Some Karate?

[fightingpower]

Hi all,

Currently study Judo and have a Dan grade. Have some K box experience and want to take up another Japanese art ie Karete. Live in Watford UK any ideas/sugggestions?

 

[twendkata71]

I believe that there are several Wado ryu karate do schools and Shukokai karate schools in your area. Also there are KUGB Shotokan schools near you. Perhaps you should try visiting those schools.

 

[fightingpower]

you seem to be the man to ask! The school I have found is thirty seconds from my house. Traditional Shotokan Karate Union. There is a female instructor there.

Also there is SKIFF in watford which seems like a massive Shotokan club. I want to stick with Shoto what do you thiink any suggestions regarding these two organisations?

 

[twendkata71]

I personally have met/trained with SKIF black belts here in the USA, The Kanazawa's SKIF Shotokan is a good solid Shotokan organization, but he added several kata to the Shotokan curriculum after leaving the JKA many years ago, starting his own federation, before that he was one of the top Shotokan instructors in the JKA.
The other (Traditional Shotokan karate Union) I know nothing about, perhaps their curriculum is more in line with the JKA kata curriculum and teaching method. I would think that if that is the case they would be affiliated with the KUGB and the JKA. If not perhaps they decided to branch off and add other elements to their Shotokan karate do like Kanazawa did. I will ask my friends there in the UK about that organization. I know members of the Seishinkai Shotokan karate do Union that is based there in the UK. I will pass on any information that I find. Meanwhile you should go and check out both schools classes. Get a feel for it. You will be at an advantage in kumite reguardless of which school you choose, because of your Judo training and knowledge of unbalancing waza.

 

[twendkata71]

By the way. Kanazawa himself is teaching a seminar this weekend in Watford,UK. You may want to attend if open. He is an incredible teacher.

 

[fightingpower]

That sounds cool. I will look and see what the details of that seminar are on the SKIF website. I did actually catch a demo that the instructor of the SKIF club did once. This was Sensei Kevin Leigh. Seemed really solid and very well organised. Also may be a possibility of training in Japan with this organisation so I might look furtyher into that club. Its a bit further away but seems very stable and few politics from what I have heard around watford.

Thanks for making those enquiries I will look forward to letting you know what I think of my first session.

 

[twendkata71]

The teacher that runs the Traditional Shotokan karate union dojo is from the Kanazawa lineage, eventhough she is no longer affiliated. She is a 6th Dan holder with 30 years experience in Karate do. It would most likely be a good fit for you to attend her dojo. Good luck.

 

[fightingpower]

Thanks again. Yes I did decide on this club in the end and the first sesion was great. There was no freefighting that I saw as I was in the other room learning a first kata and some line work up and down with straight punches. I thought I picked it up pretty well. I am going to keep going and hope that there is loads more to learn. It is hard in some respects coming from judo where you will get to try your techniques fairly early on under some pressure. However I am resolved to give this a good go and have seen some good karate (shotokan) people this far. A good mix of ages at the club and one girl that took me (3rd dan) seemed to really know her stuff and had massively fast and seemingly powerfull punches.

The Judo helped in the sence that I was very flexible and had some muscle tone that the other begginers lacked. I hope I will proggress relatively quicjly as a result of this. I also did some pair work one step Kumite I think it was!