Syllabus Course 28th January

[Tom Hill]

Winchester hosted 2017's first syllabus course.

Sensei Gary shared his work on Empi-kata, while Sensei Tom demonstrated a kata of throws and themes.

I just wanted to take a moment to thanks everyone who attended; training was extremely enthusiastic and I think everyone took something away from the day.

Looking forward to the next one!

[Alan Chappell]

Agreed!

[Luke Bale]

I was a little skeptical before hand as I don't like the idea of making a kata for the sake of it, or amending an existing kata to make it Aiuchi and you end up with something that isn't entirely what we do but also not in touch with the original.

I was pleasantly surprised to see just how much thought had gone into the content despite different approaches.

With the empi kata Gary has really tried to move the existing linear kata into something resembling a striking kata you would see in Karate or Taekwondo, with real attackers and more realistic movement.

Tom's throw kata is really principle driven and is 100% Aiuchi not to mention the practicalities of having something like this to help grades beginners and above in understanding the principles and techniques.

Tom I assume you have your kata in a written format or sequence list? This would be helpful to those who were there and got some of your insight behind the kata so we can work on/practice?

I know you already said no to filming it, my only concern is that some of the throws are quite different from what we've done before, had I not see the kata before and simply read the throw sequence it would end up looking very different. Some instructional clips of principles your trying to put across plus what you are trying to do with the throws (individually not as a kata) I think would be really useful. Ie Sumi Gaeshi, Yoko Guruma looked particularly different to how we normally train.

Also as a kata should be fairly standardized you should film it!

[Tom Hill]

Thanks for taking the time to give feedback Luke.

I have yet to formalize the techniques; and I'm sure you would understand why. What I would hate to see is people reading the names of techniques and then performing them in their own way, without the same context and flow of the techniques; to me a kata is more than a rigid sequence of events.

Like we started the session with: Adapting techniques to make them suitable is absolutely fine if the principles of the technique remain; however performing a technique in a different way because 'that's how you like to do it' or 'I'd never do it like this' is something I want to make sure we avoid because I think it limits our understanding of techniques.

Likewise, I believe standardizing a technique can be equally damaging. I think this is how we end up with the attitudes I listed above. Sometimes kata are described as a 'demo' - which literally means 'from which - I obtain' - I'm extremely happy that you and others were made to think about the techniques and principles taught; I hope that means you've obtained a deeper level of understanding of your own jiujitsu and other people's....even if you said: 'I don't like this bit'.

But don't worry - soon enough these things will be captured in an appropriate means. In the mean time you'll have to visit as many courses as possible

[Luke Bale]

Cheers Tom

And yes I found it brilliantly helpful, just wish I had put more thought into what I was doing earlier on coming up the grades. Far too much going through the motions and 'parrot' approach to learning, simply copying and repeating so your feedback here makes complete sense.

Thanks again

[James Slaughter]

Any idea on where the next syllabus course will be held? I'd like to get flights booked. I'm also planning to come down for the brown/dan grading: two trips south of the wall in one month!!