In at the Deep End !

Extract from the Selby Karate Club blog by IJKA Karate-ka Paul Brant ;

I had to be in Lancaster over the weekend and thought that while I was over the West side of the country I would check if it was OK to pay Alsager Shotokan Karate Club a visit. Many of the "Whitchurch Mafia" train at ASKC with their instructor Sensei George Cheshire - 5th Dan. Sensei Steve Cornes met me in the car park and showed me where they train. Nobody had blown my water wings up and I felt that I had just jumped in the deep end and was more than a little out of my depth. At the end of the training I said to Sensei Mark Watts that we had not done anything that I had done before, he replied by saying we had done gyaku zuki. Sensei Steve had taken the warm ups and Sensei Mark had run us through some kihon drills. It was then over to Sensei's Dave Sanderson and Alan Stanley who ran through "Kaze no te" - Fushu (Wind Hands). I was glad when they chose to stay with Fushu, each running through different parts and explaining bunkai etc. I am never very good at remembering Kata so I tried to just relax and try and get the feel and flow of the kata. I have always liked Kashu and with a lot, lot more training and practice am sure that Fushu will hold the same appeal for me. Sensei George Cheshire then ran through Unsu. I have of course seen Unsu a few times and been through parts of it with Sensei Mike Gude at Haxby dojo, but it is not a kata that I have ever learnt. I will have a go at running through the kata, but I am consciously trying to avoid the higher grade katas until I am happier with ones that I should already know at Shodan.There was time for a quick beer in the bar, where Sensei Mark was kind enough to put me right on a few points of Meikyo Nidan before I headed North up the M6. It is a shame ASKC is not a little closer to home, Sensei many thanks for your hospitality and hopefully I will be passing your way again sometime soon.

Osu