JNZ 2022 Taupaki Gasshuku

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On August 27th & 28th, members of all ages and grades travelled from the Nelson, Wakefield, and Westport dojos to Jundokan New Zealand's annual gasshuku and dan-grading, held in Taupaki, Auckland.

Saturday saw a review of traditional junbi-undo (preparatory exercises) and hojo-undo (supplementary exercises) before an in-depth look at kata, starting from Gekisai and working up. After lunch, we shared an array of different bunkai ideas for Gekisai and Saifa katas, emphasising the point that there is more than one bunkai for each technique and that we must vary our approach depending on the opponent and situation.

On Sunday, around 15 junior grades joined from the Taupaki dojo to show off their skills in the junior grading.

After lunch, the seniors began their grading, with four members going up for dan grades. After exhibiting their kata and knowledge of bunkai, the following new dan-grades were awarded:

Sho-dan:

  • Amy White

  • Olive Benecki

Ni-Dan:

  • Luke Shirtliff

  • Justin Hart

Every time I come back to NZ I am reminded by our members of the high standard we keep across all dojos at Jundokan New Zealand (and the importance of doing so). I would like to extend my congratulations to the four gradees, as well as to all those who participated in the weekend and made it so great.

In particular, I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Taupaki dojo for putting on the weekend, with a special mention to Julia for all her efforts in the background to ensure the weekend was such a success.

As a final note (in addition to what was said during the weekend), I would like to emphasise the journey of karate. Never is that journey over; nor is it a linear path. No matter how long we’ve been training, or the grade we’ve achieved, we must always remember to train and improve our basics as we look to better our knowledge of advanced techniques. Our understanding of higher kata will never get better if we don’t also continue to practice and perfect the basic kata and bunkai too. On the wall of the Jundokan hangs the phrase 究道無限 (kyūdōmugen), meaning “the road of research is never-ending”. In other words, your training is never-ending, and after this weekend, I can honestly say that I’m excited about the prospect of continuing my training with the kind, generous, and hard-working members of Jundokan New Zealand for many years to come.

JNZ 2020 Dan-Grading

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This weekend, February 15th-16th 2020, the annual Jundokan New Zealand training seminar and official dan-grading was successfully held in Dunedin, New Zealand. Dedicated cohorts of participants travelled from all across the country from each of the Taupaki, Nelson, Wakefield, Wesport and Mosgiel dojos.

Day 1 focussed largely on traditional junbi-undo (preparatory exercises), kaishu-gata (open handed kata, including gekisai, saifa, seiyunchin, shisochin, sanseru, seipai, kururunfa, seisan, and suparinpei), and hojo-undo (supplementary training) with kigu (training tools), including chi-ishi, makiwara, ishi-sashi, nigiri-game, sashi-ishi, tan, kongogen, and take-taba.

Day 2 saw a focus on kihon-gata (fundamental kata) and heishu-gata (closed handed kata) (i.e., sanchin and tensho), various levels of bunkai from shosochin kata, kote-kitae (arm conditioning), san-dan-uke, and an official dan-grading.

A special congratulations to Jennifer Chaddock for earning her ni-dan, and to Andrew Brannen for earning his sho-dan. Both applicants put in an amazing showcase of physical and mental strength preforming kata, bunkai, and kigu (tool) skills, and thoroughly deserved their new grades.

A special thank you to Paul-sensei, Bryan-sensei, and Dave-sensei for their valuable insight and guidance throughout the weekend, to all dojo instructors for their continued support and teaching efforts, and to everyone who came and made the weekend such a great success.

There will be plenty of photos to come soon, so watch this space!

JNZ February 2020 Training Weekend

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Announcement: The JNZ training weekend and official dan-grading will be held in Dunedin in February 2020.

Date: February 15 - 16th, 2020

Location: Kings’ High School Gymnasium (270 Bay View Rd, South Dunedin, Dunedin)

Schedule:

Friday 14th:

Saturday 15th:

  • 9.00am - Morning training starts @ Kings’ High School Gymnasium (270 Bay View Rd) (arrive 30mins beforehand)

  • 12.00pm - Lunch break

  • 12.15pm - JNZ AGM

  • 1pm - Afternoon training starts

  • 4.00pm - Training ends

  • 6.30pm - Group dinner @ The Rope and Twine (67 Macandrew Road)

Sunday 16th:

  • 9.00am - Morning training begins (arrive 30mins beforehand)

  • 12.00pm - Lunch break

  • 1.00pm - Grading starts

  • 3.00pm - Grading ends

There are some restaurants/cafes nearby for lunch, but as you will only have 1 hour, you may want to bring something instead.

Looking forward to seeing everyone then!

Kata & Bunkai Training Westport

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David Low-sensei's Westport dojo hosted a kata and bunkai training weekend for senior Jundokan instructors and members. Those attending were taken through traditional kata and advanced bunkai (oyo) with Paul Allott-sensei from Richmond dojo.

Thank you David for hosting a great weekend training and for your genorous hospitality!

Glen Morgan-sensei (Westport) and Stewart Gutsell-sensei (Timaru) - forground

Glen Morgan-sensei (Westport) and Stewart Gutsell-sensei (Timaru) - forground

Bryan Williams-sensei, Senior Instructor Taupaki Dojo

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Bryan Williams-sensei was canvassed at the door by a Go Kan Ryu (GKR) sales person. Always wishing to be another 'Bruce Lee' Bryan took up training with his daughter in GKR style. He continued training with GKR for approximately 8 years, whereas his daughter lasted on 2 training sessions. Bryan's first sho-dan was achieved in GKR and did learn a lot about karate basics, not so much about karate which came later.

As new awareness crept in that there was far more to karate than competitions, a GKR member did some research and came across Dennis May-sensei. As many as seven people moved across to his dojo, Dennis was then an 8th dan and affiliated to the Okinawa Karate Organisation associated with the Jundokan.

The Organisation and the Jundokan went separate ways and Dennis, with his students followed the Organisation. There became a splinter group from Dennis back to the Jundokan and I have followed that group. The core people have been the foundation of Jundokan New Zealand (our organisation).

Karate exists in a theme of comradely, support and connection. The reason I like being involved in Jundokan New Zealand is that resembles the respect that exists in and amongst the people that comprise the Jundokan in Okinawa.

Involvement in karate is not so much the skills and ability that manifest from training but the internal strength and resilience that grows within. My experience to share is that I think i'm a better person because of my karate involvement.

Bryan Williams-sensei

Andrew Paxton-sensei, senior instructor Wakefield dojo

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This is the second in the series of the ‘JNZ Instructor Profiles’ and highlights Andrew Paxton-sensei, originally from Scotland.

Andrew commenced his karate training in 1983 with the (Scottish) Borders Shotokan karate clubs, an affiliate of the Karate Union of Great Britain (KUGB) under George Milburn-sensei and his cousin Jim Paxton-sensei.

He trained with George until 1986 when he moved south, over the border and continued for a further 5 years in a Shotokan/Goju-ryu blend of karate. After moving again , Andrew rejoined with KUGB and was graded to sho-dan under Andy Sherry-sensei in 1999. He then moved to New Zealand in 2001 and dabbled with a couple of local dojos which he felt didn’t quite fit and therefore continued to train himself in his garage. In 2008 he started an independent dojo in Wakefield concentrating on the Goju-ryu aspects that he had learned previously in the UK.

Andrew enjoys the family feel of JNZ where there are no pretensions, delusions of grandeur or over inflated egos. “We genuinely do train as brothers and sisters in karate”.

Over the past 34 years Andrew remembers many experiences noting having trained with KUGB legends. His first grading under Bob Poyntin-sensei, "his attention to detail and mastery of his own body are second to none and have been my yardstick ever since. Billy Higgins-sensei was a scrapper, his self-defence combinations always seemed to include a head butt in there somewhere. Bob Rhodes-sensei is the epitome of what can be gained from hard training. Frank Brennan-sensei was amazing, I remember him demonstrating a front leg mawashi geri on me. I felt his foot land softly on the side of my head but he was so fast that I didn’t see him move. Andy Sherry-sensei, fast, sharp, tough and uncompromising. I’ve also had the pleasure of training with Enoeda-sensei and Kase-ensei, both great men".

"My own teaching style is very relaxed but demanding, it’s not the first time I have overheard someone saying, 'I like training with Andrew, he makes me do it right'. However, my aim is to get you to make yourself do it right”.

 

Andrew Paxton-sensei

Andrew Paxton-sensei

Paul Henley-sensei, senior instructor Richmond dojo

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Jundokan New Zealand will be running a series of ‘JNZ instructor profiles' who make up our organisation over the coming months. To start the profile series off, we would like to introduce Richmond dojo senior instructor Paul Henley-sensei.

Paul started his karate training 33 years ago at the age of 19 with SEKU (South of England Karate Union), a Shotokan ryu,  under instructors Dave Hazard-sensei and Mick Dewey-sensei. At that time Paul was training at least 5 days each week, as he stated “because I didn’t have a life”. Five years later he moved out to Auckland, New Zealand and continued his training with Percy Shepherd-sensei until the Shotokan dojo closed. He joined up with Japan Karate Association (JKA) under instructor Cooper Drent-sensei and was promoted to ni-dan in 1999.

Paul always had an interest in Goju Ryu and particularly enjoyed Goju’s 'hojo-undo' (supplementary training). It was then he commenced his training under instructor Denis May-sensei until his move to Nelson. He continues to train in Goju Ryu with Paul Allott in Richmond and enjoys the friendly and not so regimented training with like-minded JNZ instructors.

Paul has a wicked sense of humour so don’t be surprised by his Pommy wit!

Paul henley-sensei

Paul henley-sensei