Saturday
The training on Saturday was scheduled to start at 10.00 and run until 16.30 with a break for 15 minutes at half way and a
couple of minute’s water-stop after every session. With 7 instructors lined up to take session after session it was always
going to be a demanding day. Sensei Gavin Paul 5th Dan started with bag work using a pack of cards to determine either left
or right side or punch or kick, the number on the card determines how many of the techniques to be performed IE, 9 of
Hearts = 9 left gyaku tsuki’s. The pack is shuffled and a card is turned over and the technique is performed at full speed
and power until all the cards are finished which equals 95 techniques for each limb. Sempai Boughey 2nd Dan was up next and
wanted to show 5 rarely known Aikido moves. These included very effective takedowns and wrist locks to gain the advantage that
was performed from a kneeling position. Sensei Paul Grimsey 4th Dan showed us a punch and a kick from Chinese Boxing that we
do not have in Shotokan. The punch uses the teisho part of the fist and took some getting used to. The kick was similar to a
very low Mawashi Geri; these were performed with a partner on the bags and then in small groups in a lineout in combinations.
This took us to our break where Sensei Grimsey returned to take the 2nd part of his session ‘Kata Drills’. This was more
traditional and he showed us how he coaches the ESKA kata squad by breaking down the kata into 1 or 2 moves until they are
adequately performed. Sempai Skarpellis 2nd Dan wanted to demonstrate the importance of the hip movement to maximise power.
He put the group in pairs and back on the bags to practise kizami tsuki and gyaku Tsuki, this was done on both sides of the
body at slow, medium and fast speeds. To finish the session the groups were put in to 2 circles, the inside circle held the
bag and the outside group punched with a jab 5 times and moved on to the next bag. This was repeated with the reverse punch
and then with the other group. The 5th session was taken by Sensei Paul Raymond 5th Dan. Sensei Raymond wanted to continue
with the Gojushiho Kata series that he started last year. This year was the Kata, Gojushiho Dai. He taught the Kata a few
moves at a time so that the lower grades could grasp the moves; this was repeated throughout the Kata until the whole Kata
could be performed as Sensei Raymond gave an explanation of the moves. With over 5 hours gone and only 2 sessions to go it
was the turn of Sensei John Ayres 4th Dan. Those of us who were here last year and remembered the 90-minute bag training
session wondered what he had in store. This year it was ‘zoning’ or Tai sabaki, using the 45 degree angles from various attacks,
this was performed with a partner and then in a lineout. The next part was defence from the ground, with 2 very good manoeuvres
from a pinned supine position. Sensei John Gillespie 4th Dan conducted the last session of the day. His session was titled
‘kicks for the less flexible’. He covered the kicks Mae Geri, Keage Geri and Mawashi Geri. The mechanics of the kicks were
broken down and with a minor adjustment the kicks were simplified so that all could perform them. The kicks were practised
against a partner before the whole class made a circle and in turn everybody did a Keage Geri and Kekomi Geri to the stomach
of the rest of the class.
