Over the weekend of Friday 20th to Sunday 22nd October, JKA Scotland had the pleasure and were delighted to welcome Takahashi Sensei, Chubachi Sensei & Ohta Sensei to Scotland for their Annual Gasshuku Seminar.
It was a great weekend and well attended not only by JKA Scotland members from all across Scotland but visiting students out with JKA Scotland also.
Takahashi Sensei 7th Dan JKA HQ, Chubachi Sensei 5th Dan JKA HQ & 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.
Friday started sharp, with Takahashi Sensei leading this training session for all grades in attendance. This session was focused solely on Kihon (Basic techniques). Sensei emphasised that we should be focusing on correct form for all techniques, making sure that we are pushing our body forward, even when we are moving backwards. Using our thighs and knees to move between techniques whilst making strong stances. To put into practice everything, we had focused on throughout the previous hour and a half, Sensei finished with Heian Shodan Kata, and asked that we think about each technique and what we had been practicing.
After a short break, students were split into Dan Grade, Brown Belts and Coloured Belts for the second Session.
Dan grades worked kata Bassai Sho with Sensei Ohta who highlighted key points within the kata that must be paid attention too, whilst demonstrating each movement. Brown and Coloured belts were together being put through their paces with Chubachi and Takahashi Sensei, working on how to improve techniques for basics and using the hip properly to make strong, sharp movement when executing punches and blocks to correct target whilst keeping posture in the correct position.
After the 1st day it was clear that we were going to have a fantastic weekend full of insightful training.
Before we knew it, Saturday morning was upon us, as students started to arrive for the day ahead, the buzz and excitement in the atmosphere could be felt from the day before and looking forward to another fantastic 3 hours of training by the Sensei’s. Even more students attended and the anticipation of what was to come later in the day was clear, as this was the day that JKA Scotland were incorporating a National Kyu Grading examination.
Session 3 followed the same theme as the first session, with Dan grades again focusing on Kihon techniques under the instruction of Chubachi Sensei, Brown Belt with Takahashi Sensei and Coloured Belt under the watchful eyes of Ohta Sensei.
Chubachi Sensei was making sure that we were keeping our centre line in the correct position when moving. Pushing our weight down to make strong stances and keeping connection between each move. Sensei had us working in pairs so that we could practice together by using our power to try and move our partners, whilst they focused on maintaining strong solid stances. Sensei kept reminding us of what Takahashi Sensei was saying in our 1st session to continue our focus.
After a well-deserved break, the fourth session started with Dan Grades being treated to the teachings of Takahashi Sensei with kata Chinte. The focus of this kata was the execution of powerful techniques, continuing the theme of using a strong solid stance, along with smooth flowing arm movements when making connection from one move to another.
Brown & Coloured Belts focused on kata, with Ohta Sensei, going into great detail with the Brown belts for Jion and coloured belts focusing on Heian Kata with Chubachi Sensei, by the end each student’s knowledge and understanding of the kata’s and how they should be performed was much greater.
After another fantastic day of training, students who sat and passed Dan Gradings earlier in the year were presented their Dan Grade Certificates which had been received from JKA Japan HQ.
After a well-deserved lunch break on Saturday, the National Kyu gradings took place, which was a great success and enjoyed by all. Congratulation to all students who sat and passed Kyu Gradings.
Sunday was too fast in coming around and even though aches were noticeable after 2 days of hard training, it was also sad that we were now about to start the last day of the Gasshuku.
For Session 5, each group had their own focus and attention. Dan grades were with Takahashi Sensei focusing on Kumite. This session was about how we use our bodies and feet movements to create speed and precise techniques, whilst staying relaxed. We worked with partners throughout the whole session and continued to move, so that each time we were partnered with a different person. To finish the session Sensei had all students moving up and down the dojo continuously. This was a tough session that really worked our bodies to the maximum. Brown and Coloured belts were with Chubachi and Ohta Sensei.
Session six, and our final session, was a split class to allow focus on kata for Dan Gradings.
Chubachi Sensei instructed Dan Grades who wanted to focus on Kata Gojushiho Sho, whilst all brown belts and Black belts who were grading were with Ohta Sensei to focus on grading Kata’s and coloured belts with Takahashi Sensei.
This session started for Dan Grades with Chubachi Sensei working on front stance with a partner, the focus in this session was to help us all understand and feel the position of our knee when in front stance and how we need to all focus more on pushing the knee forward and being lower in our stance whilst also rotating our hip correctly. Needless to say, everyone could feel the aches and burning in the legs as our muscles were worked to their maximum. Sensei was very clear that we all need to keep pushing in every training session we have and that it would get easier the more we practice.
To finish the last session, we focused on Kata Gojushiho Sho and incorporating everything that had been taught over the Gasshuku whilst performing this kata with the overall focus being using the hip to create sharp movement and stay low, maintaining the same heigh through the kata. Brown belts worked through Kata’s, Bassai Dai, Jion, Empi and Hangestu.
Before we knew it, after 3 days of exceptional instruction by all Sensei’s, our Gasshuku was coming to a close, but not before Dan Grading had taken place.
JKA Scotland would like to thank Takahashi Sensei, Chubachi Sensei & Ohta Sensei for their tuition through the Gasshuku, to all students who attended from all over Scotland and all visiting students out with. Every year the Gasshuku passes so quickly, and it is definitely not an event to be missed. After a busy 3 days, students and instructors can reflect on the teachings from the Sensei’s and practice all points in their own dojo’s.
Make sure to add the dates in your calendar for next year’s Gasshuku, you do not want to miss this fantastic training.
Congratulations to all students who passed Kyu Grading examinations and the following students who passed Dan Grading examinations.
| Pass First Dan JKA (Shodan) Kaycee Farlam Phoebe Wallis Gigi Barbuta Miguel Porto | Pass Second Dan JKA (Nidan) Ivan Macatangay Isaiah Macatangay Pass Third Dan JKA (Sandan) Calvin Bruce |