Huge Turnout for Two-Day York Course
Last weekend saw a huge turnout in York for the JKS England sessions featuring the Head of JKS England, Alan Campbell Sensei and WKF World Kumite Champion Shinji Nagaki Sensei.
Saturday saw two separate courses being held simultaneously with
eighty-six students participating in total. The first course was a Shodan preparation course led by Head of JKS England Alan Campbell Sensei 6th Dan JKS. Aspiring black belts were taken through the black belt grading process,
explaining what the examiners were looking for, and the skills and attributes that students need to demonstrate.
The second course was a competition Kumite course led by former WKF and JKS World Kumite Champion Shinji Nagaki Sensei 5th Dan JKS. Nagaki Sensei gave insights into some of the skills and techniques that enable him to become WKF World Kumite Champion. These included a focus on precision and efficiency of technique, and the elimination of extraneous movements.
Sensei Shinji Nagaki enjoying time with
JKS England members
Sunday proved to be extremely popular with 188 students training. It was split into grade specific sessions throught the day. Alan Sensei took a packed session through the fundamentals of tobi-kondi (step and slide), further kumite foot movements and exercises to help with the
correct execution of mawashi geri, additionally he worked through Kyakusen shodan (Ashi Barai Kata).
Nagaki Sensei continued by instructing students through the katas Bassai Dai and Sochin before focusing on Jiyu Ippon Kumite and the fundamentals of the counter-attack forward movement.
Finally the weekend closed with a Dan grading. Congratulations to the following successful candidates.
Shodan
Jack Dodds - Haxby
Paige Evans - Leeds Karate Academy
Oliver Kilvington - Haxby
Elizabeth Massey - Haxby
Jay Odera - Loughborough
Deepak Rana - Loughborough
Jordan Squires - Can Do Martial Arts
Nidan
Eleanor Dook - York Shotokan
Tom Smith - JKS York