Karate Union of Wales
News 

Iain Abernethy Saturday 6th March 2010

11am til 3pm £25

15 of 25 places remaining

&

Rick Young June 19th 2010

12noon til 3pm £30

20 of 25 places remaining

Places available for booking now!

Seminar Report

The day had finally come, a day I’d been planning and stressing over for six months; will enough people turn up? Will I be able pay the guy? Etc. etc. all the usual worries had been hounding me since I made the booking. 

Anyway, Saturday morning was glorious, (about time too!) and all my worries dissolved in the sunshine. To be honest, I just thought, “Stuff it!” I’m going to enjoy this and gain as much from it as I possibly can even if I’m the only person that shows up.

On arriving at Llantwit Fardre Sports Centre I was greeted by the KUW lads from North Wales who had starting travelling at 5am! Thanks again guys. See you on your patch in October. Then, slowly but surely fellow martial artists from a real melting pot of different styles; Shotokan, Shito Ryu, Wado Ryu, Ju Jitsu and mixed martial arts groups began to arrive. Some had travelled long distances to be there, North Wales, Mid Wales, West Wales, even Essex as well as Pontypridd and the valleys. Phew!

Having retrieved Sensei Abernethy from the Garth Olwg Campass where the ‘Curse of the Sat Nav’ had delivered him we were ready start.

Seminar Content

The Seminar focused on the Heian/Pinan kata forms in the original order that the man credited with their creation, Master Anko Itosu, intended; Heian Nidan/Pinan Shodan being examined firstly. Iain presented the seminar both from the perspective of a new student entering Itosu’s dojo keen to learn how to defend himself, asking those all too often “but what if” questions.

Then through Itosu’s eyes , Iain guiding the student (and all attending) through his five powerful forms as they progress from; Heian Nidan/Pinan Shodan with its limb control, grabbing and striking techniques right through the forms until all aspects of karate’s throws, strangles, chokes, holds, locks and grappling aswell as the striking power that Karate is renowned for were exposed. Every time the “what if” query arose, we were shown how kata always gives options and even allows for mistakes within the chaos and mess of a real fight.

We were also given an insight into Itosu’s mind-set through his ten precepts (available to download free from Iain’s website), his physique and fighting prowess through historical data, giving us a clear idea of how the great master intended the techniques within the kata to be performed. A short, rotund chap (very politely put don’t you think?), extremely powerful man with a grip of iron and a punch to match Mike Tyson in his prime. Not renowned as kicker, we could assume that as only front kicks and side snap kicks (in Shotokan) are included in the forms they were intended as low level strikes to knees, shins or groin used to bring the opponent’s head down to punching range for that killer finish. These are short powerful kata for short powerful men (Suits me!).

I can’t speak for everyone attending but throughout the seminar, Iain’s incredible historical knowledge his appreciation of all karate regardless of style, in fact his appreciation of all martial arts, his passion for kata and his supremely interesting and often very funny delivery completely refreshed my interest in kata and has spurred me on to take a much closer look at the countless applications that can be drawn from within them.

If you ever get the opportunity to attend one of Iain’s seminar’s I strongly urge you t attend. If you think you know everything about karate..........Think again!

Andy O’Brien 5^th Dan

Karate Union of Wales.           

Part 2 of the Excellent & Exclusive interview with Shihan Mike O'Brien is now available to view on The Shotokan Way website. Many thanks to Shaun & Emma of the Shotokan Way, for putting the spotlight on the Father of Welsh Shotokan Karate and our Chief Instructor.       Picture: Andy O'Brien, Mike O'Brien, Rachel Keedwell and from The Shotokan Way, Shaun Banfield & Emma Robins