Galleries

Training, Updates

IMPORTANT : Training over the Christmas period… (良い休暇を) [ UPDATE 1 ]

  Please note the following changes to the normal schedule over the holiday period: – The Amersham Honbu Dojo will be closed on Thursday 28th of December. The first training session of 2018 will be held on the 4th of January 2018; – The last session of 2017 in Aylesbury will be held on the 20th of December, with the dojo closed on Wednesday 27th … Continue reading IMPORTANT : Training over the Christmas period… (良い休暇を) [ UPDATE 1 ]

O. J.
Events

[ SPECIAL EVENT ] Training for charity in the Holmer Green Dojo : thank you (有り難う) !

  Thanks to those who attended and supported the charity event last night. Overall, we managed to raise a total of £330 in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness. See below a picture of the Dojo wearing their proudly earned Blitz pink belts. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and looking forward to training with you all very soon. Enjoy your … Continue reading [ SPECIAL EVENT ] Training for charity in the Holmer Green Dojo : thank you (有り難う) !

O. J.
Events, Training

[ SPECIAL EVENT ] Kagami Biraki (鏡開き), Holmer Green Dojo (8-Jan-18)

A special lesson to mark the first practice session of the New Year, will be held on the 8th of January 2017 (usual start @7:30pm), in the Holmer Green Dojo. ​Kagami Biraki (鏡開き) is a Japanese traditional ceremony which literally translates to “Opening the Mirror” (from an abstinence) or, also, “Breaking of the Mochi. ” It traditionally falls on January 11 It refers to the … Continue reading [ SPECIAL EVENT ] Kagami Biraki (鏡開き), Holmer Green Dojo (8-Jan-18)

O. J.
Events, Training

[ SPECIAL EVENT ] A special training session in Holmer Green (18-Dec-17)

The last training session of the year in the Holmer Green Dojo will be held on the 18th of December 2017 (usual start @7:30pm). On that special day, all proceeds raised (including training fees) will be donated to the Breast Cancer Care Charity. So come in numbers, have fun, and expect the unexpected! For further information, please contact  Sensei Davenport ([email protected] or by text on … Continue reading [ SPECIAL EVENT ] A special training session in Holmer Green (18-Dec-17)

O. J.
Events, Features, Training

[ SEMINAR ] “Shu-Ha-Ri” (守破離), with Scott Langley

Well, well… What a great session, with Langley Sensei throwing spanners in the works throughout the day! Forget (or rather transcend…) the basics, and strive to apply principles before stances and techniques. In other words, “Shu-Ha-Ri” (守破離): start by learning the rules (“Shu“: obey); reflect on what you have learnt and understand how the rules can be bent or tranformed (“Ha“: disgress); go beyond and … Continue reading [ SEMINAR ] “Shu-Ha-Ri” (守破離), with Scott Langley

O. J.
Features, Training

[ FEATURE ] The meaning of Bunkai (分解)

  Kata have been used by karate masters over the years for many reasons, e.g. to aggregate and help with the transfer of knowledge to their students, to help with training, conditioning, etc. But it is thought that when karate made it into the Okinawan schooling system thanks to Anko Itosu (and later onto the Japanese shores through Funakoshi), katas were systematically sanitised, with “dangerous” … Continue reading [ FEATURE ] The meaning of Bunkai (分解)

O. J.
Events, Training

[ SEMINAR ] Reporting back from Iain Abernethy’s seminar in Bushey, Watford…

  Reporting back from Bushey, Watford, following a seminar aiming at highlighting similarities between kata and their applications across the many styles of karate, i.e. Shotokan, Wado, Goju… The seminar was attended by approximately 60 students and led by Iain Abernethy, a leading exponent of applied karate. Overall, a very entertaining and informative afternoon, full of anecdotes, going through a multitude of kata techniques and … Continue reading [ SEMINAR ] Reporting back from Iain Abernethy’s seminar in Bushey, Watford…

O. J.