The first session benefitted from having several higher grades who were ‘doing the double’ – that is to say training in both sessions. Accordingly the atmosphere was positive and conducive to good development. The class consisted of senior adult dan grades at the one end and junior white belts at the other, but all were put through their paces in a non-stop first 30 minutes. We worked on basics: punching and kicking using routines directly from the grading syllabus or derivatives thereof.
The last phase of the session Becky Cassapi worked with the junior novices on kihon kata, the rest of the cohort worked on grading katas. The black belts (by special request) went through the detail in the kata Hangetsu.
The 7pm session began with skipping during which the suggestion was made that the kata training to follow should be approached with the same intensity of attitude as kumite – which was to follow that!
Everyone worked on Kanku Dai, Enpi and Jion. We then donned mits and gumshields and immersed ourselves in multiple rounds of kumite. Everyone fought everyone.
The session was brought to a conclusion with the brown belts performing Bassai Dai and the black belts Nijushiho with the intensity of the preceeding kumite.
15 members trained in the 6.15pm session: Jacob Gracie; Willy Astleigh; Thomas; Izzy Ponsonby; George Coates; Jonathan Osborne; Paul Osborne; Frank Dennis; Steve Cassapi; Harry Heather; Alex Heather; Kerry Lee; Gobe Hobona; Myles Ponsonby.
Assistant instructor: Becky Cassapi
10 members trained in the 7pm session: Becky Cassapi; Steve Cassapi; Ryan Skilton; Darren Cockburn; Rachel Tyler; Tom Ludlow; Audrius Mickalauskas; Kerry Lee; Gobe Hobona.
SOUTH NOTTS KARATE 