Training at the Dojo will take a break over the Festive period as follows (Note : Sunday classes will continue throughout the Festive Period.) :-
| Class | Last Training Session | Training Resumes |
|---|---|---|
| Karate (Wednesday) | Wednesday 18th December 2013 | Wednesday 8th January 2014 |
| Kickboxing | Tuesday 24th December 2013 | Tuesday 7th January 2014 |
| Kata | Thursday 19th December 2013 | Thursday 16th January 2014 |
| MMA Conditioning | Saturday 16th November2013 | Saturday 18th January 2014 |
5 students took part in the latest grading which took place on Sunday 15th December in the dojo. There were no juniors ready to be graded this time. All students showed great spirit and passed. Matthew passed his 2nd Kyu brown belt.
Senpai Brian took part in a "Britain's Got Talent" charity event for his work in the Sheraton Hotel in Edinburgh on Wednesday 20th November. The event raised £2,320 for the Edinburgh charity CCLASP. It was the first time many of the 500 audience had seen anything quite like it.
The second grading in the new Dojo took place on Sunday 29th September. 13 students took part. It was a very hard grading and the standard of all students was very high. All students that took part passed the grading.
The British Open was held again in Ware this year. This year we had two students representing the club. David Christie took part in the middleweight knockdown and did well for his first competition. Senpai Brian was second in the Men's Kata section. Senpai Brian also took part in the Clicker competition and was knocked out in the second round. Craig Ross also attended to give much needed support. It is hoped more students will take part next year. More pictures can be seen on the Gallery page.
Shihan Martin attended the Kyokushin Great Britain Summer Camp which was held from June 21st to 23rd at Lea Green, Nr Matlock Derbyshire. It was attended by 50 Instructors/Students. It was a very enjoyable and inspirational weekend with instruction from Shihan Jose Claronino, Shihan Mac Robertson, Shihan Martin Marlborough, Shihan Paul Greenway, Sensei Orlando Roach and guest Instructor Shihan Tsutomu Wakiuchi (Italian Branch Chief and one of Sosai's Uchi Deshi). Participants were trained in all technical aspects, Kihon, Ido Geiko, Kata and Kumite including Bo/Tonfa and Ritsuzen.
The club took part in a Japanese culture day in Edinburgh on Saturday 25th May. They put on a demonstration of Taiko drumming. It went down well with the crowd and the organisers. More photos can be seen on the gallery pages.
The first grading in the new Dojo took place on Sunday 19th May. 21 students took part. It was a very hard grading and the standard of all students was very high. All students that took part passed the grading. Paul and Donna passed their 1st Kyu after more than 5 hours of effort. It was a great start to life in the new dojo. With lots of hard work before the next grading it is hoped the standard will be maintained and more students will go on to get the next coloured belt and the club will continue to grow and florish.
On Sunday 5th May Shihan Martin, Senpai Brian and Paul attended an Iain Abernethy Kata Course in Montrose. The course was attended by 30 students of mixed grades from Kyokushin, Shotokan and independent dojos. The day covered the kata Jion and it's bunkai applications. Although not a kata from the Kyokushin syllabus the techniques covered can be seen in various other katas. It was a very interesting and rewarding day. Shihan Iain is next in Scotland in September.
The new dojo is now open with classes running 5 days a week. There are traditional Karate classes, Kickboxing and MMA conditioning classes. More classes will be added in May. See the Classes web page for full details.
Kyokushin Karate classes have been taking place in the Goodlyburn School Gym on a Wednesday night since Kyokushin started in Scotland almost 30 years ago. Wednesday 27th March marked the end of an era when the last training session was held prior to the move to the new Dojo. Over the years hundreds of students have trained in this dojo. It was sad for Sensei and Shihan to take the final bow in the dojo with loads of memories in their minds. We now look forwards to the next 30 years in our new home.
All licence renewals are due this month. Can everyone please print off a copy of the form from the Links page and bring payment with the completed form to the next training session.
8 students went to the new dojo on Saturday 16th March to help Shihan clean and lay down the mats from the old Crieff Dojo. It is hoped the dojo will be ready for the start of April. The photo below shows it starting to take shape.
The English Open was held again in Bishop Stortford this year. This time we had three students taking part. Senpai Brian was second in the Men's Kata section, Cara Fletcher was second in the Ladies under 7th Kyu and Paul Fletcher also took part in the Men's Kata section just missing out on a medal. Senpai Brian fought in the Men's Clicker competition and was beaten in the second round. Shihan Martin attended the competition and was at the top table as well as coaching. It was another good performance from the Scottish dojos and this was down to the many hours invested in teaching the kata by Sensei Belle and Shihan Martin. The next tournament is the British Open, in Ware, on 21st September and it is hoped that we take a record number of competitors to this event this year.
Due to lack of numbers, the Musashi Dojo will unfortunatley close with immediate effect. Students can continue to train at Goodlyburn on Wednesdays and Pitcairngreen on Sundays.
The table below shows the 2013 dates for the Iain Abernethy seminars in Scotland. The Kyokushin Scotland clubs have a history of attending these seminars since we hosted one in 2006. They are an excellent way of learning and understanding practical kata bunkai.
| Date | Time | Location | Cost | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday 3rd February | 11:00 - 15:00 | Alloway Primary School, Doonholm Road, Ayr, KA7 4QQ. | £25 | Jamie Gray (Jamie@musashikarate.co.uk or 01292 571824). |
| Sunday 5th May | 12:00 - 16:00 | Montrose Sports Centre, Marine Avenue, Montrose, DD10 8TR. | £25 | Alan Dye (montrose.shotokan@hotmail.co.uk or 01674 677359) |
| Sunday 22nd September | 13:00 - 17:00 | Live Active Blairgowrie, Beeches Road, Blairgowrie, PH10 6PN. | £25 | Karen Whytock, 27 Gean Grove, Blairgowrie, Perthshire, PH10 6TL. You can also call 01250 870061 |
The table below shows the main 2013 dates for the IKO GB events. If you wish to fight in any of the tournaments you need to get Shihan's permision first.
| Date | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday 9th March | English Open | Birchwood School, Bishops Stortford, CM23 5BD. |
| Saturday 23rd March | European Open | Paris |
| 21st to 23rd June | Summer Camp | Lea Green Centre, Main Rd Lea, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 5GJ. |
| 2nd to 4th August | Camp Geordie | Spennymoor, Durham. |
| Saturday 21st September | British Open | Wodson Park Sports Centre, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG12 0UQ. |
| Sunday 20th October | High Grade Seminar & AGM | Bryntirion Comprehensive School, Merlin Crescent, Cefn Glas, Bridgend CF31 4QR. |
Last updated 20/02/2015
