Summer Training Schedule

The club’s summer training schedule begins after the usual classes on Friday 31^st July.

Thereafter Friday evening and Sunday morning classes will cease during the month of August. Throughout August our training schedule will be as set out below:

• Wednesday evenings at Holme Pierrepont 7.00pm – 8.00pm for all grades.
•  Special “Early Bird” Monday morning kata classes at Keyworth Leisure Centre 7.00 am – 8.00 am for all grades.

 PLEASE TRY TO ATTEND BOTH SESSIONS EACH WEEK

 Our normal training schedule will resume on:

 Friday 4th September 2009

 6.15pm – 7.00pm (jnrs/ beginners/kyu grades)

 7.00pm – 8.00pm (brown & black belts 14yrs +).

Thanks!

I have now returned from holiday and would like to thank Ian Lea,  Alan Lea, Ian Kelly, and Kerry Lee for looking after the club in my absence.

Oss!

Brown Belt!

Achieving brown belt is a significant milestone in one’s study of karate, and it was particularly pleasing to see father & son, Paul and Jonathan Osborne, achieve this level on Sunday together.

Pictured  left is a very proud Jonathan being presented with his belt by our grading examiner Sensei Frank Brennan 7th dan.

Club Grading

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sensei Brennan delivered a challenging training session enjoyed by over fifty karate-ka today. The session concentrated on kihon and kata which was a real boon for those about to be assessed in the grading which followed, and for those who will be grading in the very near future.

Black belts had the opportunity of working on important aspects of the dan syllabus and of refining the kata Kanku Dai which is compulsory knowledge for the 2nd dan grading – a grading several club members aspire to take.

Congratulations to the following members who were promoted to the next coloured belt:

Orange belt: Chris Breeze; Edward Lowne; William Cranton.

Red belt: Austin Shepherd; Andy Wilkinson.

Yellow belt: Willy Astleigh; Thomas Leigh; Adrick Adams.

Green belt: Izzy Ponsonby; Kieran Gookey.

Purple belt: George Coates.

Brown belt: Paul Osborne; Jonathan Osborne.

Brown & white belt (2nd kyu): Bob Dainty.

Brown & white belt (1st kyu): Becky Cassapi.

Thank you also to those members who, whilst not taking the grading itself, took advantage of Sensei Brennan’s instruction by training in the pre-grading session and supported the club in the process:

Oliver Wood; Steve Cassapi; Jon Bond; Caroline Rees; Ian Kelly; Rory Cave; Myles Ponsonby; Alan Lea.

(Congratulations to Richard Buller who passed his red belt under Sensei Poynton 7th dan in Stoke on Trent last week).

The Fourth Dimension!

Time, the fourth dimension, is something that we would all like more of. Our time, like our money, is something we ”spend”. The trouble is, unlike our money, we don’t really know how much we’ve got in our accounts so we ought to be ultra thrifty!

Anyway, I have been saying recently that a lot can be achieved in karate in what on the face of it seems a short period of time. As far as karate training is concerned most people think in terms of ‘dojo time’. So they would probably view a period of one week as:  three classes; or  3 1/2 hours of formal training ( 4 1/4 if you do ‘the double’ on Friday evening!). But, so long as you have the enthusiasm for it you could be improving your knowledge, understanding and technical ability virtually all the time!

It’s surprising just how much you can achieve on your own if you take responsibility for your own learning.

You could spend your Wednesday morning coffee break at work daydreaming about a possible lottery win later that evening, or you could spend it visualising the katas you want to get right for your grading. And what’s more, some of the finer points of your general technique which you want to improve upon could be drilled to perfection in the time it took to boil the kettle! 

Remember, a week is a long time in karate!

Kick Start!

What a session last night! 29 training in all: 5 youngsters and 24 adults. Fantastic turnout.

The web site has been well and truly  ’kick-started’ !

I will be posting regularly but not necessarily after each session.

Let me start by updating you with the last few articles featured in the monthly Keyworth News. You will notice that some of the articles mention photos but unfortunately due to a technical hitch they couldn’t be copied across.

Oss!

Keyworth News July 09

South Notts Shotokan Karate Club

National Championships

The 43rd KUGB National Championships took place at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham on Sunday 17th of May. The event attracts hundreds of karate-ka from across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to compete in the twenty various events for adults, juniors and children. The club was represented by Becky Cassapi in the junior female events and by Teddie Henderson in the junior male. Both competitors were enthusiastically supported by a large cohort of club members and parents.

The draw wasn’t particularly kind to either fighter but both of them acquitted themselves very well indeed. Becky faced an experienced black belt and junior squad member. As always Becky moved very well and took the fight to her opponent by suddenly dashing in to deliver two consecutive face punches. The combination was very well timed but Becky’s opponent was able to land a counter punch to the face which scored a half point. For the remainder of the encounter Becky pressed hard in a bid to find the right moment to strike. In the next exchange of blows Becky’s punch was judged to have landed second, and the fight was lost. In the junior male sparring event Teddie had to get to grips with a heavier and very agile opponent. Teddie was the first to launch an attack, his ‘signature’ technique, a reverse roundhouse kick to the side of the head. This manoeuvre has caught many people out in training and but for an inch or two would have landed cleanly and won the fight outright. As it was, the kick fell slightly short and created an opportunity for his opponent to counter attack which he duly did scoring a half point. When the fight restarted Teddie kept things simple and concentrated on his body punching. There were several close exchanges where neither fighter was able to deliver a clean blow, and then, in circumstances very similar to Becky’s fight, there was an exchange of blows where Teddie was just beaten to the punch.

Becky and Teddie have gained valuable experience from this event which will be of great benefit to them when they compete again at the National Youth Championships next month.

Children (min 8yrs), young people and adults who wish to learn karate may contact the club secretary on 07811 819221.

Keyworth News June 09

SOUTH NOTTS SHOTOKAN KARATE CLUB

Club Grading

The club’s recent grading at Holme Pierrepont was a resounding success with a number of members being promoted to the next coloured belt. Five absolute beginners from the club achieved orange belt, the first step on the road to black belt, whilst 12 more experienced members made similar progress. The pre-grading training session was well supported with visitors attending from karate clubs in Tamworth and Chesterfield. Sensei Frank Brennan 7th dan, the current British team coach and vice-chairman of the KUGB, conducted proceedings. He put everyone through their paces during a challenging session and promoted the following members:

Orange belt: Austin Shepherd; Richard Buller; Iona Dennis, Andrew Wilkinson, Lee Proudlove. Red belt: Thomas Leigh, Willy Astleigh. Yellow belt: Jonathan Cobb, Luke Cobb, Izzy Ponsonby. Green belt: George Coates. Purple & White belt: Jonathan Osborne, Paul Osborne. Brown belt: Miguel Dennis, Frank Dennis, Bob Dainty. Brown & white belt: Becky Cassapi.

Success at the ‘Centrals’

Sixteen year olds Becky Cassapi and Teddie Henderson represented the club at the Central Region Championship held recently in Chesterfield. They both competed in the junior kumite (sparring) category and put in excellent performances against some tough opposition. Whilst Teddie lost out to a very sharp young fighter in the elimination stages, Becky fought her way through her pool of opponents to achieve a very well-deserved 2nd place. Both these promising young fighters will be in action again very soon at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham where the British title will be the ultimate prize!

 

Becky, left, alongside the other medal winners in her event.

Children (min 8yrs), young people and adults who wish to learn karate may contact the club secretary on 07811 819221.

Keyworth News April 09

SOUTH NOTTS SHOTOKAN KARATE CLUB

Darren’s Black Belt Success!

Darren Cockburn recently became the first club member this year to successfully achieve black belt level. Darren took the dan grading examination during a national course held in Chesterfield. He demonstrated a very high standard in all three aspects of the grading: kihon (the fundamentals); kata (solo sequences); and kumite (sparring). He was assessed by Sensei Andy Sherry 8th dan, the chairman of the Karate Union of Great Britain.

Darren began training with the club several years ago and is enormously proud of his achievement. He is now determined to continue his progress and has already begun refining the required syllabus for his 2nd dan – a grading he won’t be eligible to attempt for another two years!

 Darren pictured above proudly wearing the black belt he was awarded recently.

Adults, young people and children (min 8 yrs), wishing to learn karate may contact the club secretary on (07811) 819221 for more details.

Keyworth News March 09

SOUTH NOTTS SHOTOKAN KARATE CLUB

Regional Course & Squad Selections

The first regional course of the year took place on Saturday 14th February at Burton upon Trent, and several members of the club took the opportunity to train under the direct tutelage of Sensei Frank Brennan 7th dan. The course began with a 90 minute session for all grades which concentrated on the fundamental principles, and was followed by the selections for the 2009 regional kata squad. Club instructor Rob Manning together with two senior black belt members of the club were successful and joined around thirty other karate-ka from the region to form this year’s squad. The first full squad training session then took place where the emphasis was placed on continual refinement of technique within the context of two hours of non stop action! The club is very much looking forward to hosting the next squad session which takes place in March.

Pictured below are club members with Sensei Brennan (centre) after the recent course.

 Children (min 8yrs), young people and adults who wish to learn karate in Keyworth may contact the club secretary on 07811 819221.