Monday 25th October 'Autumn Devon Course Writeup (page two)'
Now you remember me mentioning the latest club to join us for the weekend from Derby. New faces, but who are they? Well, let me tell you about them! Gill, Claire, Herbie, Anu and Julie (as pictured) are five young ladies from the Jon Jepson Black Belt Academy. Paul Mansfield (3rd Dan) is their instructor and covers the Derby area for the Jon Jepson Academy. These ladies train regularly during the week and their style is slightly different, as their style is Wado-Ryu.
The ladies have been training between four to five years and have achieved the grades of Brown and Double White for one to 1st Dan for the others. But what do they think of the course, as the styles are different? Because the Shotokan style is a more traditional karate, the stances are much deeper and hence not so relaxed. Hence, the ladies have found it to be very different to what they are used to and that the Shotokan style is a more formal style and is very technical. Even the gradings and katas differ, as with Wado-Ryu there is what are called pinnan kata's, as well as higher kata's and a grading takes over one week. Also, within the grading, one of the pinnan kata's has to be performed in mirror image. So the new kata, of Nijisho-Sho, that the ladies are learning is a new experience for them and brings out the different techniques between the two styles.
But it is a good and new experience to see the differences in the styles and the bonki for the kata's are good to see, say the ladies. It's also good that we all mix together and that everyone is so friendly and helpful, they add. But will they come again? We have thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and it is a good learning curve. The idea of best student and awards is a good incentive, as it makes everyone work to their best, they say. We will most certainly like to come back next time, that is if you will have us. Of course we will ladies. The ladies would also like to extend their invitation for us to visit their club, so we can see their style.
Another early start for the next session on the next day, which started at 8am, with a warm-up and basics and then the jog to the beach. We just about had a beech, as the tide was on its way out, so this was the morning where the late-comers will go in the sea, as well as anyone who has a birthday. Jonathan Gameson celebrates his 13th birthday over the weekend, so it was a wet one for him in the sea. Happy Birthday Jonathan, from us all! We then had a few team games and basics, where we all got wet of course.
The final session for the Sunday started at 1pm, in gi and after the warm up it was time to continue with and put the final touches to the kata's from yesterday and of course the bonki for the kata's. Then to complete the course, it was time to put on your pads and mitts on and some sparring. The Black belts were the line up, where the juniors and then the seniors picked a Black belt to fight, for several rounds. What a great work-out, especially for the Black belts.
The course finished with a certificate presented to everyone who attended the course and some presentations by the instructors, for students who's working attitude has been exceptional over the weekend. A unique samari warrior was presented to Yacine Azmi from Digbeth, Lorraine Woodall from Shenley, Anu Khandelwal from Derby and Matthew Bayliss from Shenley. Well done to you all. Thanks were then mentioned to all the students and instructors for their commitment, which included a special thanks to Sensei Richards for organising the weekend again.
Now, as it was mentioned at the beginning, this year is our twentieth year of these courses and it hence makes next year twenty-one years. Therefore, the courses next years will be something special and the anticipated dates are 6th to 9th May 2005. So please put these dates in your diaries now. The numbers for this course were good, but there are still a lot of people, especially the higher grades, who should be there, but are missing. No excuses now as the dates are now set in stone for next year.
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