JKS Annual Gasshuku 2005

Gasshukus by the sea have always been popular with JKS karateka and our annual gasshuku 2005 saw us return to the same venue that was used to host last year's gasshuku, a seaside resort near Port Edward in Kwazulu-Natal. The weather was not as kind to us this year but still the spirit of JKS prevailed.

Gasshuku 2004 was always going to be a hard act to follow, but gasshuku 2005 certainly rose to the challenge. It was packed with loads of good material and instructors revealing a unique and exiting approach to their karate.

Once again the spirit and camaraderie within our JKS family were inspiring and topics presented by senior qualified instructors ranged from traditional karate to the more modern topics like street defence and new approaches to competition fighting.

The format was a little different this year. The idea was to alternate between 45 minute training sessions and 45 minute breaks, allowing students time to interact with each other between sessions. Most of the instructors ran out of times since the 45 minutes allotted to them was simply too short to cram in all the useful material they wanted to present.

The gasshuku also included a national grading. Congratulations to all the students who made their next grade and to those who did not make it: keep working hard guys, you can at least say that you are in good company if you fail.

Topics at Gasshuku 2005 included:
SHIHANKAI TRAINING SESSIONS

Focus in Movement - Shihan Norman Robinson (8th Dan)

Kata Empi was used to show how the elimination of unnecessary limb movement in kata (and karate in general) leads to a quicker and sharper action. Movements of the limbs are still kept large and full, in true Shotokan style, but any unnecessary movement is avoided as it wastes time and uses up energy unnecessarily.

Early Morning Wake-up Beach Training - Sensei Japie Storm (6th Dan)

 

Our 'regular, well-known and special' early morning training: an hour of FUN, vasbyt, no-gripe camaraderie and spirit building! Training on the beach and sometimes in the sea is what it is all about.

Body Conditioning and Street Defence - Sensei Pierre Jordaan (6th Dan)

 

This session was presented in two parts:

The Body Conditioning session showed methods to develop strength and power using just body weight, no gym equipment, to exercise the muscles.

The Street Defence session brought home the reality of conflict in our modern world and emphasized that, even though we may be skilled in combat, there are many reasons where it might just be smarter to avoid violent confrontation all together.

Competition Refereeing - Sensei Japie Storm (6th Dan)

A good standard of refereeing in our organisation is an important factor in maintaining the high standard of JKS karate. Competitions that are tainted by questionable refereeing can spoil it for the karateka, their parents and the spectators. As usual, the gasshuku this year featured a theory refereeing session and then a practical session to give our prospective referees and judges a chance to show off their new knowledge.

Distancing and Pressure Fighting - Sensei Andre Kok (6th Dan)

This session gave us a glimpse into the thinking and tactics behind a successful competition fighter. Being effective in competition is determined by the ability to close the gap on your opponent quickly and deliver a technique with utmost speed and accuracy. We practiced drills to develop correct distancing and learned how to counteract your opponent when under pressure.

SHORT TRAINING SESSIONS BY SOME OF OUR NON-SHIHANKAI SENIORS

Goju Ryu Kata - Sensei Lourencia Kok (5th Dan)

 

As our karateka compete in more and more All-Styles competitions, it is becoming necessary for our referees to learn and understand katas from other styles competing in All-Styles, as this provides a referee with better insight and fairness when making decisions. In this session students were taught one of the Goju Ryu katas.

The Fight of Life - Sensei Nic Charilaou (5th Dan)

This topic was presented by a senior instructor who has made it big in business and has shown by example how personal success can be attained. The message delivered was that life is full of many 'fights', some small some big, that can determine the path a person takes in their quest for success and how karate is the ideal vehicle to facilitate this journey.

Takedowns - Sensei Filip Houndalas (5th Dan)

Karateka were given an opportunity to practice methods to 'take' an opponent 'down' to ground. These methods are important in situations where it may be necessary to subdue an aggressor using minimum or appropriate force.

Footsweeps - Sensei Kobus Prinsloo (5th Dan)

Footsweep techniques can distract or unbalance your opponent and create openings for subsequent more damaging techniques. Once again the effectiveness of footsweeping was clearly illustrated.

Lower Body Dynamics - Sensei Mervyn Gounden (4th Dan)

The foundation of karate movement lies in the lower body (legs) and hips. This session examined the importance of flexibility and stretching in the lower body.

Muscle Control and Muscle Memory - Sensei Godfried Kotze (4th Dan)

Memory seems to go with age and this session reminded us how important it is to train the correct technique and movement in karate. All techniques were done in slow motion but the sweat poured for many as control in techniques was emphasized.

Linear vs Lateral Movement and Agility - Sensei Alan King (3rd Dan)

Various drills were presented to develop speed of movement going forwards and backwards. The merit of sideways movement in karate was emphasized, also in a world where agility has become an important factor in karate competition.

Spirit Training

 

Ending our gasshuku on its usual high note, with spirit only the JKS family is capable of, lead by Senseis Lisa Greenspan (5th Dan), Hennie Lourens (4th Dan), Werner van Staden (4th Dan) and Jannie Buitendag (4th Dan).

The variety of topics at this year's gasshuku clearly exhibited the explosion of creative ideas that are flowing from the instructors within the JKS organisation. Keep up the great work everyone!!!

See you all next year!

Stuart Swallow