The Wales and South-West Region of the SKIF-GB gathered on Sunday afternoon at St Bede’s School, Bristol, to undertake some concentrated competition training in readiness for the 44th Shiro Asano National Spring Karate Championships in about a month’s time.
The training was led by Sensei Dave Griffiths, 7th Dan, and Sensei Steve Ashby, Chief Instructor of Kyoto Shotokan Karate Club, Bristol. Much of the training focused on distancing (mai), movement, reading one’s opponent and anticipation/response. With frequent changes of partner, we all got ample opportunity to experience how to adapt to different heights of opponent and different approaches to kumite (freestyle fighting) and everyone got a good workout.
Everyone left the karate training on a high and eagerly anticipating the next time to gather for more squad training.
Huge thanks, again, must go to Sensei Steve for orgainsing the event.
Oss.
Later we switched to kata training with the Yudansha (black belts) self coaching in advanced kata while Senseis Dave and Steve, assisted by Nick Bruce-Jones, drilled different groups of kyu grades in the kata that they will need to know for karate competition.
To round off a hard but thoroughly enjoyable squad session, a number of students got to put their training into practice with tap-kumite and jyu kumite bouts, refereed by Nick Bruce-Jones with Senseis Dave and Steve providing coaching advice.
