Thankfully, our event kicked off rather differently to what was going on in some other parts of London. We were in for one and a half hours of disciplined yet exhilarating training. Ohta Sensei kept everybody together for basics and kumite before working on each kata, emphasising the important points. Each group then got a chance to practise a bit more and some time to rest briefly before the grading exam.
There was no rest for the brown belts though; after a quick water break, they were straight back on the dojo floor for more kata and kumite!
With our club steadily growing, the gradings give everybody an opportunity to see each others’ level and what will be expected when the time comes to attempt the next belt.
Over the few days after Ohta Sensei’s lesson, we received quite a lot of feedback from those of you who had attended. Opinion was split between those who really enjoyed it and those who really ached the next day (but who still really enjoyed it)!
Well done to everybody who passed. You should try to remember Sensei’s comments and apply it to your regular training. Our next club grading will be Tuesday 20th December and will be the last training session of the year.
Austin