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JKAE All Grades Kata Course

January 31, 2010 By danyul Leave a Comment

JKA

Saturday the 30th January 2010 saw us driving to Wellingborough for the first JKAE course of the year, a JKAE All Grades Kata Course. The courses were formerly for brown and black belts but now open for all grades and for £10 you receive 3 hours of tiring excellent training so it is well worth attending no matter what grade you are.

We had been warned in advance that the Wellingborough training location can be a bit cold, especially the floor, so we had added some extra layers just in case but thankfully the venue was perfectly climate controlled so we were soon changed into our gi’s and ready for action. The warm-up was conducted by one of the local sensei’s (apologies for not knowing the name) and we were quickly into a series of basics led by Ohta Sensei.We were eased through the basics but as combinations were added and effort increased, we were soon very hot and ready for training.

We have not been to a kata only course before so were looking forward to the unknown format as we were not sure what to expect. Following basics the groups were split by grade (kyu grades, brown belts, and dan grades) with each group being led through various kata. First up was Adel Ismail Sensei who put us all through Bassai Dai, which is a kata commonly taught to brown belts and is a requirement of grading for 3rd kyu, 2nd kyu, 1st kyu and is this most popular kata chosen for those progressing to their first dan grading. I am sure that most karateka would agree that the individual sensei personality can be just as important as the technical knowledge they are trying to impart and I always enjoy the relentless nature of training given by Adel Ismail Sensei. We were put through our paces performing segments of the kata, with the familiar cry of “one more time” from sensei, before moving onto the application of certain key sequences.

The hour seemed to be up very quickly but after a quick drinks break we were back under the tutelage of Roy Tomlin Sesei who took us through the kata Empi. Although we had performed this kata a few times previously in training, it was not a kata that we had spent any great deal of time performing. We both really enjoyed the time devoted to this kata and it was also the first time that we had spent under the instruction of Roy Tomlin Sesei. Again, the personality of the sensei goes a long way in the enjoyment of any particular training and we had a really enjoyable time under the instruction of Roy Tomlin Sesei.

We were then into the final hour where Gary Stewart Sensei led us through the kata Jion, which is a kata neither of us have attempted before so were looking forward to learning something new even though we were starting to feel very worn out at this point. Our final hour of kata was soon up, far too quickly for my liking, but I felt we had both really benefited from the course. We had both spent a good hour on the finer points of Bassai Dai, which will serve us well for future grading, and we had both enjoyed the time spent on Empi. MiniMe in particular enjoyed the challenge of learning and practicing Empi and really seemed to enjoy this segment of the course.

We both enjoyed the kata course and had both taken some key knowledge from the training. Thanks to the local hosts for their hospitality and to all the instructors who gave us their time and knowledge.

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Back in Training

January 16, 2010 By danyul 2 Comments
JKA

JKA

Following our recent break to Japan we are now back in karate training and gearing up for a year in which we potentially take our shodan grading. It is always a little strange getting back into the karate groove after an extended break, especially since my plans to continue my weekly runs in Japan failed miserably thanks to some niggling toe injuries, but we both seem to be back on track and not forgetting any kata. I had hoped that we could squeeze in a visit to the JKA HQ dojo based in Tokyo during our trip but after contacting JKA prior to our trip, I found that the dojo would be closed on the days that we would be in Tokyo.

Our training plan for the year will change in the very near future since MiniMe will be leaving his current school (The Japanese School, London) and attending a local English primary school. At the moment we train with Kilburn SKC on a Tuesday evening, Saturday morning, and Sunday morning. However, once MiniMe changes school then he will attend the Japanese School for Saturday morning classes and his after school schedule in the week will also change due to various clubs at his new school (including a Japanese homework club).

There is also the small matter of Kilburn SKC looking to split from their affiliation with JKA England, which has been hinted at via a notice on the JKAE web site stating that the only JKA England qualified grading examiners are Ohta Yoshinobu Sensei and Adel Ismail Sensei. This means that the grading to 1st kyu that we completed in December 2009 is not recognised by JKA England. Whether this influences our future karate training I do not yet know so it is a case of waiting to see what happens with Kilburn SKC.

[Updated April 2010]

Kilburn SKC did indeed split from JKAE late 2009 / early 2010, along with a few other former JKAE affiliated clubs, as was publically announced on the forums of The Shotokan Way and Karate Underground (registration required for both). Kilburn SKC is now part of Shotokan Karate Centres England where the new squad has achieved notable success in competition and a new SKC grading system has been put in place. Through December and into early 2010 I saw a reasonably large surge in traffic hitting my little blog through people searching for information on the potential / eventual split from JKAE and I suspect this post might attract people looking for further information as well.

I hit a period of writers block in 2010 due to not knowing how to address the change on my blog; should I ignore it completely or write about it in some way? I have eventually settled on making an update on this post to cover the subject, mainly because of the public SKC announcements on the before-mentioned karate forums, and also because I choose to write about our karate progress online and since I put this part of our life online then I should be consistent and post about the tricky subjects as well. My focus is to maintain the high quality of karate training we have both received so far and both Kilburn SKC and JKAE have contributed to that over the past 3 years. As to the reasons for the split? I have zero information on the subject – we’re here for the training and not the politics.

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1st Kyu

December 21, 2009 By danyul Leave a Comment

MiniMe performing basics

With an end of year trip to Japan looming we just had time to fit a final grading in before we headed off on holiday. In what should in theory be our last kyu grading before we go for our black belts late in 2010, we once again headed to Vale Farm Sports Centre ready for a tough examination of our karate.

The grading took place on Sunday 20th December 2009 and would include grading for all levels so no training session beforehand for those that are purple & white belt or higher. I always find these gradings harder  since you never know what time your respective grade will be called and going for 1st kyu meant that we would be in the very last group. In theory we should have been grading around 4.30pm with a Sensei driven warm-up / practice starting at 4pm. However, as usual the grading was running very late, this time because of a late finishing Taekwondo that took place at the same venue earlier in the day.

Thankfully I had let MiniMe bring his Nintendo DS so he settled down for some Mario Kart fun while I stood and watched some mixed grades being put through their paces by various black belts, below us in the squash courts. Kilburn SKC operates a quite a few sites so there were lots of unknown faces practising but I did recognise the senior black belts who were putting them through their paces. I had long ago learnt that there is little point wearing yourself out before a grading and with some an unknown wait ahead of us I politely declined the offers to go down and join in the practice.

This seemed to be a very good decision as it was just before 6pm before Sensei Natalie started the warm-up for those going for 1st kyu or those attempting to clear a temporary. MiniMe was flagging a little by this time but I persuaded him to join in the practice, although I told him not to go full on at this point, and he looked very sharp to me through basics and kata. The dojo was already very hot at this point thanks to the all day use so I made sure that both of us practiced our technique but held back enough to make sure we were not worn out before the grading started. Our group was called upstairs quite quickly so we did not have enough time to run through kumite as a group and this left MiniMe a little worried since he was worried about forgetting the order of the required attacks.

We were soon upstairs and for the first time the juniors of the grade were called up first, which meant that MiniMe was in the very first group. I watched him go through his basics under the direction of Sensei Eric and Sensei Darren without any comment and it was soon time for me to be called up for the same basics and again no specific comments aimed at me. I was able to sit and watch MiniMe perform both kata and kumite while I was waiting and MiniMe sailed through Bassai Dai but had a few problems performing kumite. His blocks and counter attacks went very well, as did his first few sets of attacks, but for some reason he was putting no power into any of his kicks. I have noticed MiniMe do this before at previous gradings although it is not something that he does with me when we practice. I get the feeling that he is hesitant to kick someone with real intent just in case he actually makes contact; why this would make a difference to kicks rather than punches I do not know. Sensei Peter made several comments to MiniMe, urging him to put more effort into the kicks, but there was only a marginal improvement each time.

MiniMe had now completed his grading to he headed downstairs while I moved on to complete kata (Bassai Dai); not more most accomplished kata performance ever, which is probably try for all my gradings, but I did keep my composure and did not rush through as some tend to do. Next up was kumite and I was partnered with someone that I did not recognise. If I am partnered with someone who I train alongside then it can sometimes be a bit easier in kumite since we have practiced together before and know our normal pacing. In this case I had to keep all my wits about me and I decided that all my attacks had to have power as well as technique and at this level my opponent should know how to block properly. We sailed through my attacks and his counter attacks but when it came to his attacks I found that I barely had to block since just the backward movement was taking me beyond each attack. Sensei pulled my opponent up for not showing enough commitment and told him to attack with purpose.

The syllabus for the grading:

  • Basics (Chudan Jun-zuki->Sambon Renzuki+Sambon Renzuki<-Jodan Age-uke+Gyaku-tsuki->Chudan Soto0uke+Yoko Empi+Yoko Uraken+Chudan Gyaku-tsuki [Zenkutsu-dachi to Kiba-dachi to Zenkutsu-dachi]<-Chudan Uchi-uke+Gyaku-tsuki->Shuto-uke+Nukite [Kokutsu-dachi to Zenkutsu-dachi]->Mae-geri->Rengeri [Chudan/Jodan]->Mawashi-geri->Yoko Ke-age [Kibadachi] left/right->Yoko Ke-Komi [Zenkutsu-dachi] left/right->Yoko Ke-komi [Zenkutsu-dachi]
  • Kata (Bassaidai)
  • Kumite (Jiyu Ippon Kumite – Jodan/Chudan/Maegeri/Yoko Ke-komi/Mawashi-geri one side)

That was the end of our final 2009 grading and I went downstairs to catch up with MiniMe to find out that he had already received his results and was very pleased with himself since he had achieved a straight pass. I followed shortly after and just like MiniMe I had also achieved a straight pass so there was just time to buy a new belt for MimiMe (brown with two white stripes), says our goodbyes to a few people, and then make our way home.

With no more training planned in 2009 this would be our last karate activity for the year and also for sometime into January 2010 thanks to our holiday to Japan (sadly the JKA Honbu would be closed for training on the days we have scheduled in Tokyo) so thanks to everyone associated to Kilburn for their support through 2009 and a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone.

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JKAE Brown & Black Belt Course 2009

December 5, 2009 By danyul Leave a Comment

Gneo Sensei (7th Dan, Belgium)

We were back at the Elmbridge Xcel Leisure Complex on Saturday 5th December 2009 for a JKAE Brown & Black belt course. We have attended various JKAE courses over the past 2.5 years but this is the first time that we have been available and eligible to attend a brown & black belt course. The course contents were not advertised so our expectation was for an Ohta Sensei led course, much like the All Grades Course we attended in October, with a focus on the 3 K’s (kihon, kata, & kumite) needed for those taking a dan grading after the course.

We arrived at the course very early (as usual!) to see quite a long queue at the registration desk but we quickly realised that this was the queue for those grading so we were able to jump directly to the course only registration. At this point I suddenly realised that we did not have our JKA licence’s because we had handed them over for a grading later in December. I had paid for this course sometime ago so I should have realised that we needed our licence’s and we could have held onto them before submitting our grading papers at our next club training session following the course. However, the JKAE committee members had no problems with us attending the course after I explained everything although things would have been different if we had forgotten our licence’s and we were planning to go through a dan grading… not that I would ever make that mistake!

We had some time to kill before the course started so we popped into the cafe area to grab a drink and snack for MiniMe then sat down and ate whilst watching everyone arrive for training. The queue for dan grading registration seemed to grow and grow, as did the queue for course only registration, so I was glad that we were early today. It was soon time to head into the main Hall and MiniMe kept himself busy running around following the tram lines set in the floor to mark out badminton courts. Ismail Sensei called everyone into line and with some people hesitant to move forward we found ourselves on the front of the line on the far left hand side. At this point I also noticed that we had some guest instructors for the course who I would later find out were Chubachi Sensei (2nd dan) from JKA Headquarters in Tokyo and Gneo Sensei (7th dan) from JKA Belgium.

Ismail Sensei led everyone through a vigorous warm-up and straight away we were split into 2 groups: dan grades on one side of a large sports hall dividing net and brown belts on the other. We were fortunate to have  Gneo Sensei for our first session and with a twinkle in his eye he told us that his aim was to make us all sweat until we could not stand up. It was apparently clear that Gneo Sensei had a great sense of humour about him and this was evident throughout the training he led.

Chubachi Sensei (2nd Dan, Japan)

Gneo Sensei led us through the kata Tekkei Shodan several times before a shift onto the emphasis of various applications of blocks / attacks taken from Tekkei Shodan. I have highlighted before that the brown belts always spend time on the kyu grade kata that will be requested in the later dan grading but it was very refreshing to have an application based approach to the kata rather than repeating the kata over and over. Gneo Sensei gave several demonstrations before we went off to practice in pairs but it was clear just how sharp and powerful Gneo Sensei is based on the way he showed each technique. I had a great time practising each technique with a partner but it was clear that MiniMe was struggling to understand some of the concepts being taught. It also did not help that he was partnered with someone so much taller; however, he was still giving his all and trying his best.

This session was now over and everyone went for a short break before heading back to their respective groups but with a switch of instructors. The brown belts were now being led by Ohta Sensei with Chubachi Sensei passing through the lines giving advice where he felt necessary. Sensei started on basics and we proceeded to run through the basics needed for those who were grading for shodan following the training session. We soon built up a head of steam as Sensei drove us on and on through each set before we then turned our focus to kumite. We partnered up to practice both the structured and freestyle kumite needed for those grading to shodan. Since there was an odd number of students it turned out that MiniMe had no partner for the freestyle practice so was partnered with Chubachi Sensei. I managed to glance over a few times to see MiniMe with a huge grin on his face launching himself at Chubachi Sensei, really trying to land some MiniMe sized blows.

Finally we split into groups for kata with the  majority of students being led through Bassai Dai by Chubachi Sensei while some much smaller groups went through some black belt kata with Ohta Sensei (these were people taking their shodan grading who had chosen a kata other than Bassai Dai). MiniMe was paying partcular attention to his new ‘kumite pal’ Chubachi Sensei and took great delight in translating Sensei’s Japanese into English for me. The training was soon over and all grades came back together to bow out.

Gneo Sensei (7th Dan, Belgium)

There was a further presentation of certificates to those who had completed a dan grading at previous courses before both Sensei Gary Stewart (5th dan) and Sensei Roy Tomlin (5th dan) both performed a kata in front of everyone. I couldn’t quite hear the explanation given before they each performed their kata thanks to the acoustics of the large hall but it sounded like they had both recently passed a grading examiners test at the JKA Honbu. I can’t remember the kata performed either so if anyone was there wants to jog my memory via the comments section of this post then please go ahead. Gneo Sensei presented both with a certificate before the final presentation was given for the 2009 JKA England Dylan Award. Again, it was hard to hear everything from where we were sitting but it sounded like there was a very worthy winner.

So that was our final karate course of 2009 and we look forward to the events 2010 will bring.

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JKAE All Grades Course 2009

October 4, 2009 By danyul Leave a Comment

JKAE All Grades Course 2009

We attended the JKAE All Grades Course in 2008 as preparation for the 2008 Kyu Grade Championship but this year we attended as brown belts who just wanted to improve their karate. This year the event took place at the Elmbridge Xcel Leisure Complex on Saturday the 4th Oct 2009. The All Grades Course is ‘just what it says on the tin’ and is a course to cater for every belt colour but with an emphasis on competition for the kyu grades. The annual JKAE Kyu Grade Championship was scheduled to take place in late November so some of the course content was designed especially for those that had not competed before.

This course was led by Ohta Sensei and as Ismail Sensei called everyone to lineup we found ourselves on the front line bang in the middle where Ismail Sensei led the warm-up. Usually we would be grouped somewhere in the middle, just by how the lines formed, but on this occasion we were at the front. I hadn’t really thought about the best place to be for the larger courses but through luck we were at the front and this proved to be a great location for the course.

The warm-up concluded and Ohta Sensei led us all through some relatively tricky combinations that were all based on movements from the lower level kata (kihon and heian shodan). At first I did not link the combinations to the kata then onto the kyu grade emphasis but it was a valuable lesson for understanding the complexities of the most basic kata. Being directly in front of Ohta Sensei proved very useful as it was easy to hear his instruction and also watch his body movements. On the large courses it can sometimes be difficult to hear all the instructions clearly due to the acoustics on the hall. Also, it can be very easy to try and copy someone nearby when you cannot hear everything clearly but more often than not they have not heard everything and you can end up copying the wrong technique.

Following basics we then moved through various kumite combinations with the kyu grades following the technique needed for their respective grading / competition level while the higher grades (brown belts and above) were asked to add extra blocks and attacks while keeping to the same kumite framework. MineMe was partnered with a yellow belt so had to stick with the yellow belt syllabus while I had great fun trying to quickly pick up the extra blocks / attacks that Sensei would shout out, which we had to insert within the same kumite steps that the lower grades were completing.

After a short break all the grades were split so black belt and above were with Ohta Sensei for kata practice, the lower grades were off in their group to practice their kata, while MiniMe and me were with the brown belts and Sensei Adel. Our focus was on the kata Bassai Dai. We went through the kata in stages, with some focus on the application of each move, and we were both soon feeling tired after the relentless pace Sensei set but equally I was really enjoying myself (not sure whether MiniMe would say the same!) and the shout of “one more time!” brought a grin to my face.

The course was soon over and we’d both had another good JKAE led training course together. I was impressed with the effort MiniMe put in through the day, which I suspect was in part dictated by being directly in front of Ohta Sensei, so a big thumbs up from us. As per usual we stayed a little while to use some of the facilities and although we could not use the rock climbing wall because it was fully booked, we did use the swimming pool, before heading home.

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2nd Kyu (part 2 of 2)

September 25, 2009 By danyul Leave a Comment

MiniMe performing basics (Shuto-uke+Nukite)

Back in July 2009 we had both completed our 2nd kyu grading but with MiniMe achieving a temporary pass rather than a full clear pass. So on the 25th September  we were back at Vale Farm for MiniMe to take the 2nd kyu grading again, to clear the temporary, while I sat and watched as an observing parent. It was strange to be grading at Vale Farm again without a training session beforehand and it was also strange to attend a grading without actually taking part myself; however, it did mean that I could focus on helping MiniMe through the grading syllabus to make sure he knew what to do.

From people grading to purple and white belt and higher there is usually a separate grading session at Willesden Sports Centre where a training session is held first with Ohta Sensei. However, this time around everyone graded in one long session, no matter what grade they were going for, and there was no training session beforehand except a brief warmup and practice session held by grade. The summer grading is usually less well attended as people aare either on holiday for the grading or have not been training much during the summer break. This grading session also fell within or just after Ramadan, which also dropped the number of people attending.

We usually end up arriving early for grading and then waiting around for an hour or so but for once we arrived a little early and found that MiniMe’s group were just about to warmup and practice before heading upstairs for grading. I watched MiniMe through the brief practice and if he performed in the same way through the grading then I knew he would have no problems passing. He was soon led upstairs and I quickly followed to take my seat and watch the grading take place.

The syllabus would be the same as the previous grading:

  • Basics (Chudan Jun-zuki->Sambon Renzuki<-Jodan Age-uke+Gyaku-tsuki->Chudan Soto0uke+Yoko Empi [Zenkutsu-dachi to Kiba-dachi]<-Chudan Uchi-uke+Gyaku-tsuki->Shuto-uke+Nukite [Kokutsu-dachi to Zenkutsu-dachi]->Mae-geri->Rengeri [Chudan/Jodan]->Mawashi-geri->Yoko Ke-age [Kibadachi] left/right->Yoko Ke-Komi [Zenkutsu-dachi] left/right->Yoko Ke-komi [Zenkutsu-dachi]
  • Kata (Bassaidai)
  • Kumite (Jiyu Ippon Kumite – Jodan/Chudan/Maegeri/Yoko Ke-komi left only)

MiniMe breezed through his basics without any problem and was then moved along with his group to complete kata and kumite in front of Ohta Sensei. This time around MiniMe was either number 1 or number 2 in his group of 6 so it meant he was directly in front of Ohta Sensei, which meant that there were 4 other people behind him blocking my view. His kata seemed good to me although not quite as good as the earlier practice session but everyone seems to dip a little thanks to the nerves of grading. Thankfully there were no comments from Sensei this time and his group moved onto kumite.

I had noticed that MiniMe would be paired for kumite with a girl who was significantly older and taller based on their numbering but had assumed that Sensei would shuffle within the group of 6 to compensate for the height differences. However, this time he kept the same pairings so MiniMe was up against someone else repeating the grading who was around my height rather than his. This did not seem to faze MiniMe, probably because he is used to practising with me, and he performed well (from where I was sitting). The girl on the other hand was having difficulty adjusting her distance and seemed hesitant to try and attack someone so much shorter and someone so much younger. Ohta Sensei did not really comment on this but rather focused on someone else in the group who was having problems with the order of attacks and defence. Soon the grading was over and as MiniMe left the room I then went downstairs to meet him for the results.

MiniMe waiting to start kata (Bassai Dai) with Ohta Sensei making notes

The girl partnered with MiniMe was first to get her result and she had been awarded a temporary again based on getting distance incorrect throughout kumite. I thought that Ohta Sensei hadn’t really seen this as a problem since he made no comments during the grading but as usual he was clearly paying close attention to everything going on. Given that the girl was already repeating the grading based on a previous temporary then I could only feel sorry for her as she once again only gained a temporary pass and would be repeating the grading again in 3 months time. Ultimately you have to do you best against whatever opponent you face and the odds are that if someone attacks you for real then they are not going to be the same height / weight / age as you. That’s a difficult lesson for youngsters to take on board though and it was a shame she ended up partnered with someone so different for grading.

MiniMe was next up for results and he had a clear pass with no comments so his temporary pass was now cleared and he was a full 2nd kyu. It was good to see MiniMe get some of his karate mojo back and perform as I know he can during a grading.

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JKAE Summer Course 2009

August 30, 2009 By danyul Leave a Comment

JKAE Summer Course 2009

The JKAE Summer Course 2009 took place at the Spectrum Leisure Centre, Guildford, from the 28th to 30th August 2009. We attended the session on Sunday 30th August with karateka from around the world with training led by Ueki Sensei (8th Dan and member of the Board of JKA Directors) and Taniyama Sensei (6th Dan and General Manager of the JKA Guidance Division) from the JKA Japan Honbu alongside Ohta Sensei (6th Dan and JKA England Chief Instructor).

I made sure that we were both ready in the morning and after dropping Mrs danyul off at the gym we proceeded on the hour long drive to Guildford. With no traffic problems on route we made good time and were there early enough to register without any queue before settling down in the cafe area so that MiniMe could grab a drink and a snack before the training started. We saw a few familiar friendly faces in the cafe area so took a few minutes to catchup with people before heading back down to the training hall.

Ismail Sensei led the warm-up, which was thorough as always, before the session started with Taniyama Sensei leading us on exercises to emphasise the central pivot of the body when moving. He continued the same theme by adding turns and techniques and it was amazing just how difficult it can be to pivot the body correctly when you are focusing so much on it.

We all took a short break and then Ueki Sensei led a session focused on basics focused around distance, especially when using block and counter-attack techniques. After splitting into groups (white to purple / white belts, brown belts, and black belts) we again had Ueki Sensei taking us through the kata Tekkei Shodan. The Sunday training session at the major courses traditionally has a dan grading session afterwards so kata practice for the brown belts on the Sunday always includes the kyu grade kata that will be required during the dan grading plus practice for Bassai Dai. For the students mentally preparing for their dan grading it is important for them to pay close attention at this stage since Sensei will be one of the grading examiners so now is the chance to get an idea on what areas they will be paying attention to.

Taniyama Sensei (6th Dan, Japan) & Ueki Sensei (8th Dan, Japan)

Our final kata session was led by Ohta Sensei who led us through Bassai Dai and some smaller groups who had chosen other kata for their dan grading; although there is a choice of kata allowed for shodan most stick to Bassai Dai since it is the kata practiced and performed at grading through 3rd, 2nd, and 1st kyu. Ohta Sensei as quite a sly sense of humour about him and some of his comments made me laugh through the final kata session and certainly made the session more enjoyable for me. I am not sure whether MiniMe gets the humour within the instructions and is more intimidated by Sensei’s gruff exterior but we were soon worn out from all the practice.

Everyone returned to one large group for the end of the day and to formally bow out of training. There quickly followed some certificate presentations for those that had completed various dan grades at previous gradings and finally there were some special mentions for groups who had travelled from afar (JKA Scotland, JKA Isreal, JKA Ireland, JKA Germany, JKA Poland and JKA Norway).

There was just time for us to grab a picture with MiniMe alongside the visiting Sensei’s before we changed and headed out for some ice-skating, which MiniMe had been looking forward to all day. Finally we headed to the swimming pool for some slide fun before trying to watch some of the dan grading; however, the viewing area was packed so instead we left for the drive home. Thanks to JKAE for their organisation as always and to everyone who attended.

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JKAE National Championship 2009

July 7, 2009 By danyul Leave a Comment

MiniMe performing Heian Nidan in team kata

After competing at the JKAE Kyu Grade Championship in 2007 and 2008 plus attending the JKAE 2008 National Championship as spectators, it was time for us to step up and challenge ourselves at the JKAE 2009 National Championship. The event was held at the Elmbridge Xcel Leisure Complex in Walton on Thames on Sunday 5th July and saw karateka travel from all over the UK to compete.

The championship followed the same format as the previous Kyu grade championships with individual kata and kumite events but with the addition of team kata and kumite events. The major difference being the change of rules in kumite for adults and the very high standard of karateka competing across the board. Both of us were competing in our respective individual kata and kumite events while we were both also competing in the team kata events. I was not competing in the team kumite competition and there was not an equivalent for MiniMe to enter.

We arrived at the venue nice and early to get our bearings and to also make sure that the registration went smoothly. We have attended a number of karate events at the Xcel leisure centre and although it has nice facilities, you can end up struggling to find a parking space unless you get there early. The Nationals are usually held at the Guildford Spectrum, which caters for large groups of people with disparate hobbies (ice skating, gymnastics, swimming etc) all arriving on the same day, but at the Xcel centre you are very much competing for parking space with the swimmers and the other sporting clubs.

Thankfully the organisation of the Nationals was up to the usual high standards of all the JKAE events and it did not take long for us to find our nominated Kilburn representative to complete our registration. We were soon both adorned with our competitor stickers and joining everyone in the main hall for a warm-up and stretch.

danyul entry sticker

All the competitors, the judges, and the JKAE committee lined up for the opening ceremony, which included a short speech from Ohta Sensei wishing everyone good luck. Next up was the task of finding the location and times of our first events, which for both of us would be the kata event. At the Kyu Nationals the kata event was split by both age group and grade; however, for the Nationals we were just split by age. MiniMe was grouped in the boys 7-11 years old kata group, which was open to 3rd kyu and above (brown-black belts), while I was competing in the male individual kata 21+ years where competitors were again 3rd kyu and above. For MiniMe this meant quite a wide age range to deal with, especially since he would be one of the youngest competitors, plus the mental issue of having to compete against black belts.

The format was the same as our previous Kyu National efforts, with competitors being called up in pairs where the senior judge would flip through various sheets of paper and then call out the kata name from the sheet pulled at random. I was hoping that MiniMe would avoid Heian Godan as the chosen kata but lo and behold Heian Godan was called out for MiniMe and his opponent. I know that we have to learn all the kata and should have the ability to perform any of them at request but we had only just passed our 2nd kyu grading 2 days before so we had been spending a lot of time practising the kata Bassai Dai. Heian Godan shares some similar movements to Bassai Dai and with just a brief drop in concentration you can find yourself all to obviously suddenly stuttering briefly from kata to kata. We had spent so much time practising for the grading that we had not put the required effort into all the kata ready for competition and MiniMe found himself stalling through Heian Godan. This meant a successive elimination during the first round of kata but I was proud of him for going out there and trying his best. MiniMe still has another 4 years in the same age group so hopefully he can put in a better performance as our karate training continues.

MiniMe entry sticker

The competition was in full swing and since there was some time before the male 21+ heats, we took some time to watch some of the younger competitors performing their kata. I am always amazed at how the kids can perform under the pressure and the kata was of a very high standard across the board. If I could perform kata to that level, at any point in my karate life, then I would be a very happy man.

Soon it was time to begin my heats and I was up against a fellow brown belt Kilburn competitor, although one who trains at one of the other Kilburn venues, and we were drawn to perform the kata Heian Nidan. I managed to keep my concentration together and put together a reasonable kata, in my view anyway, and then it was over to the judges for their verdict. I did not take a view of how the judges voted but the senior judge did raise their red flag, which meant that I was through to the second round. I sat and watched the rest of the people competing on the same mat and it was soon time for me to return but this time I was up against a black belt. I long ago learnt not to judge a competitor by the colour of their belt so I went out to give my all and once again Heian Nidan was drawn. It was not my most accomplished kata performance but on the day it was not good enough and I was eliminated in the second round. I was happy with my kata performance and more importantly I had achieved my overall aim of going out there to enjoy myself and improve my karate in some way.

Mohammed Salih

I had a short amount of time to track MiniMe down so found him in the cafeteria area with a hot dog; thankfully he is at an age now where I can arm him with some cash and he could sort out his own food and drink if necessary. It can be very difficult trying to coordinate where we are both meant to be, especially as I cannot persuade a family member to sit and watch through the day, but MiniMe was quite content to feed himself and keep himself active by speaking with friends or playing on his Nintendo DS.

There was not much time to finish eating before MiniMe had to be back into the hall ready for the team kata event. This was a new category for us compared to the Kyu Grade Nationals but we had both been training for a month or so with our respective teams. The children’s team kata is mixed and open to the 7-15 age group (although the results document does state 7-11 for some reason) so his team were really up against it in their bid to try and make the finals. The team gave a great account of themselves and their performance of Heian Nidan was excellent. Sadly they did not make it through to the finals but with only 2 teams going through from the mat and so many teams competing then it was always going to be difficult. With such a wide age range there were very experienced black belts, some of whom are part of the national squad, then it was always going to be an uphill struggle. However, if their team remains together and continues to train together then they have a good chance since they have the opportunity to compete as a team for the next 6 years.

It was soon time for me to compete in the team kata event and our optimism of gaining a respectable result soon vanished when we realised that the mixed adult team event was not limited by grade, so we were the only team of brown belts lined up against some very experienced black belts (1st-4th dan). Our goal quickly changed from ‘reasonable result’ to ‘give it our best and not come last’ as we watched all the other teams perform then it was quickly our turn onto the mat. We performed Heian Sandan as our chosen kata, where we were the only team to perform a Heian kata or indeed a non-black belt kata, and it was down to the judges to score. I cannot remember our score since the performance and walking off the mat went by in such a blur but we did not receive the lowest score so were very happy with the end result. We seemed to be the only kyu grade competitors in the team kata event but we’ll be back for more next year as the 3 of us enjoyed ourselves so much.

MiniMe kumite

I tracked down MiniMe and we took some time together to eat some lunch and discuss how the day had gone so far. Our remaining event was the individual kumite and MiniMe was soon needed back in the hall for his event, which was the boys individual kumite ages 7, 8 & 9. MiniMe was on slightly firmer ground with this event since we had been practising kumite for the grading although we had given any focus to competition and the slight changes in rules and the need to wear gloves and a gum shield. He progressed through 2 rounds but was then up against one of his fellow Kilburn friends who was also a member of the same kata team. MiniMe made an error on his age uke block and the judges awarded the tie to his friend by 3 votes to 1 and that was the end of the Nationals for MiniMe this year.

It was finally time for my kumite event and the first time to stand up tall with some full contact kumite. There was a grade split for this category so I was in the brown belt to black belt (1st dan) category while the 2nd dan and above grades competed separately. I had a bye in the first round so sat down on the edge of the mat to watch some action and to try and compose myself. I was soon called up and was facing a black belt although again I paid no real attention to the colour of his belt. Unfortunately my aim to keep composed and to use correct technique seemed to slide away as the bout started and we both received a warning from the referee to control ourselves more. I was soon a point down as a front kick (mae geri) landed against me and from that point on I was chasing the bout. I did manage to sweep my opponents front foot but he managed to spin away quickly before I could follow it up and we were soon out of time.

To be honest I cannot remember much of the bout although I can clearly recall my lack of composure, my lack of technique, my lack of control and for some bizarre reason I kept dropping my line of sight down rather than focusing on chin level as normal. All the things I practice each week in training went out of the window and I know it is just a loss of concentration due to the pressure of competing in front of a audience against an opponent I had not seen before. I did really enjoy the experience though and took away a lot to work on ready for next year. While I know that I will not ever be competing for a medal, I do know that learning the composure to compete under pressure will improve my karate.

MiniMe checking for kumite results... there is always next year

I had promised to take MiniMe swimming once our competition was over so we both changed and headed to the swimming pool. It was good to soak away some of the aches and pains from the day before we went back to the cafe area to grab some food before making our way to the hall to watch the finals begin. We both sat and watched all the competitors parade through into the hall ready for the finals and then sat through some of the kata finals. As always the standard was excellent and some of the juniors really stood out. I can see the level of competition increasing each year as some of these juniors coming through the ranks. Unfortunately we had to leave since MiniMe was at school the next day so we missed the senior final events.

We did have time to catch the Boys 16-20 years kata final and I have found two of the performances online via YouTube.

First we have Mohammed Salih performing Unsu:

Second we have Jack Morgan performing Nijushiho:

Checking the 2009 National Results on the JKAE web site I can see that Mohammed came 1st and Jack 3rd. I am not sure whether it is the camera angle of the camera type but both do not give full justice to each performance as I remember watching them on the day. Thanks for making the video available!

We both had an enjoyable day and we both took something away to practice in the dojo ready for next years competition. As always I would like to thank everyone involved in arranging the Nationals, all those who took time to come and cheer on their family / friends, and finally a big thanks to everyone who put themselves on the line and took on the challenge of competing. Some were there to win medals and they were a joy to watch; however, I doff my hat to the true karateka who went out to improve their karate and not just make up the numbers.

JKAE National Championship 2009

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2nd Kyu (part 1 of 2)

July 3, 2009 By danyul Leave a Comment

Preparation for Bassai Dai

On the 3rd July 2009 we returned to Willesden Sports Centre for a training session with Ohta Sensei, followed by our grading for 2nd kyu. Following our injury plagued grading in March I made sure that MiniMe kept well away from any activity where he could sustain an injury.

We arrived nice and early for the training session so avoided the fight for a parking space. We sat down in the cafe area with some snacks while we had a quick run through of the grading syllabus. MiniMe had lost a bit of his karate mojo over the past few months since the new school year began in April (he follows the Japanese school year) had meant a substantial increase in homework. It had also been a busy few months for me as I was busy working long hours each day so our little practice sessions at home had disappeared.

The training session was good as usual and I always enjoy the one off training sessions with different Sensei since they take us out of our comfort zones. This session was no different as we worked on different combinations and worked with different partners. Again, the pre-grading training session with Sensei brings all the Kilburn students together so it brings the opportunity to train with partners that we have not seen before or those that we only really catch up with at the grading sessions.

For the last part of the training session we were split into our respective grades to practice kata with the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st kyu grades (brown belts) going through Bassai Dai, the 4th kyu grades going through Tekki Shodan, and the dan grades… well… I can’t remember what they were going through since we were so busy :) There was a lot of focus on the correct hip movement for Bassai Dai along with showing the correct stance. Of course that is on top of knowing the correct movements and also in my mind being able to demonstrate that you understand the correct application through the kata. The training session was soon over and we took a short break before proceeding through our grading syllabus:

  • Basics (Chudan Jun-zuki->Sambon Renzuki<-Jodan Age-uke+Gyaku-tsuki->Chudan Soto0uke+Yoko Empi [Zenkutsu-dachi to Kiba-dachi]<-Chudan Uchi-uke+Gyaku-tsuki->Shuto-uke+Nukite [Kokutsu-dachi to Zenkutsu-dachi]->Mae-geri->Rengeri [Chudan/Jodan]->Mawashi-geri->Yoko Ke-age [Kibadachi] left/right->Yoko Ke-Komi [Kinadachi] left/right->Yoko Ke-komi [Zenkutsu-dachi]
  • Kata (Bassaidai)
  • Kumite (Jiyu Ippon Kumite – Jodan/Chudan/Maegeri/Yoko Ke-komi left only)

MiniMe waiting to be called, 2nd kyu grading

As usual I was put through as one of the first groups along with all the adults. Sensei Eric made a general comment to us as a group pointing out that our lack of flexibility, certainly compared to the children, showed since our kicks were all quite low or involved some leaning. It is certainly a comment to take on board and I do find it difficult to prioritise my time for any stretching outside of our normal dojo training sessions. We all sailed through kata and kumite with no further comments although that does not always infer a positive result at the end.

I sat down with the rest of the parents to watch the rest of the grading and it was soon time for MiniMe to progress through the same process. There were no immediate comments about basics but there were a series of comments directed at him by Sensei through both kata and kumite. Firstly, the lack of any stance through the kata was evident to me so must have really stood out for Sensei and there was no hip movement at all. Sensei asked MiniMe to repeat the kata again by himself but again there was a lack of any stance or hip movement throughout. I later received feedback that Sensei could not believe this was the same person who cleared all his previous gradings so had asked him to repeat the kata as a another chance. There was also some quite strong immediate feedback from Sensei through kata telling MiniMe to show more power through his attacks.

Ohta Sensei

MiniMe was not a happy bunny after the grading as we headed downstairs to receive our results. I had achieved a clear pass but MiniMe had received a temporary pass along with comments on his kata. I cannot argue with the results of the grading and the recent loss of karate mojo by MiniMe, specifically his Laissez-faire attitude to training over the past few months. So it was time to give MiniMe a ‘bump’ and help him get his karate mojo back in time to repeat the same grading in September.

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JKAE Spring Course 2009

May 6, 2009 By danyul Leave a Comment

JKAE Spring Course 2009

On Sunday the 3rd May 2009 we attended the third day of the JKAE Spring Course 2009 with guest instructors, which was being hosted at the Guildford Spectrum Leisure Centre. The Spring Course was being held over the Bank Holiday weekend (1st-4th May 2009) and as much as I would have loved to attend all four days, I did not want to face the wrath of Mrs danyul in karate widow mode.

We usually head off early to the JKAE events since I am always worried about being late due to traffic incidents and I like to have enough time to register without feeling rushed or having to join a long queue. However, a neighbour wanted some help just as we were leaving and by the time we dropped Mrs danyul off for aerobics, all our ‘extra’ time had gone and we were only going to arrive a little while before the start. I did not help matters by not paying attention at registration so joined the wrong queue. By the time we had registered and made our way to the hall the warm-up had already started so we had to wait until Sensei called us into the lineup then we had to squeeze into some available space; not the ideal start for our training.

Ogura Sensei (7th Dan, Japan)

Sawada Sensei lead a sequence of sliding in and sliding out, which we then added Uraken-uchi (both left and right) onto with partners. We built up the combinations with particular emphasis on understanding both the rhythm of our own and our partners timing but looking how we could break the rhythm to land our own attack. I really enjoyed the building of momentum as you feel the rhythm of the combinations before striving to break that rhythm, which at the time made me recall the article ‘The Winner Has Gravitity‘ written by Rod Redmond at 24 Fighting Chickens.

After a short break we were split into a group with the other brown belts (3rd-1st kyu) with Osaka Sensei while the dan grades were grouped with their Sensei and the lower kyu grades with another Sensei. The Sunday training directly precedes those students going for a dan grade so the kata focus for the brown belt group was for the application of Heian Godan, which would then be a kata asked for the students going through the lower dan grading. If you are going to grade later than it is vital to listen to what Sensei is teaching since these will be the areas scrutinised later on. For those not grading I sometime feel that the teaching is a little dry because it is more of a focus on how not to fail your grading rather than learning something new about the kata.

However, today we were under the guidance of Osaka Sensei and what an honour that turned out to be because his focus on the application of the kata really brought the session to life. At this point I have to state just how much Osaka Sensei reminded me of my father-in-law; not in how they might look like each other but how both of them have the same mannerisms and expressions and simple joy while they demonstrate something for an audience that does not speak Japanese.

Before MiniMe started to attend the Japanese School, London his only exposure to the Japanese language was through a 3 hour Saturday school session and from Mrs danyul speaking at home. This wasn’t really enough so when we went on our yearly trip to Japan his Japanese grandfather had to rely of using facial expressions and using movements to communicate. This always used to make me laugh, watching them both laughing as they played together, and this stuck in my mind as Osaka Sensei was patient with his group of willing brown belts.

We both had a great day (as usual) and the training was soon over. MiniMe loves visiting the Guildford Spectrum Leisure Centre because it means a burger lunch following by ice skating and swimming. MiniMe was exhausted after our day or training and exercise so he slept soundly on the drive home.

Thanks to everyone involved in organising the JKAE courses and there is also an excellent write-up of the event over at The Shotokan Way.

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