19th October Course

Haxby Shotokan Karate Club has been invited by Sensei Glenn to his course on 19th October. Hans Rana Sensei 5th Dan JKS is to visit Akashi Shotokan on the 19th October. Training times are:

• White belt-4th Kyu: 12.00pm-1.00pm,
• Black and brown belts: 1.30pm-3.30pm .

The training fee is £10.00. This course is invite only and students from Haxby are more than welcome to attend. Both sessions are going to be focused on correct Khion. The course is being held at Akashi Shotokan Karate Club, Stainbeck Church, Stainbeck Road, Leeds, LS7 2PP


visit www.haxbykarate.co.uk to find out more about our Club. For more information email info@haxbykarate.co.uk

Change of venue

Monday's training session will be held at Ralph Butterfield Primary School, Station Road, Haxby, YO32 3LS. Click here for a map.

Training times are 6pm - 7pm for Haxby Karate Kids and 6.45pm- 9pm for the main class.

Training will be back to normal next Thursday.

visit www.haxbykarate.co.uk to find out more about our Club. For more information email info@haxbykarate.co.uk

Course and Grading September 2013

I always enjoy the run up to a grading. There seems to be a special sense of excitement in the club, and everyone always tries that little bit harder with their training. The preparation for our recent grading was no different, well perhaps it was a little different – as some of our Haxby Karate Kids would be grading at the course for the first time!

We're off to see the wizard!

Sensei Alistair

A very proud Sensei Lorraine

Again we were lucky to have two excellent instructors, Sensei Alan Campbell, JKS England Chief Instructor, and Sensei Alistair Mitchell, 7^th Dan who has recently joined JKS England. The course had very much a kumite feel to it. Sensei Alistair was emphasising relaxation (with Colin stoically bearing the brunt of this painful looking demonstration!), and ease / flow / continuation in your movements with your block flowing into and leading to your counter, not working against it. 


Sensei Alan’s session with the senior grades focused on movement in kumite (I learnt the hard way that Ray is a difficult man to get past!). A special mention must go to Tom (F) who after being volunteered by his instructors stood up well to 15 minutes of kumite demonstration with Sensei Alistair – I lost track of how many times you ended up on the floor Tom, but you kept getting back up!

The gradings themselves provided cause for celebration with all our students continuing their progression on their karate journeys.Our Karate Kids performed brilliantly – every single one of them dug deep and successful achieved their first official JKS grade. Well done to Dylan (12^th Kyu), Dexter, Oliver & Evie (11^th Kyu), and Edward & Xander (10^th Kyu) – you did yourselves proud and I’m sure I saw a tear in the corner of Sensei Lorraine’s eye!

I Know that Andy and Joe were nervous going into their first Grading with us, but they did not let it show, putting in strong performances to get their 9^th Kyus. Colin and Gareth continued to show what they are made of, both securing 8^th Kyu – you have a whole new kata to learn before your next grading so it is important to continue with your dedicated approach. Katherine put in her usual graceful performance (after almost concertinaing her body during one of the exercises on the course – I really wish I could be half as flexible as she is!) to finally get rid of her red belt and replace it with a yellow one for 7^th Kyu.

 Lisa (as usual) was the first of the Gowland clan to face the grading panel and showed the younger generation how it was done by gaining her Green belt (6^th Kyu). Rebecca, how happy that her mum was the same grade as her (even if it was very briefly) dug deep to find her inner aggression to gain her 5^th Kyu.

Ray, Robert and Bethany grading

Then we were onto our brown belts. Ray was up first, and despite some issues with the kata his technique was strong enough to secure 3^rd Kyu – the path to Shodan starts here and you have some tough training (and gradings) ahead of you! Our 3^rd kyus were up next, Bethany successfully graded to 2^nd Kyu, but an early mistake in the kihon seemed to knock Robert’s confidence. Despite that he did put in a strong enough performance to secure a Temporary 2^nd Kyu. I know, from personal experience, how disappointing it is to get a temporary grade at 2^nd Kyu, but I know that he has the determination to keep going and the dedication to work towards getting your 1^st Kyu in February. One of the things that has always impressed me about Robert is that he never gives up – if he takes a hit during kumite, or stumbles over a kata, he always refuses to sit out to recover – preferring to work through it and carry on. It is this determination that will carry you through this disappointment and to your Shodan.

Wow! What a course! And the next one promises to be even better. Sensei Paul has outdone himself by arranging for Sensei Alan Campbell, JKS England Chief Instructor, Sensei Scott Langley, JKS GB & Ireland Technical Director, AND Sensei Shinji Nagaki, 5^th Dan WKF World Kumite Champion to run our course and grading on Sunday 23^rd February 2014. Save the date in your diary as it is definitely not to be missed!

OSU

Jim 

visit www.haxbykarate.co.uk to find out more about our Club. For more information email info@haxbykarate.co.uk

Family Fun Day, September 2013

An exhausted Bethany

This year’s family fun day seemed to sneak up on us – sandwiched as it was between the return to school for a lot of our members and the September grading.

Jim defeating Dave from Selby

True to form the weather was superb and the Fun Day was once again a roaring success! Our family fun days are aimed to give a little something back to the club members for all the hard work and dedication that they put into their training throughout the year. They are an opportunity for the club (and family and friends) to socialise more informally than is normally 
permitted in the dojo and have some fun.

And fun was certainly on the cards, between the inflatable pugil stick duels, the surf board simulator, the sumo boxing suits everyone seemed to be having a great time. For some reason the chance to throw sponges of very cold water at a black belt seems to be irresistible, and once again ‘Soak a Shodan’ proved to be one of the highlights of the day!

Thank you to Brenda and Sensei Lorraine for organising such a fun day, and to their legion of helpers who cooked, cleaned, provided a candy floss making machine, and generally made sure that everyone had a great time.

Brenda and Lorraine will now be starting planning our Christmas party, and if anyone wants to help – I’m sure they would welcome it!

Once again Jim got wet

visit www.haxbykarate.co.uk to find out more about our Club. For more information email info@haxbykarate.co.uk

Dojo's Friend August

As usual, Dojo doesn't do things by halves! In fact why have one , when you can have two!
That's right both Evie and Oliver got to take Dojo home as the winners for the month of August. Oliver being the gentleman he is, let Evie go first as he had Dojo last. ( We did ask Dojo if we could split him in half.........he declined to comment!)

The reason Dojo picked them both, was they had both attended every session during the summer holidays! He was astounded by their level of commitment at a time when most children can only think of having fun and not doing anything that has a faint whiff of hard work.

Both of them now ( and others) are getting ready for the big grading sneaking up, and with the level of dedication they have shown, will get through with flying colours.

visit www.haxbykarate.co.uk to find out more about our Club. For more information email info@haxbykarate.co.uk

Dojo's Friend July

Well it didn't surprise anyone that the winner for the month of July was Oliver.......again!  At this rate we will have to ask Dojo to invite his brothers Zuki and Geri over to help out, but that is another story for another day.

Dojo is no stranger to Oli ( and his house!) and I am pretty sure he now knows where Oli hides  his secret stash of sweets. Maybe a change of hiding place is needed as he does have a sweet tooth!

Oli continues to impress with his fantastic attitude to learning, his willingness to exceed everything that is asked of him and his determination to improve his techniques in each and every lesson.

Looking towards the end of this month all I can say is...............I wonder who will get him next?

visit www.haxbykarate.co.uk to find out more about our Club. For more information email info@haxbykarate.co.uk