Baldock Karate Club - Recently Updated Pages

Other Instructors

sez69sez — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:06:21 CST

.......................... ............Sensei Alan 3rd Dan..................................... Sempai Steve 2nd Dan........................Sempai Ryan 1st Dan
..........................................Fully Qualified................................................ Fully Qualified.................................. Assistant / Trainee

....... Sempai Chris 1st Dan........................Sempai Peter 1st Dan......................................Sempai Maxine Charlton 1st dan

...... Assistant / Trainee.........................Assistant / Trainee...............................................Fully Qualified

............................ ......

........ Sempai Shannen Black belt........................Sempai Guy Intermediate Black.........................Sempai Amanda 1st Kyu

Assistant / Trainee.......................................... Assistant / Trainee........................................ Assistant Trainee

........................Pic to come...................... Pic to come...............................Pic to come
.....................................Sempai Aidan 1st Kyu (2 tags)............................Sempai George 1st Kyu sho.......................................Sempai Rennan 1st kyu sho

.............................................Assistant / Trainee......................................... Assistant / Trainee................................................... Assistant / Trainee

.................................
......................................Sempai Patrick.R 3rd Kyu
..................... ...................Assistant / Trainee....

Latest News

sez69sez — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:01:26 CST

Saturday 28th November 09
This was the long awaited ESKA 30th anniversary Christmas Dinner and Dance. Everyone dressed in their usual dinner suits and flowing dresses and the hall was decorated in both japanese and 30th anniversary banners. There were far more tables than normal and each table had ESKA 30th drinks coasters. The evening strated off with the usual delicious 3 course meal, which was then follwed by a special slideshow, by Luke. Its showed pictures, footage and important historical information. This was very memorable and everyone enjoyed the fun pictures and seeing old training photos. Then came the presentation where Sensei Nick Lower was awarded his 6th Dan and Maxine was awarded with the first ever ESKA teaching qualification. Sensei Sarah and Sensei George were also awarded with very heavy samurai statues which were for their teaching and successful clubs. Our special guest was Anthony Hamilton (Lewis Hamilton's father). Both Anthony and Lewis trained with ESKA many years ago and Lewis graded with Sensei Sarah from white belt...all the way up to brown/red belt. Both Lewis and Anthony were awarded special honerary Shodan (blackbelts) by Sensei Nursey.
Pictures are in the gallery OR CLICK HERE

Saturday 14th November
A big congratulations to all those students who attended and passed at the Blackbelt Dan grading today.
An extra big well done goes to Kimpton student, Guy Rutherford who passed his intermediate blackbelt and also Baldock student Shannen Fuller who achieved her blackbelt.
Fantastic results and brilliant effort.

Sunday 11th October 2009

This was the ESKA Karate Championships and a special one, due to it being the 30th year celebration!
We had 11 Baldock students and 12 Kimpton students competing on the day, with all the hundreds of other competitors. We had some fantastic results.....

NAME	CLUB	CATAGORY	PLACE
Amy Lewis	Kimpton	Kata	3rd
Amanda Veitch	Baldock	Kata	3rd
Amanda Veitch	Baldock	Open Kata	3rd
Tia Charlton	Baldock	Kata	3rd
Jasmine Charlton	Baldock	Kata	3rd
Jasmine Charlton	Baldock	Kumite	3rd
Patrick Rutherford	Kimpton	Kumite	1st
Guy Rutherford	Kimpton	Kumite	3rd
Shannen Fuller	Baldock	Open Kata	3rd
Jacob New	Kimpton	Kumite	3rd
Rudey Buzzard	Kimpton	Freestyle	3rd
Rennan Tilbury	Baldock	Freestyle	2nd
Gavin Corcoran	Baldock	Kumite	3rd
Gavin Corcoran	Baldock	Kata	3rd
Ronnie Shipman	Baldock	Kumite	1st
James Brooks	Kimpton	Kata	2nd
James Brooks	Kimpton	Kumite	2nd
James Brooks	Kimpton	Freestyle	3rd
Oliver Wood	Kimpton	Kumite	3rd
Rennan Tilbury	Baldock	Kumite	2nd
Aidan Tilbury	Baldock	Kumite	3rd
Baldock Adult A Team	Bald/Kimp	Team Kata	3rd
Baldock Junior A Team	Baldock	Team Kata	1st
Kimpton Junior A Team	Kimp/Bald	Team Kata	3rd
Kimpton Junior B Team	Kimpton	Team Kata	2nd

more pictures under the gallery OR CLICK HERE

Friday 3rd July 09

We had great weather for this years summer ball, which was again held at the Old Palace Lodge in Dunstable. As usual the atmosphere was relaxed and the music was brilliant. A huge congratulations goes to Maxine Charlton who was awarded her Shodan (1st Dan).

Sunday 14th June 09

Well done to all the students who attempted their next colour belts. We had 100% pass rate again and we have got a lot of new higher grades in the class.

Sunday 10th May 09
This was the Kancho Kanazawa course held at Watford which a lot of people ahve been waiting all year for. A great number of the Baldock and Kimpton students attended this course and had a great time being taught by the 10th Dan and his son. It is a brilliant course to take part in and was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. The best part of the course for many was to have their photo taken with Sensei Kanazawa himself and lucky for us we were also able to get a group photo with the baldock and Kimpton members.
Photos to come

Friday 1st May 09

The 2nd awaited baby of the year has finally arrived! Sensei Sarah and Sensei Alan would like to announce the birth of their little baby girl Amber who was born at 11.15pm and weighed 7lb 13oz. She finally decided to make an apperance 8 days late but now joins her very patient big sister Leyah.

Friday 24th April 09
A huge congratulations go to Jenny and Peter Mason for the safe arrival of their gorgeous baby boy Oscar James. He arrived on the friday morning weighing a nice and healthy 8lb 7oz. Well done to you both!!

Sunday 19th April 09
Students attended a 2nd brilliant freestyle kumite course held by Wayne Otto. Some fantastic techniques were tried and tested but pupils realised there is soooo much more to learn, especially from this inspiring martial artist.

Sunday 8th March 09

Well done to all the Baldock and Kimpton students who attempted and passed their gradings!

Sunday 1st February 09

A handful of Baldock and Kimpton students attended the Akita course at Biggleswade. The course was arranged by Sensei Scoot, who flew in Sensei Akita from Germany. The course was thoroughly enjoyed by all and was arranged around the core basics of karate. It was a hard 4hrs of training but one not to be missed.

Sunday 21st December

We didnt hold a usual presentation this year, due to time and arrangment but we had a big hour session for all grades to attend a quick lesson and for us to give out the well deserved awards.....

For doing the class musical warm-up Stephen Loriot (chocs)

Kimpton yearly trophy achiever (Weds) James Brooks
Baldock yearly trophy achiever (Suns) Aaron Brown
Baldock yearly trophy achiever (Tues) Lewis Ryall
Baldock yearly trophy achiever (Thurs) Thomas Parkinson

OVERALL KIMPTON KARATEKA 2008 Laura Crichton
OVERALL BALDOCK KARATEKA 2008 Harvey Veitch

Sunday 14th December

Well done to everyone from the Baldock and Kimpton clubs, who attended the grading today, we had 100% pass rate! A special well done goes to Shannen Fuller who achieved her intermediate blackbelt!!

Saturday 22nd November 2008

The xmas dinner and dance was held at Letchworth Hall hotel this year and like most years, we had 2 tables for the Baldock and Kimpton members. The disco went on until 1.30am and im sure there were a lot of sore heads the next morning!! Have a look at the pictures under the photo album or CLICK HERE

Saturday 15th November 2008

A huge congratulations goes to Maxine Charlton for passing the amazing grade of black belt. Maxine had trained so hard for this grading but knew it would still be an agonising battle to acheive it. She had great spirit and determination throughout the grading and her hunger for this grade kept her going. A huge well done!

Saturday 8th November 2008 This was the ESKA kata competition at Stevenage. Baldock and Kimpton had a handful of students competing at various events and all students done both themselves and the instructors proud. Here are the club results.....

BASICS COMPETITION
Emma Hawley (Baldock) 1st Place
Jack Clayton (Kimpton) 2nd Place

YELLOW BELTS KATA
Thomas Parkinson (Baldock) 1st Place
Laura Crichton (Kimpton) 2nd Place
Matthew Corcoran (Kimpton) 3rd Place

ALL PURPLE BELTS KATA
Jasmine Charlton (Baldock) 1st Place

BLACK BELTS KATA
Ryan Arnold (Baldock) 2nd Place

ADULT YELLOW / GREEN BELTS KATA
Patrick New (Baldock) 3rd Place

GREEN & BELOW JUNIOR TEAM KATA
Baldock E Team (Holly Hayes, James Madley, Neil Smith) 2nd Place

PURPLE & ABOVE JUNIOR TEAM KATA
Baldock A Team (Ryan Arnold, Chris Mutter, Chris Martin) 1st Place
Baldock C Team (Aidan Tilbury, Rennan Tilbury, Jasmine Charlton) 2nd Place
Baldock B Team (Shannen Fuller, Harvey Veitch, Aaron Brown) 3rd Place

Lots more photos of the competition under the photo gallery

Sunday 14th September 2008

Well done to everyone who passed the Kyu grading and got their new belts!

Friday 4th July 2008

The summer dinner & Dance was a great success at its new venue in Dunstable. The meal was lovely and the music was very popular all evening! A big congratulations go to Stephen Loriot, Chris Martin and Peter Mason who were awarded their Shodan (1st Dans) and also well done to Steve Pearce who received his Nidan (2nd Dan). The evening was enjoyed by all and photos are in the photo album.

Sunday 18th May 2008

Sensei Sarah arranged a first aid course for the karate students of Baldock and Kimpton clubs. The course was held by John Sales from the British Red Cross and was thoroughly enjoyed by all. We have now got 21 new qualified first aiders!!!!

More pics of the first aid course in our photo gallery

Sunday 11th May 2008

A handful of Baldock and Kimpton students entered the ESKA Kumite championships. They did a great job and we had some great results:

BALDOCK STUDENT	CATAGORY	RESULT
James Madley	Junior Orange Kumite	3rd Place
Matt Reilly	Junior Yellow Kumite	3rd Place
Amanda Veitch	Adult Brown Kumite	3rd Place
Ben Anthony	Junior Lower Freestyle	1st Place
Remi Burgon	Junior Lower Freestyle	2nd Place
Stephen Loriot	Junior Higher Freestyle	3rd Place
Maxine Charlton	Adult Women Freestyle	3rd Place

KIMPTON STUDENT	CATAGORY	RESULT
Laura Crichton	Junior Orange Kumite	1st Place
Tyler Lester	Junior Green Kumite	2nd Place
Tyler Lester	Junior Lower Freestyle	3rd Place

Saturday 26th April 2008

A HUGE congratulations goes to Steve Pearce who has acheived his 2nd Dan (Nidan). He is only the second person from the Baldock Club to attempt this grade. Steve completed an amazing grading and passed with some superb comments from the examiners. Well Done!!!!

Sunday 20th April 08

A fantastic course held by Wayne Otto OBE, focusing on freestyle fighting and competition fighting The course was arranged by Sensei Richard Scoot and held at the Sandy dojo.. Many students attended this course from the Baldock Club and all throughly enjoyed it. It was well worth the money and all would attend again.

Photo Gallery

sez69sez — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:57:55 CST

ESKA 30th year dinner and dance

Karate Clipart

Instructors Album

Class Pics Album

Old Baldock Karate Album

Competitions & Awards

Past Xmas Dinner Dances

Presentation Evening 2007

Summer Dinner Dance 2008

Kimpton Group Photos

ESKA Kata Comp 2008

ESKA Christmas Dinner & Dance 2008

Club Dan Grades

sez69sez — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:46:10 CDT

Present and Past Dan Grades of Baldock Karate Club

We have an excellent quality and quantity of junior and adult Dan grades (inter black and above) in the Baldock Karate Club and have had a constant flow through-out the years, of students reaching these dificult levels. We have not had many of this grade leave the club but we have had the odd few. The most common reason is leaving due to education, exams and work.

All of our Dan grades are correctly regestered with the Governing body and many are instructors or trainee instructors.

PRESENT DAN GRADES
Name	Grade	Adult / Junior	Qualifications
Sarah Fullarton	Yondan	Adult	Full instructor, First aid, Police checked, NNEB, Sports coach, ESKA Judge
George Fullarton	Yondan	Adult	Full Instructor, First aid, Police checked, ESKA Judge
Alan Turner	Sandan	Adult	Full instructor, First Aid, Police checked
Steve Pearce	Nidan	Adult	Full instructor, First Aid, Police checked
Ryan Arnold	Shodan	Junior	First Aid trained
Chris Martin	Shodan	Junior	First Aid Trained
Stephen Loriot	Shodan	Junior	First Aid trained
Peter Mason	Shodan	Adult	First Aid trained
Maxine Charlton	Shodan	Adult	First Aid trained
Jenny Mason	Inter Black	Adult	First Aid trained
Shannen Fuller	Inter Black	Junior



PAST DAN GRADES
Name	Grade	Adult / Junior	Qualifications
Harry Ward	Shodan	Adult
Ravinder Buwal	Shodan	Adult
Matthew Burgon	Shodan	Adult
Nikki Newell	Shodan	Junior
Chris Mutter	Shodan	Junior
Mathew Warner	Black Belt	Junior
Wesley Ward	Inter Black	Adult
Tony Bygrave	Inter Black	Adult
Michael Gearing	Inter Black	Adult

Calendar

sez69sez — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:25:30 CDT

ESKA Calendar of Dates 2009

As soon as we find out the dates of any karate events, we will print them here for you to see

DATE	EVENT	WHERE?	TIME?
Sunday 1st February	Shinji Akita Course	Biggleswade	11am-3pm
Sunday 8th March	Kyu Grading	Stevenage	10am
Sunday 19th April	Wayne Otto Course	TBA	TBA
Saturday 25th April	Dan Grading	Bedfordshire	Depends on grade
Sunday 24th May	Kumite Competition	cancelled	cancelled
Sunday 14th June	KYU Grading	Stevenage	10am
Friday 3rd July	Summer Dinner Dance	Dunstable	7pm
Sunday 13th September	Kyu Grading	Stevenage	10am
Sunday 11th October	Kata competition	Stevenage	TBA
Saturday 14th November	Dan Grading	Bedfordshire	Depends on grade
Saturday 28th November	30th Xmas Dinner Dance	TBA	TBA
Sunday 13th December	Kyu Grading	Stevenage	10am

Sensei George

sez69sez — Sat, 30 May 2009 04:28:12 CDT

Sensei George Fullarton

Name: George Fullarton Age: Not telling!!

Grade: 4th Dan (Yondan)

Chief Instructor of: Baldock

Qualifications

Governing Body qualified instructor

ESKA Judge

First Aid Trained

Fully Insured

Police Checked (CRB)

Sensei George started karate in early 1992, so he is currently into his 15th year of karate training. He has trained under the following people:

Club Instructors............................................. On Special Occasions

* Sensei Paul Raymond (White to Yellow) ...........................* Sensei Ticky Donovan

* Sensei Mike Nursey (Green to Black) ................................* Sensei Mick Randall

....................................................................................................* Kancho Kanazawa

....................................................................................................* Sensei Akita

....................................................................................................* Sensei Murakami

....................................................................................................* Sensei Terry Pottage

Sensei George passed the following:

* Blackbelt Feb 1996

* 1st Dan November 1996

* 2nd Dan June 1999

* 3rd Dan November 2002

* 4th Dan November 2006

Homelife George lives with his wife Karen. He has 3 daughters Catherine (29), Sarah (28) and Heather (25). He also has 3 grandaughters....Sensei' Sarah's 2 children called Leyah & Amber. Also his youngest daughter Heather's little girl called Georgia.

Hobbies Sensei George is quite a sporty person. He likes golf, football, snooker/pool, clay pigeon shooting & swimming. He also used to be into bowls in a big way (championship trophies and medals).

Sensei Sarah

sez69sez — Sat, 30 May 2009 04:25:41 CDT

Sensei Sarah Fullarton

Name: Sensei Sarah Fullarton Age: 27

Grade: 4th Dan Blackbelt (Yondan)

Chief Instructor of : Baldock & Kimpton

Qualifications

* ESKA Judge

* Governing Body qualified Karate Instructor

* NNEB Childcare Qualification

* GNVQ Leisure & recreation (Sport Injury, coaching)

* First Aid

* Police Checked (CRB)

* Fully Insured

Sensei sarah has trained in Shotokan Karate since she was 9 years old, so she is now into her 17th year. She has trained under many instructors including:

Club instructors ..................................................On Special Occasions
* Sharon Justo & Leon Bennett (White to red) ..........................* Sensei Ticky Donovan
* Sensei Rae Nursey (orange to yellow)..................................... * Sensei Mick Randall
* Sensei Paul Raymond (yellow/white to purple) .......................* Kancho Kanazawa
* Sensei Mike Nursey (purple/white to black) .............................* Sensei Akita
...........................................................................................................* Sensei Murakami
...........................................................................................................* Sensei Terry Pottage

Sarah passed the following:
Blackbelt (aged 15) May 1996
1st Dan (age 15) November 1996
2nd Dan (age 18) June 1999
3rd Dan (age 21) November 2002
4th Dan (age 25) November 2006

Homelife: Sensei Sarah is engaged to Alan, one of the students at Baldock. They have been together since 1998. Alan is 3rd Dan Blackbelt and was the first blackbelt in the club aswell as the first ever student. They have a daughter called Leyah who was born on 16th June 2005 and a daughter called Amber who was born 1st May 2009.

......................................................Leyah 2 days old weighing 8lb 7oz...............................Amber 6 days old weighing 7lb 13oz

Hobbies She enjoys many sports including, football (played for Stevenage Borough Ladies, until karate took over full time), swimming, tennis, iceskating, bowling, snooker/pool, archery, off road cycling, golf and lots of gymnastics.

Belts, suits & Gradings

sez69sez — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 05:45:26 CST

Belt, Suit & Gradings

BELT (Obi)

You will get a free white belt in with your membership package when you join he Baldock karate club. When you grade you will be asked to buy your own belts. For those of you who have not realised yet, adults and juniors have a different amount of belts to get through. See below:

ADULTS JUNIORS




	No applicable to Adult students

	No applicable to Adult students

	No applicable to Adult students

	No applicable to Adult students

	No applicable to Adult students

Once tied: 1) A belt must have gone around the body twice 2) Must not be crossed over at the back 3) The two ends hanging must be the same length 4) Must be securely tied with the knot 5) You must NEVER wash your belt (it will shrink!)

UNIFORM

You will get a karate suit with your membership package when you join the Baldock Karate club. Obviously at some point you will want to buy a new one, due to it getting old or you growing out of it. Students in our association dress in the origional cotton jacket and trousers, combination knowns as a "gi". You can get many different weights of gi's:

Beginner gi's (used by new students) very light in weight (approx 10oz)
Medium weight gi's, mainly used by higher grade children (approx 12oz)
Heavy weight gi's (worn by higher grades adults & children) always recommended for people who are well into their karate!! (approx 14-16oz) made of a heavy cotton canvas or brushed cotton.

Difference in Uniforms Light weight beginner gis are great because they are not that expensive and can be replaced quite quickly. They are easy to wash and iron but need to be cleaned frequently. Light weight gis don't last very long but are perfect weight for the summer or beginner. Heavy Weight gis are recommended for all higher grades. They give your karate that extra notch in performance. They are a little more expensive to buy but they will normally last you years. They do shrink quite dramatically, so a cool wash is recommended and the steam iron is essential.

______________________________________________________________________________________________ Gradings

Next Grading: Sunday 8th March 2009

Will I get my grading form?

Do not presume you are going to grade everytime, as the instructors have to consider many things:

1) You are concentrating and behaving in class

2) You have had enough lessons.

3) Fees are paid regularly and on time.

4) The minimum amount of lessons should be spread out evenly.

5) Correct attitude to instructors, higher grades and other students.

6) Helped teaching (Higher grades only).

7) THE CORRECT STANDARD TO PASS

8) All brown belts and above must be training at least twice per week, if you wish to grade.

Minimum Number of Lessons required

GRADE (Grade you are now)	JUNIORS	ADULTS
White	10	10
Blue	10	12
Red / Orange	12	14
Yellows / Greens	14	16
All Purples	16	18
Brown - Brown 1 red stripe	18	20
Brown 2 red stripes - Inter black	36	40

Try not to aim for your minimum amount of lessons required, aim further and try to train as much as you can. This will make your gradings easier for yourself.

YOU WILL NOT GET YOUR FORM UNTIL THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF LESSONS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.

Get in Contact

sez69sez — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:21:54 CST

Get in contact with us

Telephone:

Karate Hotline: 07796 605642 - a personal karate line!
________________________________________________________________________________

Email:

Sensei Sarah Fullarton: sez69sez@hotmail.com

Sensei George Fullarton: georgefullarton@hotmail.com _________________________________________________________________________________ Or come and Visit us:

Brandles School (Weston Way, Baldock)
Tuesdays 6-8pm
Thursdays 6-8pm
Sundays 5-7pm _____________________________________________________________________________

Ladies Self Defence

We run a one night self Defence course for groups of women who wish to look after themselves

The women in our evening sessions learns mainly self awareness and common sense on how to act when they are alone at night etc. And they are able to practice many moves on each other so they know what to do if they were attacked.

Overall the course runs well, we have run many self defence evenings for a variety of womens groups and organisations wishing to learn to look after themselves. So if you are interested along with people you know, and there is enough of you, then get in contact and we may be able to run a course for you too.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Demonstrations

We do demonstrations for schools in the local area of Hitchin, Letchwoth, Baldock and Stevenage

We can do demonstrations at school fetes, during assemblies in schools, as a PE lesson in schools or just as a bit of entertainment.

We have done many School fetes including Hartsfield JMI. We have been into schools to perform, including St Mary's (Baldock) and Brandles School - Baldock (Special Needs School).

If you wish us to come to perform in your school or take part in your fete, please let us know.

FUN PAGE

sez69sez — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:20:10 CST

FUN PAGE

Karate Stickmen Fighting ...click the link

---------------------------------------------------- Jokes You Know You've Been In the Martial Arts Too Long When ..................

You say to the shop assistant, "Nice trousers, but I don't think I can kick in them."
You go to the shoe shop to try on shoes and instead of walking round the shop, you practice stances and kicks.
You hit your head on a low doorway or ceiling and kick it in anger and _damage_ it.
You always put the left side of the bathrobe over the right and knot the belt like your obi
You're practicing your arm techniques while driving down the motorway, notice someone in another car staring at you, and suddenly turn your block into vigorously fanning away an imaginary fly.
You use various strikes and kicks to turn lights off and on.
You open and close doors with spinning kicks.
You still haven't gotten used to recognising everybody walking around in their normal clothes, in town
You find yourself practicing bo staff techniques in miniature with your pencil during dull meetings and school classes.
You try to backfist the correct floor button on the inside of the elevator, based on your memory of the button's location, before you get in far enough to see it.
You notice you never stand with your arms crossed or your hands in your pockets. But feet turned out and hands by your side.
You tend to keep at least one martial arts weapon close at hand by your bed when you sleep.
You have the urge to bow every time you enter or leave a room or school hall.
You accidentally call your teacher 'sensei'.
You find yourself practicing stances while standing in a queue
You don't use any tools while cutting up wood.
You are introduced to someone and you bow to greet them.
You see some wood or concrete, even things like stools or tables, and get excited while you picture just how you would go about breaking it. Then you get funny looks as you feel it and give it a look of hard concentration.
You say 'Oss' by mistake when you meant to say 'yes' in an interview
You no longer care about pain
You react to someone coming at you (most likely a friend) and mistakenly do a takedown, and realise afterward that you made a mistake
You count in Japanese instead of English at work or to your children
You can't hold you girlfriends hand without putting her in a wrist lock.
You do horse riding stance over the toilet bowl.
When you try to walk into a room without anyone hearing you
You don't have a girlfriend/boyfriend left to practice your moves on
You leave the front door unlocked hopeing someone or something will brake in
When a snack gets stuck in the vending machine, you place your hand on the machine, breath deeply, and use your ki to try and get the food out.
When everytime you wash the car you turn into Daniel son from the Karate Kid and start to "wax on" and "wax off".

-----------------------------------------------
Word Search

----------------------------------------------------
Maze

Direct the karate student through the maze to the Kodokan for his lesson.

___________________________________________________

White Belt Instructors

I thought it'd be pretty crazy to search through some photos of Sensei Sarah and Sensei George when they first started karate, because I know that you're so interested in seeing what they used to look like as white belts.

Sensei Sarah Aged 9 in Dec 1990 .......Sensei George Aged ? April 1992

The Baldock Club

sez69sez — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:32:17 CST

NEW HALL: Brandles School, Weston Way, Baldock, Herts

Adults

Teenagers Older Juniors Younger Juniors

Baldock Karate Club holds classes three nights per week: Tuesdays, Thursdays & Sundays.

For times of classes please see our Timetable page!

We belong to an association called ESKA (English Shotokan Karate Association EST 1979) which is one of the oldest associations in the UK, teaching traditional Shotokan Karate. We have clubs covering 18 different towns and villages, throughout Herts, Beds, Bucks and Essex.

Pressure Points

sez69sez — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:42:04 CST

Vital Pressure Points

It is important to know what areas of the body to attack and know what areas are dangerous if struck. We teach self defence at Baldock which involves locks, holds, throws and pressure points, to fend off an attacker

HEAD

1. Top of head

2. Frontal Area

3. Temple

4. Base of nose

5. Bridge of nose

6. Eyes

7. Upper lip

8. Lower edge of jaw

9. Articulation of lower jaw

FRONT OF BODY

10. Cavity below ears

11. Side of neck

12. Adams apple

13. Top of sternum

14. Bottom of sternum

15. Solar plexus

16. Lower abdomen

17. Rib cage - below armpits

18. Rib cage - below nipples

19. Rib cage - either side of abdomen

20. Testicles

21. Side of stomach

22. Inner part of upper thigh

23. Outside of thigh

24. Knee cap and joint

25. Shin

26. Top of foot

27. Elbow

28. Back of hand

BACK OF BODY

29. Spine

30. Back of head

31. Back of neck

32. Kidneys

33. Tip of spine

34. Back of upper thigh

35. Lower calf

36. Back of knee

37. Ankle

Karate / Shotokan History

sez69sez — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:31:08 CST

The History Of Karate & ESKA

Who Invented Martial Arts?

We do not know when martial arts evolved or where it came from, as there is no written history to back it up. Fighting techniques can probably date back as far as the stone age. When man found himself weaponless and had to fight over territory, women or food. He must have derived a method to win these battles, over time.

We do know that in the 6th century an Indian monk named Dharma (Bodidharma), travelled from Asia to China, with the aim to establish the first Zen school of Buddhism. He finally settled in a Shaolin monestery in the mountains, where he began teaching the monks who lived there. They were very weak and found any type of physical exercise too exhausting. So Dharma devised a teaching methosd which trained both their minds and bodies. This became known as Shorinji Kempo or Shaolin Fighting (Type of boxing).

Where in the world did it start?

The area we know as Okinawa (Just off of Japan) used to be called the Ryukyu Islands and were separated into 3 separate islands (Chuzan, Nanzan & Hokuzan). In 1429, after many wars with each other, the 3 islands were united under one Fudual lord called King Hassai. He decided to ban all weapons to stop all the tension. In 1477 King Sho Shin took over and kept the no weapons law. All was fine until 1609, when a small group of people started to rebel (Satsuma Clan), so the king at that time called King Shimazu made a one off weaponed army to fight these people. Eventually after many battles the kings army won and so he reissued the banning of the weapons but with firmer restrictions. He even banned agricultural tools as they were being used as weapons (eg Bo, Staff, sickles & Nunchucku.) Ryukyunians began learning fighting methods in secret and at night and eventually designed a fighting method which only used the hands and feet as weapons. This became known as Okinawa-te. Due to the trade with China the fighting methods intergrated and when it returned to China, it became known as Kara-te, which at that time translated as Chinese Hand.

Gitchin Funakoshi

Two very important Ryukyunians who grew up learning this martial art in secret were Azato and Itosu.

In 1868 Gitchin Funakoshi was born and was very weak as a child / baby because he was born premature. Luckily he went to school with the son of Azato and was soon being taught in secret and at night by Azato himself. He was later also joined by a 2nd teacher (Itosu).

When Funakoshi grew up he became a school teacher and one day decided to give a demonstration in the school that he taught at, even though it was still against the law. It was so successful that soon his form of self defence (Known as okinawa-te at that time) became a lesson in all schools over Okinawa.

He later (1912) decided to travel to Japan and gave a demonstration on a Japanese Navy fleet on the way over. The people on board were so impressed they told Funakoshi to show it all again when he got to Japan. When he got there he done private demonstrations for the Emporer (1917) and the Prince (1921), he was then asked to properly establish it in Japan. So in the same year Funakoshi returned home and resigned his job as teacher and then went back to Japan, where he performed in his first offical demonstration to the Japanese public in Tokyo. He started getting followers and interest, sohe held the first official karate lesson in 1922 in a hall called the 'KODOKAN' which was a judo hall.

In 1924 Funakoshi's karate hall in Okinawa (Mesei Juku used for various martial arts) was almost destroyed in an earthquake and for a while he held his classes in a friend Nakayama's Kendo hall. The hall was in a state of disrepair and his classes were getting too big for this friends hall.

The Shotokan
Behind Funakoshi's back a group of supporters were building him his very own purpose built karate dojo and named it after Funakoshi's pen name (Shoto). The hall had a plaque above the door saying 'Shotokan' meaning Hall of the waving pines. This is when Funakoshi decided to call his type of karate, Shotokan. He also then created 'the dojo kun' which were karate rules and also Kyu and Dan which are the belt system we still use today. As he was in Japan he realised the martial art could not be called Kara-te meaning Chinese hand or okinawa-te meaning okinawa hand. He soon took the Chinese character that was used to signify "Chinese hand," as karate was known, and adapted it to mean "empty hand.", because this martial art was for everyone now to learn (not just Okinawa or China) and it also showed the fighting with no weapons.

The JKA (Japanese Karate Association)
The Japan Karate Association (JKA) was established by Funakoshi in 1944, so that all his clubs, schools and university clubs from all over Japan could all be associated under one organisation all following the same teachings. Funakoshi was the chief instructor of this. There started to be disputes after a while about whether teachers should be paid and in 1955 there was a split. Groups of instructors and students broke away and formed their own type of karate. There was now Funakoshi's Shotokan and another called Shotokai. Shotokai decided to make karate into a sport with fighting and competition and this was against Funakoshi's principles and teachings. Because of all this, Funakoshi stood down as Chief Instructor and gave this position to his best friend Nakayama, Funakoshi was now the honory chief instructor. Funakoshi died a few years later (1957).

Sensei Masatoshi Nakayama
Sensei Nakayama was born in 1913. He studied Kendo in great detail and was the man who let Funakoshi use his kendo hall when his own doojo was dimolished. After finishing univercity he went to China to study the Chinese language and also other types of martial arts, at the age of 19. After 11 years he returned to Japan where he started training under Master Funakoshi privately in 1931, every day. He was known as the Master's master. He became the chief Instructor of the JKA when Funakoshi stood down and was very concerned about competition karate taking over. Sensei Nakayama has been credited for the ushiro geri (back kick) and gyaku mawashi geri (reverse roundhouse kick) as well as taking karate abroad and explaining martial arts to Westerners. He mainly taught in an American army base in Japan but later started teaching in universities. While he was in China he studied anatomy and Physiology and passed this on in his teaching (bones, muscles) until the day he died.He has published many books including the very famous 'Dynamic karate'. He passed away in April 1987 aged 74 as a 10th Dan. At one of Nakayama's karate clubs he began teaching 2 men, Kanazawa in 1952 and Enoeda in 1953.

Master Hirokasu Kanazawa & Master Keinokuke Enoeda
Kanazawa was born in May 1931. Before he started training under Sensei Nakayama (1951)he reached the grade of 2nd Dan in Judo. He was one of the 3 JKA instructors who qualified from the famous JKA instructors Training course in 1956 and won the 1957 Kumite championships (the first year it was held) with a broken hand. He won both the kata and kumite events the next year, so became known as Grand Champion. After teaching in Hawaii in 1961 he returned to form the SKI (Shotokan Karate International) alongside Sensei Asano.Kanazawa was also responsible for helping with the World Tour team, that saw karate come to Britain. He is also the only person alive today who is able to selectively break a chosen board in a stack of about 10 boards (leaving the others unbroken).He is currently 10th Dan and is the only living shotokan karateka with such grade of this in the world.
Master Enoeda was born inJuly 1935 was of samurai lineage. By the age of 16 he was 2nd Dan in Judo and then began training in karate in 1953 where he was awarded his blackbelt in 1955. After working in the film industry, he became an instructor for the JKA and then started his competition career. He won the kumite JKA category in 1963 after which he went to Indonesia on a teaching tour with Master Nakayama. He is said to be the man who brought karate to Britain. In 1965 he visited the Uk with the World tour team and after visits to other countries he returned to the Uk, to set up home in Liverpool., where he taught at the Red Triangle Dojo. He was a founding member of the KUBGB (Karate Union of Great Britain) and then moved tolive in Surrey. His nickname was Tora (the Tiger) and died in 2003 as a 9th Dan.

JKA World Tour Team
These two men (Kanazawa & Enoeda) brought karate to Britain in 1965 with the JKA world Tour team. They spent a long while in Germany before coming to the UK. Karate was already being practised in Britain (Vernon bell) but this was not Shotokan Karate. This was the first ever demonstration and lesson by the JKA instructors, performing Shotokan karate. Kanazawa decided to stay on in Britain and formed the first British Shotokan Association, K.U.G.B (Karate Union of Great Britain) in 1967. A few years later he decided he wanted to return home, so left some of him loyal students to take charge.

Vernon Bell
Vernon Bell was born in 1922 and was a professional Judo instructor. In 1955 he started to study Yoseiken Karate (similar to modrn shotokan) under Henri Plee and later Mochizuki, Nam and Murakami. He started training a few students in England in 1956 and these were the first students of karate in Great Britain. He was awarded his 1st Dan in Paris in 1957 and 2nd Dan in 1959 by Murakami. He formed the BKF (British Karate Federation) in 1957 and training was in Essex.

ESKA (English Shotokan Karate Association)
Sensei Kanazawa held many classes and had many important students, including Sensei Michael Randall and Eddie Whitcher. Kanazawa soon decided to return home to Japan, so he left these 2 senior instructors to form an association for him known as E.S.K.A (English Shotokan Karate Association),in 1979. He made them the 2 chief instructors of the association.
At the beginning there were other instructors helping to form the association: Michael Nursey, Roger hall, Harry Jones (died 1990), John Van Weenen (formed own association), Mick Billman (formed own association) and Greg Durant (formed own association).

Sensei Michael Randall & Sensei Eddie Whitcher
Sesnsei Michael Randall was born in 1944 and began Shotokan Karate under Jimmy Neal and Terry Wingrove in 1964, atfter applying for a place in their class. He is one of the very few people still training who has been taught by Masters Murakami and Mochizuki. As an origional disciple of Master Kanazawa, he was the 4th person in Britain to obtain a black belt by Sensei Kanazawa in 1967. Randall was very well known for being one of the seven Samurai and his kumite fighting where he represented Great Britain against the Japanese. He was given the position of joint chief instructor of ESKA in 1979 but then left in 1984 to create his own acssociations (SKA and STKO). He currently holds the rank of 8th Dan.
Eddie Whitcher was born in 1941 and had a big interest in Judo. He then started karate and was soon the first person in the UK to obtain his 1st Dan by Sensei Kanazawa in 1966. He went to Japan for 3 years and then became the first Britain to receive his 3rd Dan from the JKA in 1971. He helped form ESKA in 1979 (joint chief instructor) but then left in 1981 because he was bored with associations. He decided to train alone and died of cancer in 1990 aged only 48.

ESKA Today

ESKA is now into its 27th year with its chief instructor being Sensei Michael Nursey (8th Dan). ESKA is one of the oldest and biggest associations in Great Britain and boasts a huge amount of higher grades and black belts.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

OTHER HISTORY
Why did Funakoshi Hate freestyle?
Karate was only used for defence purposes and not attacking. In karate there should be no first attack!!!......so therefore performing freestyle, someone had to make the first move. Freestyle only came about because Funakoshi broke down his kata (Bunkai) and pairing up had to occur for students to work through the bunkai.

Why did Funakoshi use Shoto as his pen name?
He used this name to sign his poems with, which means Pine Waves. Where he lived in Shuri, the castle was surrounded by hills and forests filled with Ryukyu pines. At night there was always a breeze and he could hear the rustle of the pines, as he walked for some solitude and time alone. People knew him by the name Shoto, more than his real name Funakoshi.

Why does Shotokan have the symbol of the tiger?
1) The tiger was chosen because the animal has attributes used in karate. The tiger is seen to have grace, bearing, nobility and power. It is a creature that is greatly respected and in some cases..worshiped.
2) Tiger tail is the name of the mountain Funakoshi used to walk over every night
3) Funakoshi's first book was called 'Tora No maki' which is also a Japanese expression which also translates as tiger (Tora).

Why is there a problem in finding out Funakoshi's age?
According to officials & records: He was born in 1870 and died 1957....making him about 87. The month of Funakoshi's birth is not known...even Funakoshi did not know. Although, it is recorded elsewhere and at the time of death...that his birth month was November.
According to Funakoshi: Born in Shuri in 1868 and refers to himself as being in his 90th year....making him 89. Funakoshi falsified the official documents so that he would be allowed to sit entrance exams to a Tokyo medical school. To sit the exams you had to have been born in 1870 or after, so he tampered with the records, so he would fall under this catagory.

How many schools and styles were there in the beginning?
In China there was 2 schools of boxing (Kenpo) called Shorin-ryu and Shorei-ryu
Shorin - techniques suited to people with a smaller frame and less strength and had the advantage of mobility and fast movement
Shorei - techniques suited to people with larger bodies and muscle. It taught more effective self defence

In Okinawa there were 2 main martial arts schools
Nawa-te which taught an art of chinese boxing called Wutang founded by a man called Chang San-Feng. Wutang got its name from the Chinese mountain on which which it's said to have first been practised.
Shuri-te taught the art of Chinese boxing called Shorinji which is said that the founder is said to be the Indian Monk..Dharma. Shorinji got its name from the Shaolin Temple in Hunan Province where Dharma preached the way of the Buddha.

Name other styles of karate today?
Shotokai Shito-ryu Chinto-ryu Shuri-ryu
Goju-ryu Wado-ryu Isshin-ryu Kyokushinkai
Shorin-ryu Uechi-ryu Yoshukai Kenpo

Name some of the worlds highest grades?
Kancho Kanazawa...................... 10th Dan (SKIF)
Shiro Asano .................................9th Dan (SKI)
Kenneth Funakoshi ......................9th Dan (FSKA) USA (Mainly Calafornia)
Mike Randall MBE ........................8th Dan (SHOTO) Highest non Japanese in west Europe
Nick Adamou ................................8th Dan (IASK)
Mike O'Brien .................................8th Dan (Karate Union of Wales) First Welshman to get a Shodan
Yahara / Isaka ...............................8th Dans (KWF) USA
Andy Sherry ..................................8th Dan (KUGB) First British Shotokan Shodan
Ticky Donovan OBE ......................8th Dan (Ishinryu) Coaches British Team
Ronnie Watt.................................. 8th Dan (ISRK) Scotland
John Van Weenen MBE................ 8th Dan (TASK) Writes books and does charity work
Ray Fuller .....................................8th Dan (TKI)
Peter Spanton ...............................8th Dan
Pauline Bindra ..............................8th Dan First female blackbelt in UK
Terry Wingrove 8th Dan (WUKO)... 9th dan Jujitsu, 3rd Dan Aikido, 3rd Dan Judo
Mike Nursey ...................................8th Dan (ESKA)

Class Timetables

sez69sez — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 12:15:10 CST

CLUB TIMETABLE

BALDOCK CLUB TIMES
Brandles School, Weston Way, Baldock

TUESDAYS
6-7PM........................................beginners, blue, red, orange, yellow, green, purple
7-8PM........................................brown, black

THURSDAYS
6-7PM........................................beginners, blue, red, orange, yellow, green
7-8PM........................................purple, brown, black

SUNDAYS
5-6PM........................................beginners, blue, red, orange, yellow, green, purple
6-7PM........................................brown, black

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KIMPTON CLUB TIMES
Kimpton Memorial Hall, Hall Lane, Kimpton

WEDNESDAYS 6-7PM...............beginners, blue, red, orange, yellow, green, purple, brown

Don't be late for your lesson!

Books & Reading

sez69sez — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 07:48:45 CST

Recommended Books & Reading

There are hundreds of karate books for sale in the UK for karateka to read...but which one to buy?
Here is a list of books which Sensei Sarah and Sensei George highly recommend. Shown here are the books that both own.

................... ............... ..................... .......................

Karate do Kyohan.......................... Karate do Nyumon......................My way of life................................. Karate Jutsu.................................Shotokan Masters

Gichin Funakoshi.............................Gichin Funakoshi....................Gichin Funakoshi............................Gichin Funakoshi...............................Jose M Fraquas

Best of Karate: Volumes 1-11 by M.Nakayama

............................................. ..............................................

............................................Dynamic Karate Keinosuke.............................................Enoeda: Tiger of Shotokan Karate
.................................................Masatoshi Nakayama ..................................................Masatoshi Nakayama & Rod Butler

. . ... .... .... ....
...............A Shotokan Karate: Book of facts 1, 2 & 3.....................The Kanazawa Years ......Book of Dates............Book of Quotes ......Funakoshi on Okinawa
............Clive Layton, Michael Randall & Michael Nursey ......................Clive Layton ...........Layton & Randall .....Layton & Harry Cook.........Clive Layton

....... ....... ....... ........
........Kanazawa 10th Dan ............Karate My Life................ Black Belt Karate....... .............Shotokan Karate International (Kata1, Kata2, Kumite)
..............Clive Layton ...............Hirokazu Kanazawa .........Hirokazu Kanazawa .............................................Hirokazu Kanazawa

....
....... .............. ....... .............. ..........
...In Funakoshi's Foosteps ..............Beginner/Advanced guides to Shotokan Karate Kata ....................Shotokan Karate Handbook/Advanced handbook
........John Van Weenen ...............................................John Van Weenen ......................................................................Gursharan Sahota

.......................... .................... . ......................
................................Shotokan Pocket Book..............................The Karate Dictionary.................................Karate Kata Applications
........................................Ken Lyons......................................................Schlatt..........................................Aidan Trimble & Vince Morris

....... ........ .. .................
The Shotokan Dawn (supplement) ...........Shotokan Horizon................ Shotokan Dawn (Volumes 1 & 2) ..............You don't have to dress to kill
..................Clive Layton .................................Clive Layton.........................................Clive Layton...............................................Clive Layton

LINKS

sez69sez — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:47:11 CST

Links

Things to Buy

sez69sez — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:41:34 CST

KARATE THINGS TO BUY

All prices here include VAT and Post & Packaging (Price you see is the price you pay!)

Karate Suits

Size	Beginner suit	Heavy weight	========	Size	Beginner suit	Heavy weight
0000/100	£18	-----------	========	3/160	£20	£40
000/110	£18	----------	========	4/170	£20	£45
00/120	£18	----------	========	5/180	£22	£45
0/130	£18	----------	========	6/190	£22	£50
1/140	£18	£38	========	7/200	£26	£50
2/150	£18	£38	========	8/210	£28	£55

Beginner Gis are 10oz in weight and made with 100% cotton. They come with a free white belt and elastic waist trousers.

The Heavy Weight (White Diamond gis) are 14oz in weight and of the very best quality canvas cotton. They are Japanese cut and have 10 rows of stitching. They

come with 2 pairs of trousers short ones (Kumite) Long ones (Kata). Half sizes are available in Heavy Weight!

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Accessories & Equipment

ESKA Badge (for suit) £4.00
ESKA Syllabus Book (For gradings) £4.00
Gum Shields (Junior / Senior) £2.50
Blue/Red competition fighting mitts (XS to XL) £16.00
Blue/Red competition shin guards (S to L) £16.00
Blue/Red Competition fighting mitts (XS to XL) AND Blue/Red karate Shin guards (S to L) £26.00
Red & Blue spot Reversible Chest & Tummy Armour (XS to XL) £28.00
Male groin guards (Adult/Junior) £5.00
Female Groin Guards (Adult/Junior) £5.50
Leg Stretchers (Metal pulling type) £22.00
Wooden Makiwara punch Board £20.00
Team Bltz karate Sports bag (Red, Blue, White) Medium £22.00 Large £28.00
Padded break boards (Beg, Inter, Adv) £22.00
Polyproylene smash boards (Beg, Inter, Adv) £25.00
Vinyl Punch Bag (Filled with chains) 4ft tall £35.00 5ft tall £38.00 6ft tall £40.00
Leather 4ft Punch Bag (Filled with chains) £55.00
Freestanding Firepower Punch Bag £170.00
Freestanding Punch Dummy £180.00
Xlarge Curved Arch shield (For kicking and punching) £30.00
Canvas Focus Mitts (x2) £20.00

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

OTHER MERCHANDISE
Nunchuku (Foam or Plastic)
Knives (Rubber or Metal)
Ninja Stars (Plastic or Metal)
Staffs (Foam or Wood) Swords (Samurai, Katanas, Tantos)
Tiger balm / oil
Medicine balls (4kg, 5kg, 10kg)
Skipping ropes
Karate keyrings
Karate books / dvds
Pull up bars
Karate Orniments
Posters
Headbands
Tracksuits / karate shoes

Under 16's must have written consent from parent to order these weapons.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If there is any other item which you wish to purchase but is not listed please ask

Which Martial art?

sez69sez — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:33:10 CST

WHY DO A MARTIAL ART?

What Sort of Martial art do I want to do?
Knowing that you want to do a martial art is the first step but what type do you want to do. There are so many martial arts providing lessons, so you need to consider what sort of things you wih to learn. Here are a few most common martial arts:

Karate:
Translates as 'Empty Hand'. Its uses Kicks, punches, strikes & blocks for its basic work and then sweeps, holds and locks for it more advanced work. Part of the training is on your own doing kata (forms) and some with a partner for sparring and self defence. Karate teaches you to defend yourself and to never make the first attack. Power and strength is not essential, as body movement & speed is the key factor. Great for all abilities, ages and flexabilities and there is a ranking system with different coloured belts going all the way from white to black belt. Karate is great for all round body fitness, stamina, discipline and general confidence. Karate is a Japanese martial art which only uses the hands and feet as weapons.

Judo:
Translates as 'The gentle way'. This martial art comes from japan and is well known for its throwing techniques, as well as its controlling of an opponent once on the floor. Timing, speed and leaverage to get an opponent off balance is vital, whilst using the least amount of physical strength necessary to overcome them. Great for all age groups and abilities. Judo has a grading system from white to black.

Taekwondo:
Translates as 'The way of the Hand & Foot'. This martial art comes from Korea and is well known for its high & spinning kicks. Taekwondo has elements such as patterns, sparring, self defence and breaktests. Although this is a martial art for all age groups, a certain amount of flexability is needed to get the kicks head height. Taekwondo has a gading system from white to black.

Kungfu:
Translates as 'Time & Effort' and comes from China. It is a martail art which trains the mind and body and is a way of life for the practitioner. It is about controlling the 'chi' in the body and using the opponents strength against them. Kungfu has defensive movements like the movement of various animals (eg monkey, tiger, snake etc). Kungfu uses weapons such as nunchuku, knives, staffs and swords, as well a the hands and feet for punching and kicking. Kungfu has a grading system from white sash to black sash.

Jujitsu:
Translates as 'The gentle art'. It is a Japanes martial art which relies on skill rather than strength or power. Its aim is to absorb and attack and then convert that energy back onto the attacker. It uses techniques to throw your opponent and then control them once on the floor with holds and locks. Jujitsu sometimes use small weapons for practice and it is a very beautiful martial art to watch due to its circular and flowing movements. Jujitsu has a white to black belt grading system.

Weird reasons people join a martial arts club:
Most people are attracted to the martial arts because of marketing, movies, friends, driving by a neighbourhood school, children whining to become power rangers, or an interest in Asian culture for one reason or another. Here are some reasons that have been identified over the decades as being typical for people just starting out:

You saw an action movie and you enjoyed the excitement.(want to be the next Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee)

You would like to be able to beat up a particular person and teach them a lesson (eg nosey neighbour across the road)

You would like to compete against others in combat and defeat them without going to the hospital.

You think the movements are beautiful, and you would like to look beautiful while you perform them

You want to become a better person by following the Asian philosophy of Zen Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, or Shinto.

You saw Shogun and wish to become a Samurai, wear swords and kimono, and drink tea while looking all puffy and disciplined.

Your kids want to do karate because you let them watch Pokemon too much, and you want to spend time with them.

Proper reasons to join karate
People have all sorts of reasons for wanting to try a martial art and all (actually only some) of them are the right reasons.
When you join a club discuss with your instructor the pupose and aims of you joining. All instructors will make a note of this and will help each individual conquor their goals.

Proper aims people wish to achieve if they join a martial art:

Become a black belt (Most common answer)
To enter and win in a competition
Keep my children interested in training
To learn discipline and Ettiquette (maybe to control temper)
Become more confident and outgoing
To be good at something for a change
To get away from the rest of the family for my own bit of space
To be able to look after & defend myself
Make friends and become more sociable
Too become fitter and have a more flexible body

Benefits for All

sez69sez — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:31:35 CST

Benefits of doing Karate

Benefits for Children

Not only will children be getting regular exercise, but it helps develop grace, co-ordination, balance and timing along with benefiting hyperactive children and raising energy levels in lethargic children.

Because of the Japanese style of karate, children can learn discipline, courtesy and sensitivity through training.

It is known that some children leave karate because they think they have failed to be good and so leave karate in frustration, but they should actually think that this failure is necessary for success - and the opportunity for improvement.

Overall, children learn to develop strong spirits for facing the harsh realities of life.

Benefits for Adolescents

Between the ages of 11 and 15 teenagers go through big growth spurts. This can cause a rapid increase in clumsyness, lack of co-ordination and lack of leg control. The childs bones are growing at a quicker rate than the muscles and therefore have trouble controling their legs (especially in kicks). They may get pains in their knees and shins and can also get cramps due to cooling down too quickly. Karate will help with muscle tone and getting power and conteol back into their legs. The child needs to double the amount of warmups they do and not use any weights to increase their muscle (Can be dangerous).There may be about 5 weeks of really bad daddy long legs feeling and falling about but it will then suddenly pick up again.

Benefits for Young Adults

Between the ages of 18-40 years old, this is the time people develop their careers, start families and lifestyles are established, so it is important for them to get as much exercise as possible to have a healthier life later on. Regular training in karate promotes the good health and sound mental attitude necessary for a long and pleasant life.

Benefits for People Over 40

Over 40 years of age, the body starts to deteriorate, so karate serves to improve and maintain good circulation, clear complexion and proper functioning of the nervous system.

The body is purified by the sweat of training, however karate is hard work and so people give up because it's not what they had expected.

People knowing about real dangers can make them grow stronger, with less susceptility to disease and greater powers of recovery. Today men and women need stimulation that comes from experiencing a small amount of danger and receiving minor injuries.

CRB and First Aid

sez69sez — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:30:20 CST

Police Checks

With all the present concerns about adults working with children and Government Police Checks, we have recently been asked on several occasions about whether we have been vetted.

Sensei Sarah & Sensei George have both been checked and each have a current CRB certificate!

The 2 Instructors -

Have teaching qualifications issued by the Karate Governing Body and attend courses on Teaching, Child Abuse and Health and Safety.
Have an excellent 9 year reputation and history of running the club.
Sensei Sarah has a Child Education qualification in teaching, child psychology, child development and abuse and neglect.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

First Aid (Minor Injuries)

Throughout the 11 years we have run the club we have only had minor injuries to cope with (winding, cuts etc). The instructors have all got first aid qualifications and always carry a first aid kit with them , aswell as an emergency phone with contact numbers. There are also several assistant instructors who are now first aid trained.

Chest cramps (or ‘stitches’). Usually caused by cramps of the intercostal muscles between the ribs, or the diaphragm high in the abdomen. Brought on by exertion. Chest cramps are identified by sharp, spasmodic pain in the chest, difficulty in standing upright, and gasping respirations. A ‘Stitch’ will normally disappear with rest and concentration on deep breathing.

Groin and testicle injuries. Caused by a blow to the groin, or by over-stretching the associated muscles. Characterised by pain to the region of the groin, sometimes nausea or vomiting. The casualty will be unable to stand upright, and will ‘guard’ the injured area with his hands. The casualty should be placed on his back with knees slightly bent, and have an ice pack applied with caution to the injury site.

Muscle cramps. Caused by over-stretching muscles, or by abnormal muscle contraction. They may also be associated with loss of fluid due to excessive sweating or limbs getting too cold. Characterised by pain, tenderness, loss of power and stiffening or spasms of the muscles. Muscles respond to rest, application of an ice pack, then subsequent gentle stretching.

‘Winding’. Caused by a blow to the abdomen which temporarily ‘paralyses’ the diaphragm. Characterised by breathing difficulty, gasping attempts to breathe, lack of chest movement, bending at the waist and ‘guarding’ the abdomen. The casualty should be placed in a reclining position and reassured until he or she regains the ability to breathe. DO NOT ‘pump’ the casualty’s legs, as this delays recovery.

Bleeding from Wounds

put on disposable gloves if available
check the wound for foreign matter
immediately apply pressure to stop any bleeding
bring the sides of the wound together and press firmly
immobilise and elevate the injured limb if injuries permit
DO NOT remove any penetrating object
DO NOT put pressure over penetrating object

Nosebleed

Put on disposable gloves if available
have the casualty pinch the fleshy part of the nose just below the bone
have the casualty lean slightly forward
ask the casualty to breathe through their mouth
maintain the pressure and posture for at least 10 minutes
a longer time may be needed in hot weather or after exercise or if the casualty has high blood pressure
if bleeding persists, obtain medical aid
advise the casualty not to blow or pick their nose for several hours or to swallow blood

If a permanent tooth is knocked out:

hold the tooth by the crown (chewing edge), not the root
rinse the tooth immediately with saline solution or milk, avoid scrubbing material off it. If this is not possible, wrap in plastic cling wrap
if the casualty will co-operate, replace the tooth gently in its socket
have the casualty bite down gently on a gauze pad to keep the tooth in place
if the tooth cannot be re-inserted, put it in milk which is a good preservative because its chemical make-up is compatible with teeth
if milk is not available, the tooth can be placed in the casualty’s mouth between the teeth and cheek, if old enough not to swallow the tooth. If this is not possible, wrap in plastic cling wrap
give the casualty a gauze pad or handkerchief to gently bite down on, which will help control bleeding and ease the pain
see a dentist right away, within 20 minutes if possible
DO NOT replace the tooth or place anything in the mouth of a drowsy or unconscious casualty

Strains, bruises and Sprains

Signs: The casualty will be in pain in a certain position. They can sometimes resemble a fracture. A sprain is damage or injury to the ligaments attached to the joints. Strains is damage to the muscles or tendons. Bruises are damage to the soft tissues where blood leaks under your skin. Treat the casualty by the following:

rest (take weight off of it)
ice (wrap ice before applying to the casualty)
compression (firm bandage)
elevate (lift to relieve pain)
If after thirty minutes the treatment has not soothed the injury, take the casualty to hospital because the injury may well be a fracture

Fracture and Bone Breakage
Signs and symptoms of fractures relies on immobilising and adequately splinting the injury. If the fracture is particularly complex, the wound associated with an open fracture maybe difficult to control.
If the pulse further down the limb cannot be restored by gentle and careful adjustment of the limb or with minor traction, the limb should be stabilised where it is.
Do not spend time attempting to splint instead of calling for urgent ambulance transport.
Circulation must be checked after a splint or sling has been applied. If the limb swells this will make the bandages tighter and this may cause circulation problems. Generally, fractured limbs should be kept immobile until medical assistance arrives

Asthma & Hyperventilation

pale, cool, clammy skin
coughing
shortness of breath – using all the chest and diaphragm muscles to breathe
‘sucking in’ of the throat and rib muscles
Severe chest tightness
wheezing – a high pitched raspy sound
cyanosis around the lips (bluish colour)
anxiety and distress
exhaustion
rapid, weak pulse
severe asthma attack: collapse – leading to eventual respiratory arrest

sit the casualty comfortably upright
be calm and reassuring
Help give asthma spay if they own one
If it doesnt improve in 10mins, seek medical help.
If patient has collapsed seek medical help immediately

Simple Fainting

dizziness or feeling light headed
nausea
pale, cool and clammy skin
anxious
collapse
loss of consciousness
rapid recovery after being laid flat

if unconscious – recovery position
raise the legs if possible
if conscious – lay the casualty flat and raise the legs if possible
if not fully recovered in a few minutes, call ‘999’ for an ambulance
if the casualty was injured in the fall, treat any injuries appropriately

Other major inncidence (Epilepsy, Resusitation etc ). Can be dealt with correctly if it ever occurs.