We had a good response from our first junior's kicking competition. Of the dojos represented, one winner from each of the dojos was selected as well as one overall champion.
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| Hannah Kaitens - Woonona | Connon Duncan - Bringelly | Alex Ilinsky - Baulkham Hills |
... and the winner (Grand Champion) is: Hannah Kaitens!
Kaicho Graeme Sneddon executed another inspiring Tameshiwari demonstration for the Thirroul Dojo on Thursday 10th June.
Using a double forearm strike on a total of twenty vertically stacked concrete tiles is a heavy duty break. See the video below for a replay.
As many students of Woonona Dojo would be aware, the Woonona Surf Club hall is currently undergoing significant external renovations, including new windows, doors and a complete re-rendering of the building. Once complete, this will be a significant cosmetic upgrade to the hall.
Whilst initially the coordinators of the hall had assured us this would not disrupt training, there have been recent some interruptions of access or electricity to the hall, preventing training for the past two weeks.
Unfortunately, these interruptions are out of our control and often occur with little notice, however please rest assured that we have made every effort to locate alternative training venues and/or notify all students as soon as we're made aware that the hall will be unavailable.
As of today (Monday 17th May) we understand that power and access should be restored to the building, meaning that Monday classes should resume next week (24th May). However, if there are any further disruptions we will continue to keep everyone informed as early as possible.
Budo Kenkyukai performed a public Tameshiwari (breaking) demonstration as part of the Mothers Day charity "Fun Run" in Wollongong in support of Womens Breast Cancer research.
The team performed a successful demonstration consisting of several types of breaks, including Alexander Sneddon's now famous "Helicopter Kick".
Please note that despite the successful display, breaking anything in Martial Arts involves training, awareness, and a level of risk. Please do not attempt such breaks without proper tuition or supervision.
Special thanks to the team who helped in the preperation and execution of the demonstration!
Congratulations to all who took part in our mid-year Senior Coaching Clinic & Kyu Grading (PowerClass).
The pace for the day was set right from the beginning as the students ripped into some "sweat angels" backed up with some intense basics.
The main body of the Clinic saw the group split into gender specific training applications, with Sensei Jill Sneddon leading the women & Sensei Steve Sciberras taking charge of the men.
As both parties discussed the importance of Assessment, Positioning & Negotiation in a confrontation situation, the women focused more on rapid response - Stun & Run techniques with a view to escape, whilst the guys focused on anti - grappling, restraint & removal and powerstriking. Self Defence & Pad Work requires the student take things to the next level in order to keep it real. I was very proud to see the level of spirit and focus from all grades when things began to heat up, a credit to the instructors.
Following a light lunch, the students pulled it together for a well executed grading. With some attention required in the components of Drilling and Self Defence, the overall standard at the finish was quite good.
Of particular merit, well done to Matt Messenger on coming back to finish his 10th round Jiyu Kumite after a near-knockout body blow. Special mention also goes to Carl Eady on taking out the coveted "Champ of the Camp."
A lot of preperation and planning goes into every BKK class. Aside from the lesson plan itself put together by your Sensei, training equipment is often prepared for the expected class size and agenda.
Today we have a time-lapse video of the mats being put down for the recent kids grading in Woonona Dojo. Hint: Take a look at the windows to see how much time passes!
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This Australia Day, several BKK instructors and students participated in a public demonstration at Lang Park in Wollongong.
The demonstration lasted for approximately 30 minutes, and consisted of:
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To all Budoka:
After years of ignoring my wife Jill's suggestion to start my own system, I finally took the plunge and registered Budo Kenkyukai on July 4th 2004.
Unlike many splinter-groups, our style was never to be a plagiarised or watered-down adaptation of my former systems. For it to work, it had to be built from the ground up into a practical, genuine fighting system backed up by competent & effective infrastructure. It is with this end goal and the commitment of the Branch Chief's on the front line who shared that vision that I attribute our success today as an organisation.
For me it has always been about the punch & kick. Pure & simple! I have never gravitated towards monetary incentives nor sought recognition or celebrity. I started as a Judo student in Scotland in 1979 and upon immigrating to Sydney, continued training in earnest from 1982. What I do seek is quality instruction and to implement that knowledge into my own training & teaching.
As a teacher, I've always maintained that you're only as good as your last class. Running a Dojo is a tough job, and today's students are a tough audience. I would like to publicly acknowledge the hard work put in by each of the Branch Chief's and in particular Leigh Klintworth. A rookie Instructor in 2009, Leigh has built up a student body of technically proficient and determined black belts in the making.
I would also like to thank my wife Jill, her daughter Kerry & former Branch Chief, Michelle Bannister - Tyrrell for their time and effort that went into the Women's Self Defence Seminars this year. The mighty sum of $1500.00 was raised for breast cancer, a very worthwhile cause. The Fight 4 Life workshops have served as a catalyst for Dr. Michelle to get back into Budo. She is currently writing a book on the subject of female self defence, a subject she so passionately believes in. I've seen the first draft and I can tell you it's awesome.
On the subject of charity, many thanks to the branch chief's who donated 10% of their training fees for the month of "MOVEMBER." Thanks also to the students who donated online. The lecherous moustaches sported by the males in the Dojos were not in vain.
I know I speak for the style when I say what a great job Scott Hayward has done with his bi-monthly newsletter. Again, that level of commitment from guys like Scottie, above and beyond the work on the dojo floor is what makes BKK so exceptional. We look forward to every edition.
I would like to extend my appreciation to Mark Johnston for his work in putting together his Technique Workshop on our website. Mark has a realistic outlook on combat and that attitude is shared with us all on the web. Thanks also to Amy Dunwoodie, Matt Messenger, Phil Edgar & Dan Crameri for getting involved with the photography.
You would have noticed a few changes in the set-up of our website. A big thank you to Dale Murray for adding the professional touches and bringing the site into the 21st Century.
I look forward to 2010 with enthusiasm. We are about to be represented in Penrith and Kings Langley by Anthony Rodziewicz & Scott Young respectively. Those of us at PowerCamp saw first hand the calibre of these two martial artists. With the future of the system in the hands of this sort of leader, we can't fail. I wish them every success. Please check the website for next years training calendar. I look forward to seeing each of you working hard on the mats.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Graeme.
Kaicho.
The 2009 Power Camp was hosted at Narabeen Academy of Sport on the 6th, 7th and 8th of November. It was a tremendous display of spirit from all involved, and provided new skills and inspiration to all. Below is a summary of the events, and you can also read more about it in the 2009 October-November newsletter.
2009 Highlights:
Speaking on behalf of all the instructors at Power Camp 2009 I can say that the venue was first class, the training and instruction were excellent and the attitude and display of all those grading and training was exceptional.
Power Camp continues to grow just as BKK continues to grow and there was a 40% increase in attendance at Power Camp this year.
Sensei Ray Grech did an outstanding job in organizing the camp at Narrabeen Institute of Sport and the facilities, food and location proved a hit with all of those who attended.
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How the weekend unfolded:
Friday Night 6 November 2009
We arrived at Camp on Friday 6th November 2009 at 5.00 pm and were allocated our rooms for the weekend. After dinner we all met in the 'bunker' for a team building exercise.
This was an opportunity to 'get up and close' with our fellow students before we all discusses the merits of successfully completing the grade of Sho Dan and also the benefits of opening a Dojo.
Some of the interesting points to come out of the Friday night session were:
Saturday, 7 November 2009
Sensei Jill Sneddon kicked off training on Saturday, 7 November 2009 at 6.00 am with an open air self defence lesson at the lake followed by meditation. This allowed the students to get into the BKK frame of mind in preparation for the day ahead.
Breakfast was followed by a formal bow on by Kaicho Graeme Sneddon and a highlight was the fact that we were all one group, BKK, not a faction of dojo's and we our training was only finished when the last person finished. This set the tempo, attitude and desire for the entire weekend. We continued to train all of Saturday, breaking only for lunch and dinner. Some some of the highlights were;
The day concluded with a pool team bonding session by Leigh Klintworth.
Sunday, 8 November 2009
Training re-commenced on Sunday, 8 November 2009 in the Bunker at 6.00 am with Kaicho Sneddon followed by a training session with Sensei Colin Payne of Zen Ryoku Martial Arts. 'Sultanas' never tasted so good.
It was evident from this early training session that everyone was switched on and ready for the days grading. Some of the highlights of the day were:
Power Camp Action (Video):
Testimonial from Robb Grubb of Kyokushin Karate:
Graeme, it was a pleasure to attend your recent grading to watch my son Alec grade for his Shodan black belt. You and your team of other instructors did a great job putting the three day camp together. While it is a different style to that I instruct I was very impressed with the techniques and there application. Most importantly the spirit that you mustered from the students when you took over the class. To be able to bring the most out of your students is vital and your ability to take the grading to the next level was great to see. The Kumite (fighting) at the end of the grading changed my opinion on different styles. The fighting spirit your students displayed was awesome and it was great to see they had to deserve there belt. It is a pleasure to have Alec obtain his black belt in a different style and a credit to your instructing. Thank you.
Regards
Robb Grubb
Kyokushin Karate
