New Training Times

From Monday 14th March our training times will change.The new times are as follows:

Kids Class - 6:15 - 7:15
Early Class - 6:15 - 7:15
Main Class - 7:15 - 9:15

visit www.haxbykarate.co.uk to find out more about our Club. For more information email info@haxbykarate.co.uk


Haxby Karate Kids is part of Haxby Shotokan Karate Club, Wigginton Recreation Hall, The Village, Haxby, York, YO32 2PL www.haxbykarate.co.uk

Holly gets her 2nd Dan

Haxby Shotokan Karate Club are celebrating after one of their junior members achieved a milestone in their karate journey. Holly Bamford, aged 16, attended a JKS karate course held on the 25th October in Nottingham under the watchful eye of Alan Campbell 6th Dan, Chief Instructor of JKS England and two other Senior 6th Dans.


After three hours of intensive group training Holly had to wait while many other students attempted to grade to their next level. Fellow Club member Elizabeth Massey and Sensei Mike Gude, Chief Instructor at Haxby Shotokan Karate Club, after completing three hours training, sat down to watch Holly take her grading. Holly was last to be called to be assessed on her 2nd Dan examination. Her nerves were visible at the beginning but her performance obviously impressed the examination panel because she was finally rewarded with the rank of 2nd Dan. All the club members and Instructors are extremely proud of Holly's example and dedication because this is the culmination of over 8 years of hard work.


Holly’s achievement is the latest success for the Club who have had many students achieve their black belt goals over the last 3 years. In 2013 two club members were awarded their 1st Dan. In 2014 five students achieved their 1st Dan and Club Founder member and Senior Instructor, Ian Shaw, was awarded his 4th Dan. This year as well as Holly achieving her 2nd Dan, 3 Club members were awarded their 1st Dan and their Chief Instructor, Sensei Mike Gude was awarded his 6th Dan.

Holly back at the Club training

Anyone interested in finding out more about the Club is welcome to pop down to one of our training sessions held at Wigginton Recreation Hall on Monday and Thursdays, 6.30pm to 7.30pm for ages 5 to 8 and 7pm – 9pm for adults and kids age 8 and above. See www.haxbykarate.co.uk or phone 0758 324 9115 for more details.

Haxby Karate Kids 6.30pm to 7.30pm Monday and Thursday ONLY £10 a month. Haxby Karate Kids is part of Haxby Shotokan Karate Club, Wigginton Recreation Hall, The Village, Haxby, York, YO32 2PL www.haxbykarate.co.uk

Change of Venue and Training Times

Monday's (5th October) training session will be held at Ralph Butterfield Primary School, Station Road, Haxby, YO32 3LS.  Training times are 6pm - 7pm for Haxby Karate Kids and 7pm - 9pm for the main class.

Click here for a location map of the school.

Haxby Karate Kids 6.30pm to 7.30pm Monday and Thursday ONLY £10 a month. Haxby Karate Kids is part of Haxby Shotokan Karate Club, Wigginton Recreation Hall, The Village, Haxby, York, YO32 2PL www.haxbykarate.co.uk

Family Fun Day

Join us at our annual family fun day. There will be lots of activities including inflatables, Soak-A-Shodan (where you get to throw wet sponges at a black belt) free karate class, smoothie bike and refreshments. Entry is free with a small charge for refreshments. Profits raised from the sale of refreshments will be split between SNAPPY (a charity that provides social and recreational opportunities for children and young people with special needs in the York area) and Haxby Karate Kids. So if you want to join in the fun, eat lots of cake and get a black belt wet whilst raising money for charity then pop along to Wigginton Recreation Hall, The Village, Haxby on Saturday 6th June from 1pm to 3pm.


Haxby Karate Kids 6.30pm to 7.30pm Monday and Thursday ONLY £10 a month. Haxby Karate Kids is part of Haxby Shotokan Karate Club, Wigginton Recreation Hall, The Village, Haxby, York, YO32 2PL www.haxbykarate.co.uk

Sensei Mike Gude is awarded his 6th Dan

7th March 2015 was a long anticipated date for some members of the club (and for some members of our extended ‘karate family’) not only because it was the Spring Seminar with JKS World Chief Instructor Masao Kagawa Shihan, but because it was the date of Mike Sensei’s grading!

With his usual self effacing style Mike Sensei had tried to keep his preparation as low key as possible. However I think that a lot of people noticed him practicing some of the more advanced Kata and wondered what was going on.

Mike Sensei had already trained on the Friday night - gruelling session focussing on kicking and Ura Mawashi Geri in particular, but seemed focussed and ready for anything when Lorraine Sensei, Holly (B) and I arrived on the Saturday morning.

As you would expect with an instructor of Kagawa Shihan’s calibre the training was superb. Particularly useful was covering all the Heian and Junro Kata and pulling out key teaching points.

Mike Sensei was looking nervous at times, and I must admit that some of us took great delight in repeating to him the advice he had been giving us over the years when we were faced with our own gradings!

As might be expected Mike Sensei was the last to be called up for his grading, after a seemingly endless wait. However from the first move of his chosen Kata – Unsu – any thoughts that his nerves might get the better of him were instantly removed. He gave such a strong, focussed and powerful performance that he got a spontaneous round of applause from everyone watching – something that I have experienced seen at any grading I have seen. I think those of us that were watching looked more nervous waiting for Kagawa Shian to announce his next Kata – after all he could choose any of Shotokan Kata include any of the Junro Katas, that’s over 30 to choose from! However when he announced Hangetsu I think we all breathed a sigh of relief – it is one of Mike Sensei’s favourites. And again he gave an assured and skilful performance.

We were a little unsure what was to happen next. Mike Sensei had been asked to prepare a Thesis on some aspect of karate, and we were not sure if that would be taken in place of Kumite, or if he would have one or more Kumite bouts. Kagawa Shihan requested that Mike Sensei pick a section of his Thesis and demonstrate his viewpoint – as the Thesis was concerned with Kumite he ended up performing Jyu Ippon Kumite with Craig Williams Sensei from Siebukan.

Although there was little doubt in our minds as to the eventual result it was great relief when it was announced that he had successfully graded to Rokudan (6th Dan).

Mike Sensei with Kagawa Shihan

I am sure that I speak for all of our club members (and the many friends that Mike Sensei has in the Karate Community) when I say how proud we are of Mike Sensei. This was a well deserved result, and one that he had worked hard for. Not only that Mike Sensei has devoted many years to helping countless people on their karate journey, he never asks for thanks, never demands recognition or special treatment, and often has let his own training suffer for the good of the club or the development of a student. This is a reflection of the many years he has devoted to his karate journey and hid dedication to the art.

Congratulations Sensei

OSU!

visit www.haxbykarate.co.uk to find out more about our Club. For more information email info@haxbykarate.co.uk

Haxby Karate Kids 6.30pm to 7.30pm Monday and Thursday ONLY £10 a month. Haxby Karate Kids is part of Haxby Shotokan Karate Club, Wigginton Recreation Hall, The Village, Haxby, York, YO32 2PL www.haxbykarate.co.uk

Beginners Class - 8th January

If you have made a New Year’s resolution to get fit or lose weight then why not give karate a go. Karate is a fantastic way to keep fit, increase flexibility and improve self-confidence no matter what your age, size or fitness level. Haxby Shotokan Karate Club is encouraging anyone wanting to give karate a go to come along to their beginners’ course starting on the 8th January costing only £10. The course is held on Mondays and Thursdays from 7.30pm to 9pm at Wigginton Recreation Hall, The Village, Haxby and is suitable for all levels age 14 and above. Anyone wanting to join the karate club after completing the course will receive a year’s free Club membership. To book a place or to find out more email info@haxbykarate.co.uk or call 0758 324 9115

visit www.haxbykarate.co.uk to find out more about our Club. For more information email info@haxbykarate.co.uk

Haxby Karate Kids 6.30pm to 7.30pm Monday and Thursday ONLY £10 a month. Haxby Karate Kids is part of Haxby Shotokan Karate Club, Wigginton Recreation Hall, The Village, Haxby, York, YO32 2PL www.haxbykarate.co.uk

Dojo's Friend

As Usual Dojo had a tough job deciding who he should go home with. There were a couple of karate kids in the running but he had been watching closely and it had come down to the very finest details which made up his mind for Octobers friend.
Dojo decided that he would go home with Alex.

Alex started with us in in August and I'll always remember that first day. He bounced in like Tigger talking at a hundred miles an hour. His sunny disposition and his cheeky smile make him easy to teach even though his Tiggerish tendencies can sometimes get him into trouble. Alex impressed us all with his maturing attitude and everyone has mentioned how well he has settled down and has become more focused.  I look forward to February and to his first grading which I'm sure he will pass with flying colours.

Haxby Karate Kids 6.30pm to 7.30pm Monday and Thursday ONLY £10 a month. Haxby Karate Kids is part of Haxby Shotokan Karate Club, Wigginton Recreation Hall, The Village, Haxby, York, YO32 2PL www.haxbykarate.co.uk

Dojo's Friend

This winner for the month of September was no surprise. His dedication, determination and pure effort ensured that Dojo would not be going home with anyone else......
Well done William!

 

William had trained really hard to prepare himself for his 10th to 9th Kyu grading. Attending every lesson and really listening to tips and pointers to help him with his training.

William passed with flying colours. In fact, everyone mentioned that William's grading was of a high standard and he out performed other red belts who were older......remembering that he is only 6!

 

Well done to William and all the karate kids for an excellent grading. Osu







Haxby Karate Kids 6.30pm to 7.30pm Monday and Thursday ONLY £10 a month. Haxby Karate Kids is part of Haxby Shotokan Karate Club, Wigginton Recreation Hall, The Village, Haxby, York, YO32 2PL www.haxbykarate.co.uk

Change of Venue - 13th October

Monday's (13th October) training session will be held at Ralph Butterfield Primary School, Station Road, Haxby, YO32 3LS.  Training times are 6pm - 7pm for Haxby Karate Kids and 7pm - 9pm for the main class.

Click here for a location map of the school.


Haxby Karate Kids 6.30pm to 7.30pm Monday and Thursday ONLY £10 a month. Haxby Karate Kids is part of Haxby Shotokan Karate Club, Wigginton Recreation Hall, The Village, Haxby, York, YO32 2PL www.haxbykarate.co.uk

Change of Venue and Times - 29th September

Monday's (29th September) training session will be held at Ralph Butterfield Primary School, Station Road, Haxby, YO32 3LS.  Training times are 6pm - 7pm for Haxby Karate Kids and 7pm - 9pm for the main class.

Click here for a location map of the school.
visit www.haxbykarate.co.uk to find out more about our Club. For more information email info@haxbykarate.co.uk

Haxby Karate Kids 6.30pm to 7.30pm Monday and Thursday ONLY £10 a month. Haxby Karate Kids is part of Haxby Shotokan Karate Club, Wigginton Recreation Hall, The Village, Haxby, York, YO32 2PL www.haxbykarate.co.uk

Change of Venue -15th September

Monday's (15th September) training session will be held at Ralph Butterfield Primary School, Station Road, Haxby, YO32 3LS.  Training times are 6pm - 7pm for Haxby Karate Kids and 7pm - 9pm for the main class.

Click here for a location map of the school.

Haxby Karate Kids 6.30pm to 7.30pm Monday and Thursday ONLY £10 a month. Haxby Karate Kids is part of Haxby Shotokan Karate Club, Wigginton Recreation Hall, The Village, Haxby, York, YO32 2PL www.haxbykarate.co.uk

August Training Times

During August there are a few changes to our training times:

• Monday August 11th - No training 
• Monday 14th August to, and including, 21st August the karate kids class will start at 7pm and finish at 8pm. There is no change to the main class training times. 
• Monday 25th August, Bank Holiday, no training 

Training times will be back to normal from Thursday 28th August

visit www.haxbykarate.co.uk to find out more about our Club. For more information email info@haxbykarate.co.uk

Haxby Karate Kids 6.30pm to 7.30pm Monday and Thursday ONLY £10 a month. Haxby Karate Kids is part of Haxby Shotokan Karate Club, Wigginton Recreation Hall, The Village, Haxby, York, YO32 2PL www.haxbykarate.co.uk

Dojo's Friend

Dojo's friend for June was......

  Harry.

 

 

Some people may overlook Harry because he's quiet and unassuming and blends into the background.  To be honest.......he's not!  What many do not realise, is that Harry is a bit like a undercover super agent.
He takes everything in, listens carefully and explodes into motion when you're not expecting it, taking people by surprise.

Harry graded for the first time in June, and since he hasn't been with us for very long, he gave a fantastic account of himself making both his parents and instructors proud of his accomplishment.

Well done Harry.

Haxby Karate Kids 6.30pm to 7.30pm Monday and Thursday ONLY £10 a month. Haxby Karate Kids is part of Haxby Shotokan Karate Club, Wigginton Recreation Hall, The Village, Haxby, York, YO32 2PL www.haxbykarate.co.uk

Dojo's Friend

Dojo's friend for the month of May was Edwin. He was awarded Dojo for being the most Improved student.

Edwin only started with us on the 27th March, at the grand old age of......4! I must admit being slightly nervous as I normally wont allow children under the age of 5. However since I know him from school ,I knew that he was capable of standing still and  listening also his older brother was already a member of the club.
It is a decision that I'm glad I made.  He has been an absolute pleasure to train and has sometimes put the older ones to shame with his quickness at picking up moves and techniques. In fact he did so well that only 3 months after he started, he was put in for his first grading ! But that story is for another post.

Haxby Karate Kids 6.30pm to 7.30pm Monday and Thursday ONLY £10 a month. Haxby Karate Kids is part of Haxby Shotokan Karate Club, Wigginton Recreation Hall, The Village, Haxby, York, YO32 2PL www.haxbykarate.co.uk

Change of Venue - 23rd June

Monday's (23rd June) training session will be held at Ralph Butterfield Primary School, Station Road, Haxby, YO32 3LS.  Training times are 6pm - 7pm for Haxby Karate Kids and 7pm - 9pm for the main class.

Click here for a location map of the school.

Haxby Karate Kids 6.30pm to 7.30pm Monday and Thursday ONLY £10 a month. Haxby Karate Kids is part of Haxby Shotokan Karate Club, Wigginton Recreation Hall, The Village, Haxby, York, YO32 2PL www.haxbykarate.co.uk

Dojo's Adventures

Some fantastic pictures of Dojo's time spent with Sam.

Sam decided that Dojo needed flying lessons and he was just the person to sort it out! Talk about, (in the famous words of  Woody from Toy Story)"Reach to the skies," these days the highest Dojo can get is the cookie jar an the coffee table.

Those pilots look awefully young Dojo! Are you sure you're in the right place ?























Haxby Karate Kids 6.30pm to 7.30pm Monday and Thursday ONLY £10 a month. Haxby Karate Kids is part of Haxby Shotokan Karate Club, Wigginton Recreation Hall, The Village, Haxby, York, YO32 2PL www.haxbykarate.co.uk

Dojo's Friend

Dojo's friend for April was Aiwin

Aiwin started training with us in October last year. He always listens very closely to instructions and is always quick to raise his hand when answers are needed.  Lately his little brother has joined the karate kids and, rather than be distracted, is always there to help but doesn't get distracted. Aiwin will be grading soon and hopefully the next photograph will be of him wearing a coloured belt.





Haxby Karate Kids 6.30pm to 7.30pm Monday and Thursday ONLY £10 a month. Haxby Karate Kids is part of Haxby Shotokan Karate Club, Wigginton Recreation Hall, The Village, Haxby, York, YO32 2PL www.haxbykarate.co.uk

Selby Competition 4th May 2014

A report by Ian Massey

Fifteen members of Haxby Shotokan Karate Club competed at the Selby Shotokan Karate Club’s Novice Competition this year, making the slightly shorter than usual trip to York College. This venue seemed bigger than the gym at Barlby High School, meaning that the various categories could be comfortably split across three tatami and, even with competitors and supporters from at least eight clubs (testament to the popularity of this well-run competition), it didn’t feel as crowded as usual, even if it was hard to keep up with what was happening on each of the mats.

Open to competitors of all ages and grades, up to those who have been a 1^st Dan for less than a year, the event itself lies somewhere between the Children’s Competition and the JKS Nationals. It is a bit more relaxed than the Nationals and judges, especially those officiating the youngest age categories (in which many of the children would be competing for the first time), took special care to explain all the rules and what was expected of the competitors even, at times, joking with the children in an effort to keep them relaxed. All the kata events were mixed, with only the Over 16 category split by grade. In kumite, Under 9’s and Under 12’s were mixed, the rest split into male and female and, again, the Over 16’s split by grade. In some ways, this meant better matched competitions – splitting by age meant little variance in height – but, in others, it was possible to have pairings separated by many grades. In most cases, however, individual bouts were good-natured and spirited although, as would be expected, kumite increased in intensity with the age of the competitors.

Evie doing Heian Shodan

Under 9 Mixed Kata:

Haxby had four competitors in this category. Edward, Xander and Oliver were all given Heian Shodan for their first round kata but didn’t manage to progress. Evie, however, started with Kihon Kata and won through to the second round. Sadly, what seemed to be a slight hesitation during her second round Heian Shodan saw her lose to a 6^th kyu.

Under 12 Mixed Kata:

Elizabeth being awarded her Medal

Elizabeth, taking part for the last time in this competition, was Haxby’s sole representative in this event. With a bye into the second round, she was up first against a 4^th kyu, performing Heian Godan and winning 4:1. She managed the same score with Heian Shodan in the next round, this time against a red belt. It was a closer affair in fourth round as, up against a 1^st kyu and performing Heian Yondan, she went through to the semi-final with a score of 3:2. It was getting serious now and, choosing Basai Dai as her semi-final kata, she went through to the final with a unanimous win. Again she chose Basai Dai, with her 1^st kyu opponent choosing Heian Yondan. This time the unanimous score went against here, but Elizabeth had secured Haxby’s first medal of the afternoon – a silver.

Under 17 Mixed Kata:

Joe finishing Heian Shodan

Meanwhile, this event was going on further down the hall and, because I was concentrating on Elizabeth, I missed quite a bit of the detail. I did see Joseph lose his first round Heian Shodan. Given it was against a 1^st kyu, there was no shame in that. Adam and Jonathan both progressed to the second round, but were then knocked out by the eventual bronze and silver medallists. Tom Fisher also progressed to the second round where the draw saw him up against fellow Haxby member Katherine who had, I think, surprised even herself by beating a brown belt 3:2 in the first round. Tom’s victory over Katherine saw him into the last eight, where he was up against and lost to a 4^th kyu.

Over 16 Mixed Kata (Beginner to 3^rd Kyu):

Colin was our only representative in this event. He succumbed in the first round, his Heian Neidan losing 3:2 to a 5^th kyu.

Over 16 Mixed Kata (2^nd Kyu and above):

Dael suffered a similar fate in this category. Competing against a 3^rd kyu, his Heian Neidan wasn’t enough to see him progress.

Family Kata:

Colin and Dexter were competing in this event and moved into the second round with an unopposed Heian Shodan. If anything they were even tighter performing the same kata in the second round but, unfortunately, their opponents were judged to be better.

Colin and Dexter did a great job of Family Kata

Under 9 Mixed Kumite:

Edward resting between bouts

For me, this event saw Haxby’s performance of the day. Edward looked to be progressing nicely, having already beaten an orange belt by two points to nil and a 6^th kyu by the same score, despite being given a warning for contact in that bout. His third bout was against a 5^th kyu and, from the start Edward was pushing him back and looking good. Unfortunately, with no score on the board, Edward received a hard punch to the face. Medics were called, more to give comfort than treatment, and for a while it looked as though he was going to continue. Ultimately, however, he decided not to continue. Well done to him for getting as far as he did, though.

Under 12 Mixed Kumite:

Still flushed with her earlier success, Elizabeth had a bye into the second round and looked to be fighting nicely – on the attack against a 4^th kyu and looking strong. Unfortunately, her defence let her down and she took two quick hits to lose the bout.

U17 Male Kumite:

Tom looking confident in his Kumite

Adam’s first round bout was against a 6^th kyu and his opponent was first to score, then received a warning for contact. Unfortunately, this didn’t stop him from scoring again and bringing to an end Adam’s competition.

Jonathan was also up against a 6^th kyu and his opponent also received a warning for contact. There was no score at the end of this bout so it went to sudden death and Jonathan won with a punch to the body. His next bout was against a 2^nd kyu, who scored first and rounded off the fight with a very quick second point.

Tom’s first round bout was against a 3^rd kyu and Tom took the first point with a head shot. Medics were called to his opponent but, again, no treatment was necessary and he decided to carry on. Tom was always on the attack, perhaps a little overzealously, and received two warnings for contact. Unfazed, he scored a second point and progressed to the next round where, up against a 6^th kyu, he lost the first point. Soon, both competitors were being spoken to about their techniques, after which Tom pulled a point back, before losing the deciding point.

O16 Kumite - Male (Beginner to 3^rd Kyu):

Gareth’s first round bout was against a 4^th kyu and, despite a valiant attempt, the disparity in grades went against him as he lost 2:0.

O16 Kumite – Male (2^nd Kyu and above):

With just four people entered into this competition, we had been joking that Dael was guaranteeing to win Haxby’s second medal of the day. When it was announced that one competitor had dropped out, that guarantee became reality and the only thing to be decided was the colour of the medal. This event was fought as a round robin, with each competitor fighting the other, rather than a knockout event. Dael was up first, against Scott from Selby. Scott received a warning for contact before scoring the first point. Dael seemed to be taking some hits but fought through them to take the next two points and the bout. After a short rest, Scott was back on and won this bout, against a 2^nd kyu, 2:0. The 2^nd kyu then fought Dael, who took another punch to the face before scoring the first point. His opponent, though, took the next two points, winning the bout.

There then followed some discussion between the judges as all three competitors had won one bout. Counting up points scored showed that Dael and Scott had both scored three while the third competitor had only scored two, putting him in the bronze medal position. In the audience, we expected Dael, who had won his bout with Scott to be awarded gold, but the judges announced that they were to fight again. This time Scott took the fight 2:0, leaving Dael to take home silver.

The 2014 Haxby Squad

visit www.haxbykarate.co.uk to find out more about our Club. For more information email info@haxbykarate.co.uk
Haxby Karate Kids 6.30pm to 7.30pm Monday and Thursday ONLY £10 a month. Haxby Karate Kids is part of Haxby Shotokan Karate Club, Wigginton Recreation Hall, The Village, Haxby, York, YO32 2PL www.haxbykarate.co.uk

Ian Shaw is awarded his 4th Dan

An article appeared in The Press on April 2014 about Ian Shaw being awarded his 4th Dan.  The article can also be viewed on The Press website

With kind permission from The Press (www.yorkpress.co.uk)

Haxby Karate Kids 6.30pm to 7.30pm Monday and Thursday ONLY £10 a month. Haxby Karate Kids is part of Haxby Shotokan Karate Club, Wigginton Recreation Hall, The Village, Haxby, York, YO32 2PL www.haxbykarate.co.uk

Dojo's Friend

Dojo's Friend for March was Sam.

All I can say is....wow, wow, wow!

Sam has been awarded Dojo before( in October).  However this is a very different Sam we see before us now.  I count in english.......I hear him counting in Japanese, I ask a question.... Sam gives me the correct answer and explains why, I ask everyone to make sure they're stood still and listening.......he is already doing just that!

Sam has blown, both myself and Dojo, away with his dedication, commitment and growing maturity. He is a totally different young man who first entered our Dojo in July last year.

I couldn't be prouder of Sam and look forward to the next grading, where I'm sure, all his hard work will pay off, with the receiving of a coloured belt.

Haxby Karate Kids 6.30pm to 7.30pm Monday and Thursday ONLY £10 a month. Haxby Karate Kids is part of Haxby Shotokan Karate Club, Wigginton Recreation Hall, The Village, Haxby, York, YO32 2PL www.haxbykarate.co.uk