After a decade of teaching Martial Arts in Basingstoke and nearly 40 years of learning and teaching several Martial Arts, my experiences is that we all reach plateaus in our training. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a hard combative martial art like Karate, Judo...
Traditionally December is our biggest grading of the year and the one that prompts the most nerves as it is also the time for our annual Black Belt gradings. During the course of December we ran three Judo gradings (one at the club and two in schools that we run after...
We recently ran a Kata class for members, it focussed upon a number of key Kata, split by grade and ability and the key principles and concepts within each. Heian Sandan / Heian Yondan / Pinan Godan Although these three kata come from different style, they all cover...
We’ve just finished our last grading of the year with a successful weekend of Karate and Judo gradings. This December grading was also our only Black Belt grading for the year, so the pressure was on for several candidates.We don’t pass people for gradings...
End of Day 2 and just got back to our hotel after dinner, it’s now 21:22 and we started training at 9:00 this morning with Ed and Jess wanting to work through their top two katas for about 90 minutes. We started training outside the local indoor tennis courts and the...
End of the first full day in Caorle in Italy for the Cadets and Junior’s World Karate Championships. Fair to say that the five of us are a little tired. As a recap to yesterday, we arrived in the resort at around 12:30, quick lunch and then training at...
Members of our Karate club from Basingstoke recently attended the Karate Sport England (KSE) National Championships held in Loughborough. The team included both experienced players and novices of all ages. The KSE championships are open to all styles of Karate and it...
Black Belt Grading 2013 Harry van Meerkerk I have been given the topic of Non-verbal communication as my research project for my black belt grading – a) Why are non-verbal communications important to a martial artist b) What non-verbal communications...
With the World Karate Championships coming up in June, Karate England have selected three of our Basingstoke based members to compete for the National All Style Karate Squad. Karate England’s National Coaches Abdu Shaher and Ian Cuthbert have been monitoring...
Our team of Karate exponents from Basingstoke made the short trip to the K2 centre in Crawley for the 22nd British International Karate Open (BIKO) Championships. Pre tournament, Abdu Shaher 8th Dan, the Tournament Director explained that the venue had been chosen to...
Our Martial Arts School based in Basingstoke held a grading on Saturday 8th December with members attending from both our Alton and Basingstoke classes. The grading itself was split into four different groups dependent upon age and ability. This was also one of two...
You’ve got real potential! How many time do we hear this said of ourselves and then then start to feel really proud of our accomplishments because someone has said this to us. For most of us this would be the norm. Why? Because it makes us feel good about...
Our Basingstoke based Martial Arts Academy entered a team of competitors into Karate England’s (Karate’s governing body) National Championships on 30th September in Loughborough. Despite some very experienced and strong opponents against internationals...
I have a dream…. That one day Martial Arts will not be thought of as ‘separate’ Martial Arts, that the politics of structures like Karate, Ju Jitsu, Kung Fu, Taekwondo and Aikido are consigned to history – that Martial Arts will retain it’s diversity without...
At our Judo club in Basingstoke, we encourage members to seek new challenges to develop their skills. This is exactly what one of our members, Gavin Downey, did when he entered the British Judo Association’s British Open Judo Champions in Scotland on 27th...
Taming my tiger – writing my story Taming my tiger – writing my story by Ian Rand Since starting training on the Complete Self Protection Masterclass I have been inspired. Not only by the brilliantly skilled instructors, Al Peasland and Mick Tully, but also by the...
WHAT IS A BLACK BELT? By Harry Cronk age 10 June 2011 A black belt is someone who has good… Stamina Someone who is sensible Someone who concentrates Brave Has good confidence and memory Determination Good listener Has good knowledge about...
Peace is earned, if your mind and emotions are weak, you are more likely to cause violence or respond negatively to it. People that have to respond to violence on a regular basis such as police officers and security personnel are taught to remain calm and to deal...
At the Sport Hampshire and Isle of Wight awards on 23rd March, our Martial Arts Academy from Basingstoke won the prestigious award of ‘Hampshire Sports Club of the Year.’ Katherine Wight, Sarah Godley and Alison Lee from Biscoes, Oliver Andrews on their shoulders,...
