During the weekend of Friday 18th to Sunday 20th October, JKA Scotland welcomed Senseis Izumiya, Ueda and Ohta to Scotland for our Annual Gasshuku Seminar at Dunfermline High School.
JKA Scotland Gasshuku 2019 was well attended not only by JKA Scotland members from across the country, but also visiting students attending from Ireland, Norway and England.
Izumiya Sensei 7th Dan JKA HQ, Ueda Sensei 4th Dan JKA HQ and Ohta Sensei 7th Dan Chief Instructor JKA England made for a fantastic seminar with feedback from all students who attended being positive and extremely enjoyable.
With thanks to Bob Grant Photography for all photographs
Friday’s training started sharp with Sensei Izumiya putting all students through their paces for the first session. Sensei focused on Kihon techniques, punches, blocks and kicks emphasising posture and pushing the pelvis up, Strong kime, squeezing of the body and position of the knees to make stronger power in techniques using the shortest distance and straight line whilst making sure to relax the upper body. Keeping the theme of the first session basic Sensei finished with Heian Shodan Kata, making sure we put into practice what had been focused on throughout the first hour and a half.
Second Session on Friday students were split into Dan Grade, Brown Belts and Coloured Belts. Dan grades worked kata Kanku Sho with Sensei Ohta who highlighted key points within the kata that must be paid attention too, before working with a partner to put these techniques into practice with bunkai. Brown Belts experienced for the first time Sensei Ueda who quicklystarted the class warming up with choku zuki before moving on to get students to perform Enpi kata by the count, Sensei emphasised need for speed and control within Kihon and Kumite. Colour Belts worked on Kata and basic to suit their specific needs and standards with Sensei Izumiya, who focused on helping students understand the correct position of body when performing techniques. After the 1st day it was clear from the Senseis that they wanted to focus on making sure good attitude in dojo and spirit. Be fast with strong power, kime spirit and very important kiai.
Saturday morning saw more students attending as this was the first year that JKA Scotland incorporated a Kyu Grading examination at the Gasshuku, this made for a busier day. After a great first day all aches were forgotten quickly and the excitement of another fantastic 3 hours of training under the watchful eyes of such great instructors could be felt.
We were again split into appropriate grades for session 3 with Sensei Izumiya putting Brown belts through their paces focusing on blocking an incoming punch in back stance, and how you transfer to a front stance.
Dan grades were treated to Sensei Ueda with the session revolving around attitude and distance. Judging distance from opponent is very important, and with our partners moving around natural touching as we passed each other. Sensei said being natural is not easy especially in stressful situations like gradings/kumite. Sensei explained that speed is essential and always having minds prepared, always using 100% speed and power. In kata all moves must be performed as ippon. When training in your dojo keep stances lower.
Coloured grades were instructed by Sensei Ohta and started their session with 5 step sparring focusing on grading syllabus for later in the day. Sensei explained that kime is important and making the block but also using faster attack. To finish the session the focus was on hip rotation and stance. Sensei Ohta left students with one main point and that was not to perform moves too quickly but more accurately.
After a quick break Sensei Izumiya worked Kata Bassai Sho & Bunkai with Dan Grades, emphasising all moves in the kata should be together not staggered making sure to show the fast and slow moves. Sensei demonstrated the kata moves incorporating a bow stick in his demonstrations and the wrist action that should be used.
In the coloured belt class Sensei Ueda worked kata again making sure the focus was on Kyu Gradings which followed.
Brown belts experienced the technical skills of Sensei Ohta focusing on what is required to pass Shodan grading. Sensei worked all students with Kihon combinations emphasising specific areas which must be performed in a specific way. Kata focus for brown belts was Kanku Dai, after breaking this down and performing, Sensei split class into groups of 3. Moves 17, 18, 19 and 20 were covered explaining the bunkai in depth and allowing the students to understand what they were doing to bring this more to life whilst performing the kata. Sensei Ohta emphasised the need for those sitting Dan grading to know this kata well, due to the elements of all the Heian kata it contains.
After today’s training, this year saw the first national Kyu grading take place at the Gasshuku which was a great success and enjoyed by all. Congratulation to all students who sat and passed Kyu Gradings. It was great to note that so many coloured belts talked about how much they had enjoyed the course and were so glad they had the opportunity to train with such outstanding instructors.
Sunday was too fast in coming around and was our last day of training. For session 5 each group again had their own elements to focus and pay attention to.
Sensei Izumiya started his session with Brown belts by asking who was sitting Dan Grading before highlighting special points for the students to remember. For Grading, Sensei then moved onto Bassai Dai where he had students performing many times to help refine techniques before moving onto Kihon technique where Sensei Izumiya had students repeating combinations up and down the dojo emphasising main points. To finish off the session Sensei worked on Kumite and distance.
Dan grades once again experienced the speed and power of Sensei Ueda who split the class by seniors and Cadets/juniors both facing other. Sensei wanted to see us put into practice our teaching from the past 2 days training by performing Bassai Dai, Jion, Enpi and Kanku Dai, this made for a very exhausting session as we used our whole bodies to perform as best as we could with the spirit that Sensei wanted to see. At the end of the session we also focused on Heian Yondan and Gojushiho Sho Kata mainly the transition between specific moves setting the feet and knee positions and using the thighs to control the movements.
Coloured belts had their last session with Sensei Ohta which was enjoyed by all students.
In Session 6, the final session of the seminar, Dan grades were instructed by Sensei Izumiya. The lesson started with Sensei focusing on Kihon basic moves. Sensei was making sure that we were focusing more on hip rotation. Even more focus was put on the hip rotation and position of knee by us working in groups of 3. To finish what was an exhausting session, Sensei had a competition, where he split students into age groups and in rows. This meant that each row had a range of ages competing as one group against the others. Using Gedan Barai, switching legs in a circular rotation, each student performed down the row to compete to a winner. A bit of friendly competition to finish the session.
Coloured Grades focused on Ueda sensei’s principles and when performing, Kihon, Kata or Kumite to make sure that they think about these and put into practice especially as they move further up grades. Sensei Ohta finished off the seminar by focusing on Kumite with the brown belts with the importance being on speed, stances and flexibility before incorporating these into Bassai Dai and Kanku Dai Katas.
Before we knew it, training had come to an end. After 3 days of exceptional instruction by all Senseis our Gasshuku was coming to a close, but not before Dan Grading had taken place.
JKA Scotland would like to thank Sensei Izumiya, Sensei Ueda and Sensei Ohta for their tuition through the Gasshuku, also to all students who attended from all over Scotland including Orkney and visiting students from England, Ireland and Norway. Every year the Gasshuku passes so quickly, it’s not an event to be missed. After a busy 3 days, students and instructors can reflect on the teachings from the Senseis and refine all points in their own dojos. Add the dates in your calendar for next year’s Gasshuku, you don’t want to miss this fantastic training. September 11th – 13th 2020
Congratulations to the following students who passed Dan Grading examinations.
Pass First Dan JKA (Shodan)
- William A McNeil
- Michael Howett
- Gautam Jakhmola
- Lilia Chalmers
Pass Second Dan JKA (Nidan)
- Ryan Hoggan
Pass Fourth Dan JKA (Yondan)
- Richard Flynn