Sawada Kazuhiro 8th Dan from JKA Belgium, joined Sohonbu instructors Okuma Koichiro 7th Dan and Hirose Hikaru 3rd Dan from JKA Japan, as guests of Ohta Yoshinobu 7th Dan, chief instructor of JKA England, for the spring 2024 gasshuku.
Sawada Sensei’s drills inspired by Bassai Dai’s uke kaeshi sequences were demanding. Okuma Sensei was engaging, charismatic and encouraged everybody. Hirose Sensei’s kumite was based on the mechanics of body contraction and expansion to absorb, evade, and launch back in towards an opponent. Ohta Sensei broke down techniques effortlessly.
As well as offering a tremendous training environment, these brilliant karate courses with The Japan Karate Association are an opportunity to grade and take instructor exams, so congratulations to all who passed on this occasion.
December saw a great, long-weekend’s, training in West Sussex at JKA England’s international karate course. Instructors Shimizu Ryosuke 6th Dan and Kurihara Kazuaki 6th Dan from the Tokyo Sohonbu joined England’s chief instructor Ohta Sensei 7th Dan.
These gasshukus are a fantastic opportunity to learn advanced katas and their applications while practising alongside similarly-graded students from across the UK and further afield. A pre-requisite for 1st Kyu looking to attempt a dan grading within the next 12-month period.
Instructors, Ogura Yasunori 8th Dan and Hakizume Yushi 3rd Dan from the JKA Tokyo Sohonbu, and Sawada Kazuhiro 8th Dan from JKA Belgium joined Ohta Yoshinobu 7th Dan for a three day international training camp.
These courses are a great opportunity to practise alongside other keen students under the tutelage of some of the world’s best karate instructors.
A black belt dan grading was held on the final day of the course. Congratulations to Alex on achieving his 2nd Dan. Well done!
Instructors, Hirayama Yuko 7th Dan and Igarashi Tatsuro 3rd Dan from the JKA Tokyo Sohonbu, joined Ohta Yoshinobu 7th Dan for this year’s JKAEngland Winter Gasshuku.
Hirayama Sensei created a buzz with her encouraging lesson delivery and positive, yet demanding, teaching style. She is now well known to students in the UK after several visits. Igarashi Sensei challenged participants with calisthenic exercises combined with karate technique, designed to increase speed and power in delivery.
A black belt dan grading was held the final day of the course. Congratulations to Chantelle on passing her 1st Dan. Well done!
Receiving her JKA 1st Dan certificate signed by Ueki Masaaki, Shuseki Shihan.
Spring 2022, and England is hosting the first JKA international training course in three years. Instructors, Sawada Kazuhiro 8th Dan from JKA Belgium, Imamura Tomio 8th Dan and Shimizu Ryosuke 6th Dan from the Tokyo Sohonbu, join Ohta Yoshinobu 7th Dan for this long overdue gasshuku weekend.
A respectable contingent of our karateka neighbours are present, including from Scotland, Norway, Portugal, and Germany, all keen to participate and absorb the experience that these instructors have to offer… Sawada Sensei gives detailed explanations underlined with profound historic references, and uses physical proxies to great effect throughout his partner drills. Imamura Sensei expands upon uchi uke in basic partner work with makiotoshi making for interesting, if challenging, techniques. Shimizu Sensei demonstrates speed, power, and flexibility, leaving no doubt as to why he made such a formidable kumite competitor in the past. But what may have surprised is his exeptional form throughout katas Gankaku and Gojushiho Sho, with dynamic movement and slick direction changes. But that’s what the JKA does best: apportion equal time to kihon, kata and kumite, and where one finds a deficit, they strive to make improvements.
There was a lot to get through. The first 90 minutes of each day would be given over to kihon and kumite, followed by another 90 minutes being reserved for kata, bunkai, and instructor training. A friendly kumite match took place on Saturday, alongside a kyu grading, instructor theory, and referee practical. Sunday saw a dan grading followed by instructor practical exams.
So, a busy weekend with little time for much else. But this was a fantastic course taught by some of the most respected instructors in the world. And it was so good to finally catch up with karate friends after so long.
Congratulations to Alex on passing his 4th Dan! It’s an incredible achievement, and the culmination of 20 years of dedicated training.
Update: It was announced late-May 2022 that Sawada Sensei has been awarded 8th Dan by the JKA Shihankai. A just recognition for a great instructor who has dedicated his life to karate. Read more about Sawada Sensei on his academy’s site…