches in the training sessions

I will do my best to bring back some of the training that was undertaken on the course to the club. The emphasis was on Kihon and Kumite, a pleasant change. Okazaki Shihan ran us through some kumite training in the Japanese way. One Karateka at the front of the line with all others practising techniques. Kato Shihan concentrating on basics first and their interpretation. How a single block can be developed into blocking a wealth of attacks.

Shihan was encouraging us to think for ourselves and not like a karate robot, to develop our karate. To brings things back to our Shihan for the development of all.

I watched closely as Shihan demonstrated techniques, I am always amazed at the way Kato Shihan moves etc but what I had not perceived before was in the same dojo I saw some very senior Japanese grades with the same look of amazement. Look forward to some very interesting training sessions over the next few weeks.

Above: Rebecca is taking part in team training

Above: Rebecca at the championship venue pre competition

Above: Female 14-15 yrs Kata presentation

1st Lasma Avotinja, Latvia, 2nd Natalia Avdeeva, Russia, 3rd Rebecca Brant, England, 4th Lorincz Viktoria, Hungary. Rebecca and Victoria managed to communicate quite well considering neither could speak each others language, they even exchanged e mail addresses to keep up their friendship.

Rebecca put up a good fight in kumite but was unsuccessful in getting past the first round.

Helen had quite a height and reach disadvantage in kumite but came a very close second in her kata. Andre Shihan for Russia awarded her the decision against the four corner judges who saw it differently. It looked very close to me. The competition was especially tough in the ladies division

In my first round of Kata I had to perform Heian Godan, this is my least favourite kata, but somehow I managed to get the decision. In the second round I had to perform Heian Yondan and was knocked out. I enjoy Kata in the dojo at the club but have this fear that it will all go horribly wrong when I am in front of all those people on the day. It was a relieve to get it behind me. I could focus on the kumite.

Sensei Alec from Scotland had given me some sound advice about being positive a couple of days before the competition, he was not impressed that I considered I was just making the number up. I would have liked to have Gullen Shihan there as a coach but a pep talk from Sensei Alec may have been just what I needed. When the draw came out I was due to compete against our host Tamas Molnar, Sensei Tamas has a long reach and was a difficult opponent to close, I lost but was reasonably happy with my effort. Tamas went on to win the Veterans competition and I was called back with all the others that had lost against him in the repachage, I won all my fights but still I was not sure where it placed me.

My jaw was still aching from a wicked left hook from Tamas, PJ from Ireland had also received a devastating punch from Tamas that had put him to the mat for a second, so perhaps I had done better than I thought.

The results sent through from Tamas showed the positions as 1st Tamas Molnar, Hungary, 2nd P.J. Ireland.3rd Paul Brant England and 3rd Gabor Windt also from Hungary. I had remembered Sensei Gabor from Cyprus, a fine kumite exponent.

It is proposed to run the next Championship in Cyprus followed by Poland and Italy. If we are going to compete effectively we need to train as a team and be established with a coach. If you have any thoughts on this please e mail me.

See you in Cyprus next year!

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