C l u b   N o t e s   J u n e - A u g u s t   2 0 0 8 

C l u b   N o t e s   M a y   2 0 0 8 

Kanazawa Cup S.K.I.F. Championships
Loreto Convent Hall Clonmel
25th May 2008

RESULTS SUMMARY

BOYS KUMITE White- Green Belt

1st Brian Smith (Kildorrerry)
2nd Joseph Butler (Piltown)
3rd Dillon Jacob (Piltown)

GIRLS KUMITE Green Belt

1st Sarah Mulcahy (Kildorrerry)
2nd Tracey Casey (Midleton)

PEE WEE KUMITE

1st Conor Whittle
2nd Dean Blackmore
3rd Oisin Aylward

BLACK BELT KATA Under 15yrs. Mixed.

1st Jack Wise (Blue Scorpion)
2nd Martina Tattan (Midleton)
3rd Kieran Wilson (Kildorrerry)

BROWN BELT KATA Under 15yrs. Mixed

1st Amy Ryan (Middleton)
2nd Stephanie Crowley (Mayfield)
3rd Christian O Brien (Midleton)

YELLOW to GREEN BELT KATA Under 15 years Mixed

1st Chloe Millar (Kildorrerry)
2nd Lisa Coffey (Kildorrerry)
3rd Sarah Mulcahy (Burncourt)

BEGINNERS KATA Under 15 years Mixed

1st Conor O Shea (Piltown)
2nb Conor Whittle (Piltown)
3rd Dean Blackmore (Piltown)

GIRLS PURPLE BELT KUMITE

1st Lauren Power (Piltown)
2nd Martina Tattan (Midleton)
3rd Lorna Twomey (Kildorrerry)

BROWN / BLACK BELT KUMITE 15-17yrs Boys.

1st Robert Troy (Midleton)
2nd Ian Hurley (Midleton)
3rd Lee Conroy (Clonmel)

BROWN / BLACK BELT KATA 15-17yrs Ladies.

1st Rachel Casey (Mayfield)
2nd Tanya Brady (Midleton)
3rd Kaysey English (Clonmel)

BROWN / BLACK BELT KATA 15-17 yrs Boys.

1st Ian Hurley (Midleton)
2nd Shane Fraughen (Clonmel)
3rd Kevin Aylward (Clonmel)

BROWN / BLACK BELT KUMITE 15-17yrs. Ladies

1st Rachel Casey (Mayfield)
2nd Tanya Brady (Midleton)
3rd Kaysey English (Clonmel)

PURPLE BELT KUMITE Under 12 yrs. Boys

1st Aidan Nugent (Piltown)
2nd Kieran Wilson (Kildorrerry)
3rd Daniel Ronan (Piltown)

BROWN / BLACK BELT KUMITE Under 5ft. Girls

1st Siobhan O Keeffe (Mitchelstown)
2nd Amy Ryan (Midleton)
3rd Niamh Noonan (Kildorrerry)

BROWN / BLACK BELT KUMITE Girls Under 15 yrs. Over 5 ft.

1st Laura Connolly (Mitchelstown)
2nd Shona Quinn (Mitchelstown)

BROWN / BLACK BELT KUMITE Under 15yrs. Over 5ft.

1st Chris Goldspring (Midleton)
2nd Nathan Cooper (Piltown)
3rd Luke O Neill (Clonmel)

BLACK BELT KUMITE Senior Men

1st Martin Donelly (Midleton)
2nd Kenny Mason (St. Vincent)
3rd Darren Fennessy (Su Shin Kai)

SENIOR TEAM KATA

1st Cahir
2nd Blue Scorpion

SENIOR BROWN / BLACK BELT KATA MIXED

1st Michael Coughlin (Mitchelstown)
2nd Tommy Butler (The Lough)
3rd Philip McCarthy (Blue Scorpion)

_______________________________________________________

Sensei Kanazawa Seminar and Gradings

On Saturday 3rd May Shotokan Karate Clonmel hosted a very successful seminar with Sensei Nobuaki Kanazawa. Clonmel students were joined by karate enthusiasts from Cork, Dublin, Piltown, Mitchelstown, Kilkenny, Cappoquinn, Carrick on Suir and Cahir. One hundred students were taken through two vigorous two hour training sessions.
Having completed a detailed study of all the basic technical requirements for tests students were put through a series of vigorous grading examination. Congratulations are due to the following Clonmel students.....

White Belt 9th Kyu ... Zoe Aylward

Yellow Tip 8th Kyu.....Josephine Thomas and David Walsh

Yellow Belt 7th Kyu....Oisin Fiuza and Chantelle Swords

Green Belt 6th Kyu ....Eoghan Kennedy, Kevin Condon, Isaac Hogan and Christopher Corboy.

Purple Belt 5th Kyu...Michael Sheehan

Purple Belt 4th Kyu.....Cian and Kelan McDonald

Brown Belt 2nd Kyu ...Shane Phillips, Dineka Fletcher, Ashling Fiuza, Sinead Lyons, Steven Lafford, Jake Greene and Ewelina Lelewska.
 

Black Belt Graduates.
In Mayfield Sports Complex on Sunday 4th May four of our more experienced karate students took part in black belt grading exams under Sensei Kanazawa assisted by Sensei Neil Sargent National Coach and Sensei Greg Manning the Shotokan Karate
International Federation Ireland Chairman.

Congratulations are due to Luke O Neill and Kevin Aylward having been awarded “Shodan” or 1st Dan Black Belt while Kaysey English and Lee Conroy were awarded “Nidan” or 2nd Dan Black Belt.

_______________________________________________________

C l u b   N o t e s  A p r i l   2 0 0 8 

The recent W.U.K.O. training course in Piltown Community Centre with O.N.A.K.A.I. freestyle coach Sensei Oliver Carolan was well enjoyed by all those who took part. Students and Sensei's alike were treated to a dynamic and enjoyably informative days training with Sensei Carolan who did a fantastic course.

T E S C O   B A G   P A C K I N G

On Saturday April 26th. we held a very successful bag packing session in Tesco's Supermarket which helped raise much needed club funds. Our sincerest thanks to the following people who gave their assistance......Willie Connolly, Josephine Thomas, Shane Fraughen, Steven Lafford, Ellie Patterson, Kevin Aylward, David Walsh, Luke O Neill, Kevin Condon, Jamie Conroy, Kaysey English, Dineka Fletcher, Sinead Lyons, Aisling Fiuza, Shane Phillips, Mary Lafford, Jake Greene, Lee Conroy, Cian McDonald and Simon Pollard. Special thanks goes to the staff management and customers of Tesco's Supermarket for their help.        

Practical Karate

Our special self defence seminar with Grandmaster Jack Hogan 9th Dan Kyusho Jitsu proved to be a very informative and enjoyable event. Our own chief instructor Sensei John Aylward has just returned from special Kata application  training with Master Jerald Carter in the U.S.A. Latest photos are now in our photo gallery.

Grandmaster Hogan presents a formidable fighting art based on pressure point strikes. Participants were introduced to the concept of striking the body’s nervous system in order to control and defeat an attacker. The arts known as Kyusho Jitsu (pressure point manipulation) and Tuite (grappling) and can be easily absorbed into other styles of combat. In fact these skills have been deliberately hidden and with the modern advent of tournaments and with the sport aspect of martial arts being very popular these potent techniques have often been ignored or simply forgotten. However in skilled hands they can be a vital component of practical self defence karate. We are students of the martial arts and much of our time is spent perfecting techniques which enhance muscle memory of skills and techniques which can later be adapted to a far more effective application in self defence and combat. To be complete as martial artists
we should explore the non sporting side of the art. It is the opinion of Shotokan Karate coach John Aylward that performing a Kata to perfection technically but without an understanding of the hidden techniques means our martial art is incomplete if not incompetent. It is argued that pressure point fighting is the great equaliser! You do not have to strike hard. These points are where nerves are near the surface of the body or are clustered together in a group, split or cross over each other. Some points respond to strikes and some respond to touch. The body can be very powerful in response to hard hitting blows. However if you attack the nervous system by hitting selected pressure points motor control and even consciousness itself is disrupted just like a sophisticated computer shuts down at the mercy of a computer virus. This is how the old martial arts masters were able to defeat much younger and stronger opponents.

Energy Flow.
In the eastern martial and medical arts a great emphasis is placed on the flow of internal energy known as Ki or Chi through channels in the body known as meridians.
When the energy is flowing as intended the person feels well. When it is not the individual becomes ill and or experiences pain and even dies. Acupuncture and
acupressure are healing arts which encourage the correct flow of energy. Martial arts such as Kyusho Jitsu do the opposite – they disrupt the flow causing pain, paralysis, unconsciousness and even death. Remember historically martial arts are about destroying and killing the enemy as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Close Range.
Believe it or not karate has a great many close range techniques that are rarely practiced and applied because they score no points in the competition arena.
In the old days karate striking techniques were based on using accurate blows to disable the opponent before the fight turned into a grappling match or ground fighting. In real fighting this is the reality. There is no referee there to stop the fight when it becomes a wrestling match. The ancient masters knew that if the fight was not over after the first few blows were delivered it quickly degenerated into a grappling match either stand up or worse still on the ground. For this reason the older total fighting art of karate prepared for this by including pressure point strikes (Kyusho Jitsu), chokes and strangles (Shime Waza), throwing techniques (Tachi Waza), foot sweeping techniques (Ashi Waza), arm locking techniques (Kansetsu Waza) and ground fighting (Ne Waza). The need to be able to adapt to different fighting ranges techniques and tactics was recognised.

Kata.
Kata or formalised drills were originally intended as a record of fighting techniques and concepts. They also served as a method of building muscle memory so that techniques would not require conscious thinking thereby freeing the fighters mind to concentrate on the opponent’s movements. The Kata are used today for winning trophies and medals. There is nothing wrong with that but complete knowledge of these forms involves understanding the hidden techniques and concepts. The grappling techniques found in the karate system are derived from various disciplines. These included the Chinese art of Chin-na, the Aiki Jujitsu of the Minamoto Samurai, the Jigen Ryu Bujitsu of the Satsuma Samurai, the Okinawan art of grappling called Tegumi and various other arts imported to Okinawa by martial artists of the past. Katas historically were designed to deliberately hide techniques in order to avoid giving away secret skills to the enemies. The true hidden meanings were only revealed to a few trusted students who had proven their ability and loyalty over many years of arduous training.

Techniques and Principles
Kata techniques were designed to end the fight on the spot. All parts of the particular movement in the form have a combat meaning. Angles are important. Stances are a vital component. Everything in the Kata has a meaning. This applies especially to the opening movements and even to the salute. You may be the proud owner of a beautifully bound book. Each day you can turn the pages and admire the attractive script. It would be possible to reproduce this script yourself by simply copying the letters and words one by one. If you have never learned to read you will not understand or even be aware of the story told on each page. In the same way we can reproduce the Kata without ever learning “read” the formal exercises and therefore the hidden art. Combat effectiveness is what counts, not how well the technique looks during performance. For practicality, we must remember that entertainment and beauty have no value. Either it works or it doesn’t. If not, find out why. All “Bunkai” or technical applications must be practical and effective. Effectiveness and efficiency include the concept of conserving your energy while your opponent works hard. A kata movement or series of movements can have various meanings or applications or even variations
on the theme. Understanding the underlying principle of the physical movements displayed in the Kata gives a deeper understanding of karate. Application of these principles allows the fighter to adapt to any or most self defence situations. We cannot always predict what the opponent is going to do. You must be able to adapt and execute “plan B” or even “plan C” if the technique is not as effective as it should be. The old masters recognised this and stressed that you must change your response if something is not working. Karate is primarily a martial art full of very effective striking methods designed for real fighting at close range. The ability to strike at close range has the potential of ending the conflict as quickly as possible by stunning / killing your assailant while you make your escape to safety.

Practical Techniques.
Classical kicks to the head and reverse punches to the midsection are long range techniques of limited or no value at close range. It is the under use of these more
practical close range techniques which has often given the impression of karate’s inability to deal with some self defence situations. There are numerous practical
close range techniques built into the formal exercises or Kata but sadly these are often neglected because they are of no use in “long range” competition sparring where entertainment, athleticism and safety are paramount. In fact some of the more practical close range strikes would be deemed a foul in competition and could get you disqualified or even arrested! Some of these techniques include low kicks to legs and groin, knee strikes, elbow strikes, chokes and strangles, attacks to the eyes, joint locks and breaks, open hand strikes and various punches.

Reasonable Force.
The main idea in a self defence situation when conflict is absolutely unavoidable would be to quickly and decisively stop the attacker and remove yourself from the vicinity and out of danger. This concept has often been described as “bash and dash” or “stun and run”. Yes running away is your best self defence strategy. You are only entitled to use enough force to remove the immediate threat to your own safety. This does not include beating and kicking the attacker for twenty minutes while he or she is lying unconscious on the ground unable to pose any further threat. That most definitely is classified as serious assault on your part and you will face criminal charges.

Pre - emptive Strikes
Often it is necessary to use a pre - emptive strike rather than blocking an attack and then counter attacking. If you get in hard and fast before the aggressor then the blow will have the potential to stop the attacker in his / her tracks thus avoiding conflict and eliminating any more danger to yourself or the attacker. If the technique is ineffective it has the potential to escalate the situation into a far more dangerous scenario for you. There is nothing worse than a half learned ineffective self defence technique which could have potentially fatal consequences!

Range and Distance
The effective application of karate techniques depends on the exponent’s understanding of range or distance from the opponent. Consider long range technique versus short range techniques. The modern traditional Japanese Shotokan Karate is built around long distance fighting with “sport” karate and physical fitness in mind. These are legitimate goals but the self defence aspect of the art is incomplete if we wish to apply these same skills for practical self defence purposes. We have to move closer to be more effective in real life and death situations. Practical self defence techniques are mostly performed at a closer distance. For this we should practice as before but add closer range fighting adaptations including shorter lever strikes such as knees and elbows. Basic karate drills once analyzed can easily be adapted and used in self defence situations as well as in the “traditional” sporting arena.

Integral Component
Kata training we are told is an integral component of karate practice. It’s the soul of karate. Kata are great for fitness and demonstrating the “basics” of karate but remember they are at their most valuable when used as a memory aid for their hidden self defence moves. Kata should be practiced and explored deeply for specific fitness training, competition, refining of basic skills of karate, enhancing muscle memory for both competition demonstration and self defence. Kata are a doorway to exploring face to face combat concepts and techniques if (and that’s a very important “if”) you know how to read them! This is considered by many to be a very controversial point because it suggests that we are not practicing the Kata or forms as they were originally intended to be practiced. Most karate students never make the transition from basic training to this practical application stage!!!

A Common Link.
Pressure point strikes should be seen as the common link between all the martial arts. The wrist and arm locks, punch deflections and defences against grips thought on the course were all enhanced by the use of various pressure points.
 

C l u b   N o t e s   M a r c h   2 0 0 8 

Training is going well here in Clonmel at the moment with students preparing for the next round of grading exams as well as a number of competitions including the inter club league due to start shortly. Training intensity during our weekly sessions has been steadily increasing in anticipation of the grading examinations in the near future. Most students are to be praised for their efforts and they are being rewarded with evidence of increased fitness and skill levels. All club members should remember that only those who have been attending regular classes will be considered as candidates for grading examinations.

Customized Courses.
While traditional Shotokan Karate is at the main core of our clubs activities we also compliment this with Kickboxing, Applied Self Defence and Tai Chi classes with customized courses being made available to various groups. Each discipline has something to offer depending on your interests and abilities. All our courses compliment each other to give the martial arts student a more rounded skill and fitness repertoire.

Self Defence
Rockwell College Transition Year students recently completed a practical self defence course with club instructor John Aylward. Practical self defence is really a vital life skill in this day and age and does not require participation in competition. In fact most of the techniques and tactics used in a self defence scenario would be considered illegal on the competition floor. At the same time competition training does not fully prepare the student for practical street self defence. Students on the course worked hard over a number of weeks to gain an understanding of practical striking, grappling and kicking techniques using pressure point strikes. These techniques should not rely primarily on physical fitness or strength because invariably you will not be attacked by someone who is weaker than you or with lower levels of fitness. Students on the course were thought how to use skill and tactics to disable an opponent thus neutralizing the strength and aggression advantage and reducing the need for further physical conflict. The more time you spend physically engaging with your attacker the greater the possibility of serious physical injury either to yourself or your attacker. Of course the best course of action is to avoid the conflict in the first place by not being there. This however is not always possible in the real world so you must have a plan of action. It is also a good idea to remember that the simpler the plan the greater the possibility of a positive outcome for you or your loved ones. Complicated moves invariably will go wrong in a stressful situation. Keep it simple and effective and get away from the danger immediately. Do only what you have to do to escape and no more. Over the coming weeks and months we will be hosting and attending many practical self defence courses.

Photo Shows; Club Instructor John Aylward teaching

during recent self defence course in Rockwell College.

Piltown Tournament
Well done to all our competitors who entered the recent Piltown Open Tournament. All told our members gave a good account of themselves in both Kata and Kumite events taking home no less than thirteen trophies. This annual tournament just seems to get better and better each year and is a credit to the members of Piltown Shotokan Karate Club run by Sensei Kathleen Byrne. It is no exaggeration to say that it is probably the most efficiently run karate tournament of the year.

Very Enjoyable
The whole day was a very enjoyable event with a number of highlights for our members. The finals of the team Kata event saw Clonmel A and B teams battle it out for second and third overall position with the B team being victorious by the narrowest of margins. There were a number of exciting fights as well most memorably a hard fought battle between Lee Conroy and Stephen Lafford in the eliminations of the boys 13 – 15 years freestyle. While Shane Fraughen and Kevin Aylward were showing great signs of improvement in the their fighting events Jamie Conroy demonstrated how to score with a reverse back roundhouse kick while competing in the 18 – 21 years event for the first time.

Clonmel Results;
Clonmel Kata Team (A) – 3rd Place
(Lee Conroy, Kaysey English and Kevin Power)

Clonmel Kata Team (B) – 2nd Place
(Kevin Aylward, Shane Fraughen, and Stephen Lafford).

Kevin Aylward – 1st Ind. Age 13 – 14 Purple – Black Belt Kata
Ewelyna Lelewska 1st Senior Ladies White - Brown Belt Freestyle
Jamie Conroy 1st Boys 18 – 21yrs. Freestyle.
Jamie Conroy 3rd 18-21 years Kata
Shane Fraughen 2nd Purple Brown and Black Belt Kata
Stephen Lafford 2nd Boys 13-15yrs. Brown / Black Belt Freestyle.
Darragh Bradshaw 2nd Boys Junior Kata White to Purple Belt

Training;
Please take note that our regular club training will be taking a break from Friday 14th March until Monday 24th March when we will be doing a special mock grading test for all our members…..

2pm White, Yellow Tip and Yellow Belt Grades.
3pm Green and Purple Belts,
4pm Brown and Black Belts (including 2nd /3rd Dan mock tests).

All students who wish to grade with Sensei Nobuaki Kanazawa in the near future are expected to participate in the mock grading exams.

American Guest.
To facilitate the visit of Grandmaster Jack Hogan 9th Dan Kyusho Jitsu for a special series of seminars we will not be holding regular karate training on Friday 14th March. Instead at 7.30 pm we will be hosting a special pressure point fighting seminar. This special course which will continue on Saturday morning is open to all responsible adults interested in self defence training. No previous martial arts experience is necessary. Places are limited so please contact us as soon as possible.

C l u b   N o t e s   F e b r u a r y   2 0 0 8 

Our recent excursion to Shannon town for the 2nd Academy of Shotokan Karate (A.S.K.) Open Invitation Championships was a successful affair with our members securing the first six trophies of the year.

Kata.
The first of our trophies on the day came with Kevin Aylward claiming first place in the hotly contested boys under 16 years brown and black belt Kata. He was closely followed by club mate Shane Fraughen taking the 3rd. place position. John Aylward took 2nd place in the Veteran’s over 35 years Kata event being defeated by the Shannon Coach Michael Hogan by only one vote. John went on to claim his second trophy of the day when he took third place in the men’s senior Kata event.

Freestyle.
Although we are still struggling to get to grips with the W.U.K.O. style of competitive fighting some of our competitors are beginning to show signs of hope. Jeffrey Madigan, Lee Conroy and Shane Fraughen fought well showing great promise for the future in this very athletic and fast form of competition. Lee Conroy fought his way to the runner up position in the Boys Under 16 years Brown and Black Belts Kumite. Jeffrey Madigan also performed very well on the day to claim the 3rd place position.

All winners.
The most difficult part of any competition believe it or not is summoning the courage to step into the arena in the first place. In any event there can only be one winner but all who “give it a go” can be winners in their own right because they have shown the courage and tenacity to face their fears and grow from the experience. On the day we had a number of less experienced competitors who displayed such courage and concentration which deserves recognition. Kevin Condon, Steven Lafford, Christopher Corboy, Luke O Neill, Conan Boles and Jake Greene all deserve special praise for their efforts. Well done to all who represented Shotokan Karate Clonmel and thank you.

A.S.K. Championships Results Summary
Kevin Aylward 1st Boys Under 16 yrs. Kata (Brown/ Black Belt)
Lee Conroy 2nd Boys Under 16 yrs. Kumite (Brown / Black Belt)
John Aylward 2nd Mens Over 35 years Veteran’s Kata.
John Aylward 3rd Mens Senior Kata
Shane Fraughen 3rd Boys Under 16 yrs. Kata (Brown / Black Belt)
Jeffrey Madigan 3rd Boys Under 16 Kumite (Brown / Black Belt)

Squad Training
Next Sunday the 10th February will see a return to S.K.I.F. Ireland squad training sessions. Brown and black belts interested in competing internationally are encouraged to participate in these sessions in Fermoy at 10.30 am under Coaches Ray Payne and Neil Sargent.

Photo shows;
Kevin Aylward A.S.K. Kata Champion.

Inter Club League.
Selections have been made and submitted for this year’s inter club league competition. We have received a long list of applicants for both Kata (forms) and Kumite (fighting) events but because we are limited to two entries per category some of our members will inevitably be disappointed. Where possible we have taken the opportunity to give all of our students a chance to compete. Selections were based on performance, attitude to training and the candidate’s sense of team work. Ages of the competitors are as at 1st October 2007. All events will take place on a matted area.

Top Four.
This league will identify the top four individuals and clubs in each category. These top four individuals and clubs will meet at the provincial finals with the winners going through to the All Ireland Finals. Each club will compete against the other participating clubs in their section twice over the duration of the league. Competitors will receive two points for a win, one point for a draw in Kumite with no fight extensions (Encho Sen). In Kata 2 points will be awarded for a win. Gum shields and mitts are required for fighting. Competitors will not need their own belts as the red and blue belts will be used for competition. Clonmel competitors will be supplied with mitts and foot pads and must be returned to the club.

Inter Club League Kata Entries
Boys White to Purple Belt age 8-12 years; Eoghan Kennedy, Isaac Hogan.
Girls Brown to Black Belt age 8 to 12 years.Aisling Fiuza
Boys Brown to Black Belt age 13 to 17 years.Shane Fraughen, Kevin Aylward.
Girls Brown to Black Belt age 13 to 17 years.Dineka Fletcher, Kaysey English.

Inter Club League Kumite Entries.
Boys age 10 years; Oisin Fiuza
Boys age 13 years; Luke O Neill, Michael Sheehan.
Boys age 14 years; Kevin Aylward, Shane Fraughen
Boys age 15 years; Lee Conroy, Steven Lafford
Boys Cadets age 16- 17 years; Jamie Conroy
Girls age 12 years; Aisling Fiuza
Girls age 14 years; Sinead Lyons
Girls Cadets age 16 – 17 years; Kaysey English.