Change is the only constant in Life ...

It's been an interesting year ... and in parts, a sad one.

Sensei Ed Starks, Sandan,  Chief Instructor at Bristol Shotokan Karate Club passed away towards the end of 2013.  Ed trained hard and taught hard, the old way.  He inspired me to push myself and give my all when training.

Sensei Ed Starks - 3rd Dan

When I train with my current Sensei I am often reminded of the drills that Ed used to put us through ... something that's been lacking in some the dojos that I've trained with since moving back to the East Midlands.  Ed fought hard against long term battle with cancer.  His passing leaves a gap in the Karate world ... I hope that his Spirit is at peace now.

There were tremendous problems with being able to grade some of my students when I started my dojo up.  When you consider that there were only five students eligible to grade last year, it was a little off putting to be told, 'There's no room for your students to grade with us', by the other two KUGB dojos in Nottingham - without even finding out how many students wanted to grade.  I remember when we used to grade with Sensei Ohta in Plymouth.  Every Karateka that turned up from Devon and Cornwall was graded.

Sensei Simon Oliver and Sensei Terry O'Neill stepped in to help us and facilitated our grading.  Sensei Bob Rhodes also offered to help.  I will be forever grateful for their help and guidance.  I miss the presence of  Sensei Enoeda and Sensei Ohta.

I started training with Sensei Oliver last year and it felt like I had gone back to real Karate, real values.  No politics were at play  - you're assessed purely on the effort that you put into your Karate ... just like the old days at Bristol and, before that, Newquay.  After the year of politics in the KUGB, it's been a welcome change.

Sensei Oliver has since accepted me as an under-study.  I run Meiyo Karate Club as one of his Assistant Instructors.

Sensei Simon Oliver  - 6th Dan

Meiyo Shotokan Karate Club has changed it's name and affiliation as of 2014.  We are now Meiyo Karate Club ... and we are affiliated to the JKR-UK under Sensei Simon Oliver.  We now only train on Sunday mornings, owing to my other commitments, but our students have the flexible option of training at Sensei Oliver's dojo too to qualify for their gradings.  It's simplified matters.  Meiyo Karate club still doesn't charge any club membership fee, our gradings are £18 per person and includes a training course, the grading fee, certificate and obi ... and our examiner is on our doorstep.

Sensei Oliver has kindly provided insurance cover for all existing club members until October 2014.  So if you have a valid KUGB (or other) licence - you're covered for the JKR-UK member-to-member insurance.  You'll have to apply for a JKR-UK licence in October which will run from December to December.  If you wish to continue training or start training with this dojo, I need to provide Sensei with a list of your names ASAP - make sure I have your full details and licence number.

The JKR-UK licence fee is currently £32 (including a record book) and £27 per year for renewals.  All existing ex KUGB club members will only have to pay £27 for their new record book.

The Sunday sessions run in the following way:

09:45 - 10:30 Beginners and white belts
10:30 - 11:30 All grades
11:30 - 12:00 Remedial session

The dojo address is:
Bestwood Estate Community Centre
Gainsford Crescent
Bestwood Estate
Nottingham
NG5 5HT (Correct postcode for Sat Navs - Look for black railings as you crest the hill.  There is a car park behind the building).

Click the links for our Dojo Website, Facebook and Twitter pages.

Fees:
Kids £2.50
Adults £4.00
Concessions £3.50
Family rate - minimum three family members training together - youngest trains free (These fees only apply to Meiyo KC).

For more information about the JKR-UK and their other training times and venues - please click here.


If you'd like any more information, use one of the links above and get in touch.

Regards

Villayat 'Wolf' Sunkmanitu
Assistant Instructor, Shodan.
Meiyo Karate Club

Overcoming personal hurdles ... physically and mentally ...

Lots of people face hurdles in their Karate lives, physically and mentally. 

A while ago I remember teaching some advice workers about disability.  Many of them weren't aware of the link between physical and mental health.  Many medical practitioners view them as very separate areas of medicine.  How can they be?

If you live with a mental illness and it affects your ability to get out and do things (Eg work and play etc), over a period of time, the mental illness will impact your physical health because the lack of movement etc will affect your cardio-vascular system, your stamina and your ability to withstand certain illnesses, as well as causing reduced functions in your limbs (decreased walking distances etc).

If you develop a physical disability that stops you doing things that you previously enjoyed, it may lead to mental health conditions such as depression and perhaps stress related illnesses.  The link between stress and heart conditions is well known.

I live with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Chronic Pain in parts of my body.  I have to be very careful and very aware of the needs of my mind, body and spirit.  There are times when I have to stop training for a week in order to allow the pain levels to lessen a little to allow me to get back into the dojo.  I've learnt to be flexible and kind to myself; to do what I can, when I can ... but it can be a difficult balancing act. 

I know of Karateka that have worse issues than mine to deal with and they carry on fighting the fight within and training at their various dojos; doing what they can, when they can, around the limitations of their disabilities.

Why continue doing something like Karate that can be so taxing?

Exercise decreases stress hormones and increases endorphins.  Endorphins are defined as hormone-like substances that are produced in the brain and function as the body’s natural painkillers.  During exercise, these endorphins are released, and this can produce feelings of euphoria and a general state of well-being.  The endorphins produced can be so powerful that they actually mask pain.

Endorphins are chemicals released through exercise, that boost your mood naturally. Exercise also releases adrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine.  These chemicals work together to make you feel good. 

Karate goes further though.  It's more than physical exercise.  It's a way of life.  There's as much to learn outside the dojo as there is within.  It's not just a martial art.  As a system it looks after the mind, body and spirit ... and once your feet have found it  - really found it ... it's a hard path to leave.  I'm sure the same can be said of other well established martial arts around the world.

If you have any sort of health problems, pop into your nearest dojo and have a confidential chat with the Sensei (teacher) there and assess them.  If you feel that they understand disability issues and can be flexible toward you ... start training with them.  If you feel uncomfortable with them, go and see a different Sensei until you find one that will accommodate you.

If you're in the Nottingham area, please feel free to pop in to either of our venues for an informal chat before or after the lessons:

Wednesdays 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Snape Wood Community Association
Snape Wood Road
Bulwell
Nottingham
NG6 7GH
Tel 0115 975 3299


Fridays 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Sundays 10:00am - 11:30am
Bestwood Estate Community Centre
Gainsford Crescent
Bestwood Estate
Nottingham
NG5 5HT
Tel 0115 976 2391

All the best,

Villayat 'Wolf' Sunkmanitu
Meiyo Shotokan Karate Club

A new beginning?

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where things sometime things just happen?  It's as if an external player is rolling the dice and you're a piece being moved on a huge board.

That's how I see the events of the last few months.  Some of it has been very stressful ... some of it painful - emotionally and physically.

After achieving Shodan (the first degree of Black Belt in Shotokan Karate) last year with the Karate Union of Great Britain (KUGB), I had no designs on anything other than starting a gentle journey towards Nidan (the next Dan grade).  I was being encouraged by my former Sensei to push forward in two other directions:  To gain my Instructor's Qualification and to become a Judge for KUGB Karate competitions.  I didn't object to either suggestion and followed my Sensei's recommendations.

I thought about both of the options and weighed the cost and commitment concerned to both.  Being an Instructor is beneficial because teaching helps me in a few ways:  It helps to keep the Kata and basics from 9th Kyu to 1st Dan fresh in my mind ... which will help me cope with my memory disability and it will help me to continually examine and break down those basic techniques of Karate that we should always be practising and improving upon.  As for being a judge, my former Sensei suggested it as a way of staying connected to the KUGB should my physical injuries make it impossible for me to continue training in the future.

I passed my Instructor's qualification in December 2012 and have started to train people.  I decided on a model of operation that would help local communities generate some income into local projects and cut out the pressure of meeting a financial target for myself with regards to hiring a venue.  Meiyo SKC is a Not-for-Profit company and has started operating in Bestwood Estate and Bulwell, Nottingham.  Originally we had started training at a venue that was closer to the City but the venue had heating problems that undermined Health & Safety guidelines.

Last night, on the 29 March 2013, we started our first committee meeting and we now have a ratified constitution, elected officers and warm venues.  It's a good start.

If you have an interest in Karate or are curious as to whether you'd enjoy the experience, please come along to one of our training sessions and have a go.

It's all systems go ... at Meiyo.

Villayat 'Wolf' Sunkmanitu