We’re proud to announce that our chief instructor Chris Denwood has been nominated and selected for the National Blitz Heroes Award!
This recognition is to acknowledge the work E.S.K.K Martial Arts & Fitness have been doing during the current COVID-19 restrictions, to provide a comprehensive virtual training package and interactive platform to keep our community healthy, active and connected together. We’d like to thank Alison for the kind nomination, plus all our members and parents for their support over the past few weeks. We are indeed fortunate to be surrounded by such amazing people!
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Well, the last few weeks have been incredibly challenging for not only everyone here in the UK, but for people all around the World. The Coronavirus has been spreading quickly and striking regularly, causing individuals we may know personally to lose loved ones. Normal life has been replaced by lock-down conditions and there are uncertain times ahead.
On Monday 16th March, in order to protect the health of our members and their families, E.S.K.K Martial Arts & Fitness took the decision to temporarily transfer its services from face-to-face classes, to virtual online training sessions. Nothing has changed - we are simply serving our members in a different way than normal. In fact, we have actually added TONS of value to help support our loyal members ensure that they are all kept positively active, engaged and healthy during this challenging period. Our current member support services during this time include...
It's very important to us that we remain calm, strong and positive during this time and as a family-orientated organisation, we feel responsible to maintain a little 'normality within the storm' so that our members of all ages may stay fit, focused and healthy. #eskk #kicking-corona-together To find out more about the services we're offering during the current coronavirus restrictions, please feel free to drop us a line. We are still accepting new members and in many ways, this may well be a great time for you to join us! Best wishes and please stay safe, Chris & Jenny x A huge well done to everyone who came along and took part in our karate grading today! We had upwards of 70 members taking on their next grading challenge and whether successful or unsuccessful, we are always very proud of their efforts. It takes a lot of hard work and courage to stand up and be counted like this, and regardless of individual outcome, it is a positive learning process for all and respect is given where respect is due.. Despite having a new venue, a new curriculum, a new format and some additional precautionary modifications made due to current issues here in the U.K, the day still ran very smooth. As usual, this was all down to the help and support from grading panel members, admin officials and instructors/assistants who kindly dropped in to lend a hand. We are always very grateful to you all. So on behalf of us everyone at E.S.K.K Martial Arts & Fitness - congratulations once again to the following successful candidates and we look forward to seeing you back in the dojo again soon! We're very pleased to announce the launch of our brand new video tutorial service, exclusively for E.S.K.K dojo members!
We always strive to offer the very best possible services to our members and this special addition puts us a the cutting edge of delivering high quality martial arts training to our local community here in Cumbria! Accessible 24/7 and completely responsive, our members can watch high quality in-depth video tutorials on their PC, tablet or mobile device in between their regular classes. And these tutorials are mapped directly to our official dojo curriculum! Now of course, although we know only too well that is not possible to learn karate without regular face-to-face tuition each week, practising at home in between sessions will help ensure that the time our members spend in class will be as productive as possible. In short, standards will be raised and quality will be improved! Within the first few days since launch, we have already released upwards of 120 minutes of content, with new video tutorials being added every couple of days. Over time, this will turn into a fantastic resource for our growing membership. Thanks to all those members who have already singed up...to subscribe, simply hit the link below. Please note that this service is for E.S.K.K dojo members ONLY and all subscription requests are monitored... Back in October, we took part in the 100 Kata Challenge for World Karate Day and took this as an opportunity to raise some sponsorship in order to support our dedicated Community Fund, from which we make generous charity donations every year.
Those who kindly helped support this event helped us raise a significant amount. And by the time we included some additional funds generated by other community-based events throughout last year, we came to a staggering total of £1,313.56!! On behalf of everyone at E.S.K.K Martial Arts & Fitness, we'd like to thank everyone who contributed to helping us achieve such a magnificent lift for our Community Fund. Let's see if we can maintain the same momentum to support both local and national causes as we move forward into this new decade! Best wishes, Chris & Jenny New Year is the best time to try out new things... We know it's often difficult for new people to appreciate the diverse benefits that quality martial arts training has to offer or indeed, to make the decision to come along and give it a go. So to help start 2020 with a bang, we have a fantastic New Year Special Offer for those who'd like to try out our classes... We invite all children from 5 years, juniors, teens and adults to take part in our dedicated beginners programme. Our team of instructors are qualified, experienced and passionate about helping you achieve your goals...
*New year offer is valid for all new starters who book a taster class in January 2020 - places are subject to availability.
We are very proud to announce that on Tuesday evening, our Chief Instructor Chris Denwood was awarded both Rokudan (6th Degree) and conferred the title of ‘Renshi’ (polished teacher) during a surprise gathering that was organised by his close students.
This special award was presented by Paul and Michelle Enfield, who are two leading exponents of Traditional Okinawan Karate in the World today and head the internationally renowned organisation, GKC Global, of which E.S.K.K Martial Arts & Fitness are associate members. Chris’ achievement was also independently endorsed by the senior committee of the Malta Karate Federation (in view of Chris’s long-term contributions to the development of karate on the island), plus a number of respected karate practitioners from around the world including UK, US, Canada and Okinawa. As a fantastic end to his 30th year of martial arts training, Chris would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in making this promotion so very special and in particular, to all his teachers, students and friends for their amazing support and inspiration along the way. He considers this an achievement for us all, to be used as a platform for future growth, and to help continue our work in preserving, sharing and promoting to all who will listen, the incredibly valuable and diverse benefits of Traditional Okinawan Karate. I'm sure you will join us in congratulating Chris on this well-deserved recognition! Jenny x West Cumbria group E.S.K.K Martial Arts & Fitness is leading the charge in safeguarding, having successfully attained the Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts “mark”. The Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts has been created so that parents and carers can make informed decisions about selecting safe and quality tuition for their child. Achieving the Safeguarding Code demonstrates an organisation’s commitment to upholding its duty-of-care to the community and young people and now recognises E.S.K.K Martial Arts & Fitness as a provider that has reached and maintains good safeguarding standards. Sue Harrison, Stakeholder Marketing at the Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts said: “We are delighted to see E.S.K.K Martial Arts & Fitness successfully attain the Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts." Chris Denwood, Chief Instructor at E.S.K.K Martial Arts & Fitness, said: “Safeguarding is an important topic that needs to be seriously addressed, especially by groups who provide services for young people. We’re very happy that our commitment to safeguarding in martial arts has been recognised and we’re proud to display the Safeguarding Code Mark.” Developed in consultation with Sport England, representatives from martial arts governing bodies, and leading safeguarding experts, the Safeguarding Code is funded by the National Lottery and was launched by the Sports Minister in 2018.
A great end to another fantastic year at E.S.K.K Martial Arts & Fitness with some great results at our grade examination today in Whitehaven! One trait that really stood out was that no matter what rank was being challenged, no matter what age the challenger and no matter the outcome...everyone gave it their absolute all, left everything on the dojo floor and exhibited the spirit we all aspire to in karate. For that, everyone deserves to be congratulated on a job well done and have earned our utmost respect. We are always very proud of our dojo members because we ask a lot in terms of effort and standard. None of our gradings are easy, but it is through this challenge and discomfort that makes the grading experience so worthwhile. Facing fear, exposing chinks, coping with failure, being humble with success and coming face-to-face with one's true self is all part of the grading process. And the self-confidence one gains from this is immeasurable. So, our sincere congratulations to all who took on their personal challenge today and thanks to all the panel members and table officials who helped make the day run as smooth as possible. We look forward to seeing you all back in class again soon to start your next part of the journey! One of our teen members, Sam Chilton (third from left), has just picked up a special award at the West Cumbria Community Heroes presentation at the Whitehaven Golf Club.
Sam won the 'Good Friend Award' and it is no surprise to us - he's a very kind, pleasant and loyal dojo member and we feel very proud to have him in our ranks! So I'm sure you'll join us in congratulating Sam on what we're sure was a very well deserved award indeed! Hit the link below to read the full article about the awards evening, wich was organised by the local press to recognise some of the superstars of our county applauded for their hard work and selfless acts... Read Article >> For ten days in November, six dojo members were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel to Okinawa (The Birthplace of Karate) with our Chief Instructor Chris Denwood, in order to immerse themselves into training and enjoy the unique culture of the island. The focus of the trip was to study under Higa Minoru Sensei (10th Dan Hanshi) and other teachers/students at the historic Kyudokan Dojo in Tsuboya. The team had prepared for months leading up the trip so that they could learn as much as possible to bring back here to the Cumbria. It was wonderful to spend time with the Higa family, understand more about their karate and further enhance our appreciation of this wonderful martial art. We are very grateful for their kind friendship. The group also had the opportunity to learn some Bo-Jutsu at Asato Dojo with Jame Pankiewicz, owner of the Dojo Bar. Over the course of two days, they learned a series of fundamental techniques and drills, a short and dynamic Bo kata called Shiromatsu No Kon (White Pine Staff), plus a set of associated two-person application drills. Chris also had the opportunity to meet up with Shinzato Sensei to respectfully review the content from last year's thought-provoking seminar and engage in some good quality discussion on karate principles. To top off the event, Chris was asked to teach a seminar in Naha on his approach to the holistic application of Naihanchi Kata and to share some content from his new book on the subject. He covered some ideas around efficient movement pathways, using circles and figure eight shapes to connect techniques, then looked at how these principles may be applied in a combative sense. He ended with some limb control drills from Naihanchi Kata to show how its application may be used in a fluid way. As part of the sightseeing and cultural aspects of the trip, the group visited the infamous Hacksaw Ridge, which was the sight of some of the most bloodiest fighting during The Battle of Okinawa in World War Two. Everyone agreed that it was a very sobering moment to stand and look around what is now such a beautiful place, yet to think of the destruction and devastation of what happened there 74 years ago.
On the final day, Chris and three members from the group visited Hokama Sensei's dojo to take a look around his amazing karate museum. He answered some of our historical questions, told us interesting stories about some famous karate photos of the past and was also kind enough to brush Chris a wonderful scroll with the kanji for 'Toku Sei Kan'. This now takes pride of place in his garden dojo and will be treasured. When people ask why we travel all the way to Okinawa, the answer in simple...It is the combination of training, environment, history, culture, and people that serve to provide a very special experience and understanding of traditional karate. It leaves a strong and lasting impression that's simply unattainable from anywhere else and it uniquely changes one's view of this incredible art as a valuable way of life. The team would like to thank everyone involved in making our 2019 trip to Okinawa so enjoyable and productive. It was wonderful to catch up with everyone again, meet new people and continue forging lasting friendships. Chris would like to personally thank the six members who accompanied him this year - especially for their extra hard work leading up to the trip, plus their etiquette and performance throughout the training in Okinawa. They acted as fine ambassadors for our dojo here in Cumbria... ...Until next time! On 25th October 1936, an historic meeting was held at a meeting hall in Naha, Okinawa with a number of prominent karate masters of the time. This assembly included the likes of Choki Motobu, Chojun Miyagi, Chosin Chibana, Chomo Hanashiro, Chotoku Kyan, Juhatsu Kiyoda and Shinpan Gusukuma. As well as other important discussions and decisions made regarding the potential future of the martial arts of the Island, it was during this meeting that the term "karate" (Empty Hand) was standardised. Thus, World Karate Day (Karate No Hi) is held every year on October 25th to commemorate the history of karate and its exponential rise in popularisation across the globe. Part of these celebrations is the 100-Kata Challenge, which is inspired by the phrase 百 練 剛 (train hard 100 times). The challenge, led by a performance on Okinawa, serves to bring karate practitioners from around the world together and strengthen our universal family bond. This year, our 100-Kata Challenge was held at the Market Hall in Egremont and we had over 30 members (various ages and ranks) take on the challenge to help raise money for our Community Fund. This was our largest group yet and the first year we invited our junior members to join us!
We had three groups running...The first was for junior members and for those who were new to the challenge. Their aim was to complete 100 x Naihanchi Kata. The second group was for veterans and those who wanted an extra challenge. Their objective was to add 10 x burpees after every set of 10 x Naihanchi Kata (100 in total). The third group consisted of those members who are travelling to Okinawa in a couple of weeks. Their task was to complete 4 x 23 kata within the curriculum, plus 8 x weapon kata (roshaku bo), totalling 100. Then the group finished off with 100 x burpees using Tabata intervals. Every member completed their challenge and although it was far from easy, the atmosphere in the room was electric, with a strong feeling of mutual support from one another! It was wonderful to see so many members take on the challenge this year, especially the juniors and hopefully this number will continue to grow! We'd like to say a big thank you to all our members who took time out to participate, to everyone who has sponsored our efforts, to individual group leaders and parent volunteers, who helped keep our count up to date, plus a special thank you to members of Egremont Town Council for kindly allowing us use of their Market Hall to host the event - it was greatly appreciated and a perfect location! Finally, our congratulations to all those karate practitioners from around the world who completed their 100-Kata Challenge and to you all...Happy Karate Day! Over the school holidays, we invited all our junior dojo members to take part in our summer token competition. The aim was to collect as many tokens as possible over the six week period, which could be earned in a number of ways to show their dedication and enthusiasm to practising their karate.
It was great to see so many of our young members taking on the challenge and taking lots of holiday karate pictures - see below for a small selection. Congratulations to Shaun (1st Place), Abbie (2nd Place) and Chloe (3rd Place) for earning a whopping 80 tokens between them! As well as special certificates, they won prizes that included family tickets for the cinema and bowling, plus a voucher to enjoy a nice meal at a local restaurant. Thanks to all our members for taking part and practising so hard over the summer! We were very proud to bear witness to some excellent grading performances today. The work ethic was tremendous, determination was inspiring and technical standards were notably high. This was the result of consistency in the dojo, excellent support from club instructors and the strong camaraderie that makes our group so very special. What makes the grading panel so happy is that regardless of individual outcome, everyone pushes their boundaries and continues to grow. No one can ever ask for more than one's very best and that is always the benchmark set by our wonderful E.S.K.K members. With so much potential coming up through the ranks and experienced black belt members passing on their knowledge to the next generation, we're confident that the future of our dojo is in very safe hands. Congratulations to everyone who stepped up to the mark today and challenged themselves. We'll see you back in class again soon to continue our awesome journey together. Also, big thanks to members of the grading panel, assistants and admin officials who helped to make the day run smoothly - your support was very much appreciated! Grading results below... Our chief instructor Chris and four of his uchi-deshi (private students) travelled to Wigan yesterday to the beautiful Koryu Kyudokan Dojo in Wigan to attend a seminar led by world-class teachers and friends, Paul and Michelle Enfield.
The seminar content emphasised what Paul and Michelle Sensei call 'connector' drills, which arevery similar in both look and purpose to our Naihanchi Kata limb control drills. They also focused on the requirement to develop muchimi (a heavy/sticky sensation) with body to help accentuate our ability to transfer energy at close-range. All in all, another thought-provoking seminar that once again revealed striking similarities in our approaches, proving we (karate-ka) are but one family! Big thanks to Sensei Steve Lowe and members of his dojo for inviting us and making us feel so welcome. To John Johnston Sensei (Adaptive Karate) for organising the event and of course, our best wishes to Paul and Michelle Sensei on what we're sure will be a very successful UK seminar tour. Our chief instructor, Chris Denwood, has just published his new book - the second volume of his Naihanchi Kata series! Naihanchi (Tekki) Kata is one of the classical fundamental training forms in karate and various versions of it may be found in karate (and taekwondo) styles derived from the old Shuri-Te lineage on Okinawa. It is a vital part of karate’s heritage and a priceless gift of knowledge handed down from the pioneering masters of our past. In this thought-provoking publication, Chris presents his approach to traditional karate through the choreography of Naihanchi Kata, featuring a step-by-step guide to a comprehensive study of the form and an avid exploration of its potential depth. Using five integrated layers of analysis, each volume builds upon the previous and examines in details how the movements of Naihanchi Kata may represent a series of valuable lessons, based on holistic themes and principles that when applied, help to reveal why this seemingly superficial kata has been revered by serious practitioners for generations. Heavily illustrated and rich in content, Volume Two covers the combative application of Naihanchi Kata for civilian self-protection. Chapters detail contextual aims and subsequent considerations, the generation of a core game-plan, plus associated application framework. The methodology of the kata is presented as a logical and flowing lesson plan, integrating key conceptual strategies and essential tactics. This instalment also covers a number of supporting methods by which to deeply analyse classical karate kata in order to get the most from your pragmatic study. On Friday 19th July we were joined by two Candaian visitors, Doug and Lucy, who practice Seibukan Shorin Ryu Karate, under the tutelage of Sensei Dan Smith and Hanshi Zempo Shimabukuro from Chatan, Okinawa.
We first met Doug and Lucy on Okinawa back in 2014 and we have kept in contact ever since. They are wonderful people, true budo-ka and it was fantastic that they kindly took a couple of days out from their U.K holiday to travel up to Cumbria in order to spend some time with us. They participated in Jenny's Thursday evening Enduro-Strike class, enjoyed some Cumbria fell walking and a trip to Keswick on Friday and then we finished off with a special karate session on Naihanchi Kata application before a nice meal together in the evening. It was especially interesting to compare the Seibukan version of Naihanchi Kata with ours and to explore the differences of their performance in a pragmatic way. This helped to enrich everyone's understanding of the kata and indeed, some of the core principles found in karate, regardless of style. We'd like to thank Doug and Lucy for taking the time to visit us, to our members for making them feel so welcome and to St Benedict's School staff for the use of their wonderful facility. Over the weekend we were very privileged to host Paul and Michelle Enfield from California to conduct some exclusive seminars for our dojo members!
Paul and Michelle are true living examples of Budo and have a wealth of experience between them. Their lineage is second to none and were inspiring to be around. I don't think it's any understatement to say that every single participant gained something positive from the experience. And despite being from different styles of karate, I think the event successfully proved that if you can look deep enough, you'll find that all karate-ka are but one family. After a brief tour of Whitehaven harbour in the afternoon, Friday evening was the advanced group, where we looked at Tensho kata concepts, Saturday was an hour long children’s class in the morning, followed by two adult sessions where we covered a number of connector drills, Gekisai Dai ichi kata, in addition to revisiting Tensho kata and associated two person flow drills. Following the seminar, we enjoyed a nice meal together at Whitehaven Golf Club before Paul and Michelle headed back home. We were honoured to have had the opportunity to share time with such skilled, humble and inspiring martial artists. It was wonderful to exchange ideas from our two styles and in finding so many connections, enhance our holistic understanding of karate further. Big thanks to Michelle and Paul for their friendship and support! Over the weekend, we held our special 15th Anniversary Training Camp at the wonderful 4* Crown Hotel in Wetheral.
The event ran from Friday to Sunday, with an extra night added this year to celebrate with a barbecue and some live music. A total of 25 participants successfully secured a place and were treated to a wide range of sessions that included...
During breaks, participants enjoyed the hotel grounds and leisure facilities (swimming pool, steam room, gym, sauna and jacuzzi). The post-event party of Sunday evening included a tasty barbecue, some live acoustic music and plenty of laughs! It was a great end to a great weekend. Big thanks to everyone who made this training camp possible - all the instructors, participants and of course, the wonderful staff at The Crown... ...Here's to the next 15 years! Congratulations to everyone who took on their challenge today at our summer karate grading in Whitehaven. A wide range of grades were tested and a mix of results were awarded, but one thing was common - everyone gave it their all! It's always a pleasure to witness shy kids coming out from under their shell, older children growing into fine teenagers before our very eyes, young men and women expanding their perceived limits and members of a 'certain vintage' finding new and inspiring qualities about themselves that they never thought had even existed. As well as the purely physical attributes, this is the real beauty of karate - it forces you to look inside, face discomfort, push boundaries, grow tenacity and explore new horizons. Whether you made the cut today or not - 100% effort and enthusiasm always equals success in our book and for this, we couldn't be prouder! As always, big thanks to grading panel members, admin officials and individual dojo instructors/assistants for all their efforts - as without you all, our level of success would simply not be possible. Grading results as below... Today, I took a small demo team to my old school (Moor Row Primary) to conduct a karate demonstration and taster session for the children.
The demo consisted of some basic techniques and combinations, kata, padwork and breaking. After the demo, we invited all the children to have a go. We taught the basic punch and kick, plus some fun pad work drills to put those techniques into practice. We finished with a short lecture on respect and closing with the traditional karate salutation. We were very impressed by the behaviour and enthusiasm of the children at Moor Row Primary and would like to thank everyone for making us feel so welcome. Special thanks also to members of my demo team, plus parents who helped transport them there and back. After the demo, I was treated to a guided tour of the school, which brought back some wonderful memories from 30 years ago. I was at this school when I first began to practice karate, so it felt great to be able to have the opportunity to 'come full circle' and give something back to the place where my martial arts journey began. Chris On Saturday 18th May, selected member of our E.S.K.K Team performed a karate and fitness demonstration for “On The Red Carpet” - a show we were invited to do to help raise money for Whitehaven Theatre Group & Friends.
Starting the show off with a choreographed fight scene, leading onto basics and kata, we then showcased all the different fitness classes we teach, finishing off with equipment training, kata application and even weaponry skills. All in all it was a very successful performance and we’ve have lots of positive feedback from many of the spectators who were there on Saturday night. We would like to thank everyone on the demo team for their hard work and commitment, including parents, as it would not have been achievable without them. Having only three weeks to prepare for this, you should all be very proud! A special well done to some of our younger junior members. We understand how challenging and nerve wrecking it is to perform on a big stage and in front of so many people – you are not only a credit to yourself but also to our club. Another truly amazing experience we can add to our list…here’s to more adventures that will teach us more about confidence, hard work, goals and above all working together and supporting each other as a team. Cheers! Jenny x On Saturday evening at our 15th Anniversary celebrations, we we proud to present our 2019 Student of the Year awards to Emmie Ling (junior) and Stuart Rigg (senior). Our Student of the Year Award has been running since we first opened our doors in 2004, where each year our members vote for who they think most deserves this prestigious honour. The results of the members poll are then discussed by a committee of club instructors before our Chief Instructor, Chris Denwood, authorises the final decision. You can find our more about our Student of the Year Award by clicking here >> Both Emmie and Stuart have worked extremely hard over the past 12-months and shown a number of special qualities that make them fitting role models for the rest of our membership. Now they have the important responsibility that comes with this special honour - to continue developing themselves and inspiring others to grow according to the fine values we stand for. As part of our presentation, the newly crowned Students of the Year were asked to draw a ball from a bucket to determine which two charities we will be donating to from our Community Fund. Emmie selected CADAS (Cumbria Drug and Alcohol Advisory Service) and Stuart selected MIND (mental health) - both very worthy causes. So please join us in congratulating Emmie and Stuart on their well deserved awards and we wish them all the very best in their new role as Student of the Year! On Saturday evening, we were very proud to celebrate both our 15th Anniversary, plus our chief instructor's 30th year in karate!
Over 100 guests joined us at Whitehaven Golf Club for a special evening that included food, speeches, awards, presentations, charity donations and raffle, live music and disco. We'd like to thank everyone for all their amazing support and congratulate all our award winners for what were well deserved honours. We hope you all had an amazing time celebrating these significant milestones with us. But of course we've only just got warmed up - so let's see what we can achieve together in the next 15 years! Below are just a few pictures from the hundreds taken on the evening... Wow - what a fantastic grading today! Around 60 members took to the floor in order to challenge their next rank and every single one of them put their heart and soul into what was a sterling performance indeed. Grading panel members were very impressed with the standard and although there is always room for improvement, today was a living example of the quality, hard work and dedication we should all strive for. As chief instructor, I was extremely proud to see so many wonderful performances today, as well as witness the re-birth of some inspiring role models for less experienced members to look up to. It really goes to show how strong we can be if we all work hard both individually and together as a family. Now in our 15th year, the level of achievement across our membership just keeps getting better and this puts us in an even stronger position to continue sharing the benefits of our karate both to and far beyond the West Cumbria Community. Congratulations to everyone who stood up to be tested today and long may our success continue! Chris :-) |
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