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JKA Courses

JKA England National Course

Congratulations to Lydik on achieving his 1st dan black belt at the JKA England national karate course in Guildford at the weekend. Well done!

JKA 1st Dan certificate, all the way from The Japan Karate Association HQ in Tokyo. And another excuse for a group photo three months later. Spot the difference.
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Gasshuku JKA Courses Uncategorized

JKA England Spring Gasshuku, April 2024

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.

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JKA Courses

Kata Course & Karate Association AGM

The Japan Karate Association in England held its first event of 2024 with a 3-hour kata course in Northampton. Training was split into three segments with junior grade students allocated an instructor for designated katas for each, while senior grade were able to choose a different kata each hour. Choices included Chinte, Unsu and Jitte. 

It can be tough to get the body going in cold temperatures but hopefully this course helped some along the way.

The AGM that followed was an opportunity for the committee to make submissions on the recent developments in the association and for area representatives to bring club instructors up to date with regional news.

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Gasshuku JKA Courses

JKA England Winter 2023 Gasshuku

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.

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Gasshuku JKA Courses

JKA England Spring Gasshuku, April 2023

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! 

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Gasshuku JKA Courses

JKA England Winter Gasshuku, December 2022

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.
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Events Gasshuku JKA Courses

JKA England Spring Gasshuku, May 2022

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…

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JKA Courses News

Kata Course & Karate Association AGM

Karateka from The Japan Karate Association in England had a good opening to the 2020 New Year with a 3-hour kata course at Hertfordshire University. The training was split into three sessions with choices of Bassai Dai, Bassai Sho or Kanku Sho in the first; Jion, Hangetsu or Meikyo in the second; Empi, Gojushiho Sho or Chinte in the third. Although the kata schedule may have implied it was for brown belts and above, kyu grades were accommodated in a smaller group with the Heian katas and Tekki Shodan.

Our Chief Instructor, Ohta Sensei, led core katas Bassai Dai, Jion and Empi. Also on hand to teach were Adel Ismail and Gary Stewart from the Technical Committee with whom you may have enjoyed Bassai Sho and Meikyo, and Spiros Venturos and Martin King of Oxford University and Oxford City respectively.

It’s tough to get going at the start of the year but hopefully this course helped some along the way or at least made the return to one’s own dojo a little easier!

The AGM that followed was an opportunity for the committee to make submissions on the recent developments in the association and for area representatives to bring everybody up to date with regional news.

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JKA Courses News

Japan Karate association in England Autumn 2019 Gasshuku

‪We enjoyed world-class training at the weekend with Senseis, Imamura Tomio 8th Dan and Kurihara Kazuaki 5th Dan from The Japan Karate Association’s Tokyo HQ and Ohta Yoshinobu 7th Dan, Chief Instructor in England. This was a brilliant, intense, and immensely technical, 3-day course!‬

Kurihara’s distance-making during his kumite class was a sight to behold – him covering ground with astounding speed and power. The partner changes seemed relentless to some as his drills became ever more challenging.

Ohta’s session couldn’t have been more of a contrast, advocating the feeling and connection of technique through muscle engagement during controlled kihon and kumite. As he explained, many advanced katas contain slow movements so when practising it is vital to consider the point at which you start, transition and finish the techniques.

Imamura‘s lesson featured many close-quarter techniques and reverse hip twists that one encounters throughout kata. Many applications felt awkward at first and somewhat opposed to the expansive style of Shotokan but after practise it felt more positive. Great to explore these movements.

Congratulations to Subhash! After training finished on Sunday there was a black belt examination where he passed Shodan. Very well deserved!

Ohta Sensei’s Birthday
There was another cause for celebration on Sunday with it being Ohta Sensei’s 60th birthday! There were two huge cakes organised by the association, along with a gift. It’s difficult to sum up in how high a regard he is held by everybody he teaches but Tony Cronk captured it well when he said, “…without you there would be no association.” 

Many happy returns, Ohta Sensei, from everyone at Shiranamikai!

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JKA Courses News

Japan Karate Association in England 2019 Spring Gasshuku

Ohta Sensei’s guests at The Japan Karate Association in England’s international course this spring were Ogura Yasunori 8th Dan and Ogane Yutaro 3rd Dan from the Tokyo Honbu, and Sawada Kazuhiro 7th Dan and Sergio Gneo 7th Dan from JKA Belgium.

Support was also provided by instructors from JKA England’s Technical Committee: Roy Tomlin 6th Dan, Gary Stewart 6th Dan, Adel Ismail 6th Dan and Giuseppe D’onofrio 5th Dan.

There was great feedback from everybody who attended. As well as the usual fantastic kihon and kumite sessions, advanced kata sessions covered technique and applications for:

Friday: Enpi, Jitte, Tekki Nidan & Sandan
Saturday: Kanku Dai, Bassai Sho, Sochin, Gojushiho Sho
Sunday: Bassai Dai, Jion, Nijushiho
Monday: Bassai Dai, Gankaku, Gojushiho Dai

The next big course dates are 1st-3rd December.

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