27.9.-29.9. 2019 - karate seminar taught by:
Sensei Tetsuji Nakamura (7th dan, IOGKF Chief instructor) Sensei Ernie Molyneux (8th dan, IOGKF Vice chief instructor) Sensei Henrik Larsen (8th dan, IOGKF Vice chief instructor) I had an big event in my former High school and couldn't leave on time
to be in Slovakia at 5 pm when the Friday trainng started. Together with picking other people up, we drove for 450 km in a thick traffic and only arrived a few minutes after midnight.
Saturday 28.9.
When we arrived we first went to greet and bow to the teaching senseis, two of whom actually seem to recognize even us, students, from various events we've already met them at.
This was my first seminar as a black belt, therefore I fell either in the all black belts group, or sometimes it was split up to 1st to 3rd degree black belts and the seniors.
Training lasted from 9 am to 1 pm, with an our for Junbi Undo (traditional warm-up and stretching) and kihon (basic techniques) and then each group had a nearly an hour long block with each sensei, with a break in between each.
Junbi Undo and Kihon were done by sensei Ernie today. I tried to do my best as for the first part, sensei Nakamura was standing right behind me :O
The subsequent blocks were all great. We practised Seiyunchin kata with sensei Larsen, Yakusoku kumite with sensei Ernie (it has to be his favourite), and sensei Nakamura, when he arrived, announced: Tensho! Great, this is a kata I have only been taught once or twice quite a long ago and seriously don't remember. I didn't have a chance to practise this more advanced stuff yet, so I was messing up, but doing my best to copy sensei and everyone else. Dang, I'll have to learn it!
We had some free time during the afternoon and went to the traditionally organized "Sayonara" party in a pub. The organizers prepared plenty of meat and bread, peppers and horseraddish for us to just eat, before eeryone has a chance to order as serving the whole pub at once would be impossible and we'll just be grumpy from hunger :D It definitely worked, except, I wasn't hungry anymore for any main course. We had a nice time, though.
When we arrived we first went to greet and bow to the teaching senseis, two of whom actually seem to recognize even us, students, from various events we've already met them at.
This was my first seminar as a black belt, therefore I fell either in the all black belts group, or sometimes it was split up to 1st to 3rd degree black belts and the seniors.
Training lasted from 9 am to 1 pm, with an our for Junbi Undo (traditional warm-up and stretching) and kihon (basic techniques) and then each group had a nearly an hour long block with each sensei, with a break in between each.
Junbi Undo and Kihon were done by sensei Ernie today. I tried to do my best as for the first part, sensei Nakamura was standing right behind me :O
The subsequent blocks were all great. We practised Seiyunchin kata with sensei Larsen, Yakusoku kumite with sensei Ernie (it has to be his favourite), and sensei Nakamura, when he arrived, announced: Tensho! Great, this is a kata I have only been taught once or twice quite a long ago and seriously don't remember. I didn't have a chance to practise this more advanced stuff yet, so I was messing up, but doing my best to copy sensei and everyone else. Dang, I'll have to learn it!
We had some free time during the afternoon and went to the traditionally organized "Sayonara" party in a pub. The organizers prepared plenty of meat and bread, peppers and horseraddish for us to just eat, before eeryone has a chance to order as serving the whole pub at once would be impossible and we'll just be grumpy from hunger :D It definitely worked, except, I wasn't hungry anymore for any main course. We had a nice time, though.
Three senseis in the middle and our group from the Czech Republic. Quite a lot of people arrived this year!
The same format of training as yesterday with the warm-up led by sensei Larsen today. It was a bit more draining as he added some variations of push-ups, squats and belly exercises. Plus a exercise using basic techniques practised solo and then done in pairs again and again and again and quicky. I paired with a friend who has a fresh 2nd degree black belt and he really isn't usually going easy. We were both dripping with sweat when we ended. But I felt good about it.
Sensei Nakamura taught us kakie this time and three locks. Then several combination of these, and transitions from one to another. I partnered us with a woman from Germany and enjoyed training with her. Also learned form her they will be holding another Gasshuku late in November in Germany. Hmmmmm. :)
And then my stress levels just kept rising from there:
We were a group of 1st to 3rd dans now. Sensei Henrik arrived and announced: "Saifa kata!" When we did that, he called out: "Seyunchin kata!" Then came: "Shisochin kata!" and after, a bit to my dismay: "Sanseru!"
Ok, I thought I could probably figure the steps out at least, as this is the kata I will be learning next and I did learn it on a few occassions, but was still fairly unsure, messed up a few time along the way and then completely forgot about one technique and just couldn't continue. Sensei was obviously overseeing how we fare and was checking how we know each kata and I guess his goal was to stop at where we have trouble and practise that, so his block was a practise of Sanseru kata. Which was great, practising Sanseru is just what I need, even if I was a little worried.
I though the worst was behind me now, until sensei Ernie arrived and announced: "Sepai!" Oh my gosh, what have I done to deserve this?! Sapai is the next kata after Sanseru and I was taught briefly, for an hour like two years ago and I couldn't remember the steps even till the end of the block there, mcuh less till now. Basically I had no idea what the kata was about.
Sensei was however aware that this is the kata not all of us necessarily know, so he was explaining as much to the detail as the time allowed and encouraged us to just copy. This was very stressful as everyone I could see from my spot seemed to at least have an idea :D And because this kata is fairly long and really hard to explain or lear within like 50 minutes. But in the end, unbelievably, sensei Ernie seemed to embed the steps in my memory! Great, now I have to review and practise as to not forget them again! It will easily be practised at any other seminar we attend...
The seminar was great and overly I learned a lot considering that every other block was teaching us something I only knew a little to something I didn't have much or any idea about. I'll definitely be here next year, too, for the sixth time! :)
All the seminar attendees.
