On Saturday 15th February, Cambridge Goju Ryu celebrated it's ten year anniversary with a four hour seminar. Training was conducted by two very special guest instructors; Sensei George Andrews (Goju Ryu) and Sensei Simon Oliver (Shindo Jinen Ryu).
The club has been teaching adults during the week for ten years but in 2016 we expanded to include a class for children on Saturday mornings. Sensei George took the warm up session in which the young members of the club trained alongside the adults. Sensei Dave Amber then took the children for a separate session while Sensei George took the adults through a few basic techniques and combinations.
After a group photo and saying farewell to the children, the participants were split into two groups, black belts and kyu grades. Sensei George took the kyu grades through the complete sequence of ten San Dan Gi exercises, an important aspect of our fundamental training. The black belts were introduced to kata Seiryu by Sensei Simon Oliver, focusing on the self defense applications. Although this was outside the comfort zone of the group of largely Goju Ryu practitioners, it also felt strangely familiar. For more information about kata Seiryu, the Wikipedia entry for Konishi Sensei is a good start. In the final session of the afternoon, Sensei Simon introduced kata Seiryu to the kyu grades, while Sensei George took the black belts through a series of padwork drills followed by kakie (pushing hands).
After training, those that were able to make it relocated to The Dumpling Tree for a relaxed Chinese meal and a few beers. Martin and Louise felt honoured to be able to host an event with two great instructors of karate-do and to have been supported by so many of our students and friends. Particular thanks to those that traveled across the country in such bad weather. Thanks also to Sensei Dave for teaching the children and to Sensei Fabio Giovannoni for the original t-shirt design, the hand drawn Nio Guardians holding aloft the IOGKF kenkon.
Many thanks to Holly for taking the photos while suffering with a bad cold.
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