Thursday, June 28, 2007

Join in Support of the EKF

After the meeting on Sunday 24th June I could see no way out of the stalemate English karate has lowered itself into. What a shambles, a total waste of time for all who were there.

I think it's about time that people who gather at these meetings get results. Surely they aren’t going to put up with the bureaucracy and misguiding conjecture for much longer. Those that support the idea of a EKF need to get together and stick together as a unit. Those with less members than others, who have a voice, should join the EKF in principle and be heard within the group. More so welcomed by the EKF group. A working group can be formed within the EKF who will listen to the members and take forward voted for proposals to future joint meetings.

If the EKF can unite itself and be seen to be solidly united, the other groups that attend meetings will have to take note either of the presence of te EKF or their absence. Independently the EKF can still survive autonomously. They don't have to be apart of the blatant skulduggery associated with concealing the corruption of KE Ltd and it's restructure under another heading.

I think that before the EKF can enter the arena to establish a governing body it has to prove itself as a strong group of real karate enthusiasts. As such it will attract others of the the same calibre. More and more will see the potential of working together as likeminded people, not adversaries in the same boat. Before any governing body is formed the EKF needs to get it's act together and be seen to function as a group worthy of representing it's members.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Gedan Barai (Japanese style low level block or parry)

Imagine Gedan Barai? all the principles involved within sweeps and parries! And the circumstances for which they can apply, the whole picture if you will.

Gedan Barai is just one of those isolated “standard way” type blocks in most Japanese styles. Skeletal & muscular alignments, trajectories and other considerations of a needed response are more important to any basic or advanced technique or student.

Swinging the arm down in a pendulum like action is about all you really need to know of the action called gedan barai. The effective factors that need to be involved in the action out way the action itself, and are more important to grasp conceptually. Thus providing the necessary skills to produce an effective sweep or parry, IMHO!

I have a theory that karate-ka ultimately reverse engineer most of the actions that they have spent years learning. Because I think that “karate” encapsulates the essence and not the reality of movements.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Lisbon & Gdansk

I accept with humility Terry Wingrove’s caption “Sensei Alan Platt”

As a Ronin Karate-Jutsu teacher for many years before being accepted in Cyberbudo it comes as a huge complement from the Master.

As for the bookend comment, I was in fact 20+ stone last year, I lost 4.5 stone in 12 months. Going on these little Cyberbudo jaunts has gained me a few lb’s this year but what fun we have. The training is very tough as an uke make no mistake. Fattening us up for the kill is all par for the course.