eDanielle has been with our group for just over three years and in that time has faced numerous challenges with an unwavering attitude and positive frame of mind. She makes use of our flexible membership package and spreads her training between our Workington, Whitehaven, Arlecdon and Cleator clubs. As a mother of five, juggling her karate training alongside her work and family commitments would seem an impossibility to most. But Danielle always manages to take it in her stride and proves that there are no excuses to pursuing your passion. In December, she also took the opportunity to travel to Malta with Chris in order to assist during one of his overseas seminars! An inspiring character both inside and outside the dojo, it is our pleasure to share Danielle's Spotlight with you... Why did you start karate? My karate journey started on the side lines. As a parent who always wants to best for my children I felt that karate would be a great way for them to learn a sense of discipline, gain confidence and of course self defence skills. What I didn't anticipate was becoming a karate-ka myself. I took my kids to karate and watched them in their classes for a year before I decided that it was something that I would like to try...... I have never looked back. Without a doubt, it's the best decision I've ever made. What do you enjoy most about our club? Not only am I learning an invaluable set of self defence skills, at E.S.K.K. I have become part of a family. A family that always look out for and supports each other, in and outside of the dojo. Whether it be help with learning a new technique or kata, sharing a lift to get to a class or to have a shoulder to lean on during tough times. Whilst I am in the dojo I like to train very hard as do all of my fellow members, from the youngest tots and new starters, to those that have been training for years and the 'not so young'. I have always been proud of the respect that is shown in our dojo. We bow as we enter and by doing this we are showing that we respect each and every member equally, as well as those that have walked in our footsteps before us, and that we will always do our absolute best in our training for the sake of ourselves & our fellow karate-ka. It's also fantastic to be able to train along side your children. We thoroughly enjoy training together in the dojo as well as at home. It's great when your kids come up to you and say "Mum, can we practice kata?" It sets a great example for your kids to be 1. Physically active, 2. Always trying your best, no matter how hard it gets and 3.Having fun, doing something that will be of benefit to them for the rest of their lives. What benefits have you gained from regular training? Karate is more than just self defence. It is a holistic system. Yes, it trains the body but it also forges the spirit and helps the mind to grow in so many ways too. Aiming for my next belt is always a good goal but it's what else comes with that belt....It means that I have trained hard, perhaps even sacrificed a night or two in front of the TV! It means that I have spent time with an amazing group of positive people, it means that my confidence has grown a little, and sometimes a lot. It means that I am proud of myself for going out of my comfort zone and achieving something that at some point I wasn't sure if I could- but I did. It doesn't stop there.....all these lessons carry on into my life outside the dojo, meaning that I have more confidence to try new things and become more of a 'doer' not someone who sits around and says "What if?". I also feel that I have a more positive outlook on life as well as a great deal more patience, which in turn helps me to feel more balanced and at peace with myself. What goals do you have for the future? Ultimately I am aiming for my black belt as I imagine that anyone who, on their first day at the dojo would.....To me that is not what it's all about though. My journey so far at E.S.K.K. has already been so inspiring. I take my inspiration from every single member. Everyone has something to offer, be it a kind word, to showing great spirit. I hope that I can also be an inspiration to those that I train with including my own children and to help people to realise how much potential they have and what they are capable of by believing in themselves. What message would you give to others who may be looking to start martial arts training? Do it! Life is too short to sit around and think too much. One shot is all we get and we need to embrace all of the good in life. As I've mentioned there are so many benefits to the holistic system of karate. The positive attitude from all of the members at E.S.K.K. as well as the camaraderie is second to none. From the first day I walked into the dojo I felt at home and now have my amazing 'karate family' who I wouldn't be without! Fancy giving one of our karate classes a go?
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It was simply wonderful to see so many members at our seminar yesterday! The morning session 'kicked' off at 11:00am, where we spent almost two-hours on a selection of drills to help develop kicking skills. This included methods of employing the most efficient use of the legs and a focus on how best to transition between one kick and another. Kicking is always a difficult skill to master, so it was fantastic to see such enthusiasm in the room.
All in all, it was a very productive day and everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves. The good thing about seminars like this is that you can not only concentrate on specific aspects of karate, but you can also spend time with others who are just as thirsty for knowledge. If you're passionate about the art, then that's a win-win situation in anyone's book!
Thanks to the wonderful people at the Marchon Club in Whitehaven for providing us with the venue, plus all the parents who gave up their Sunday so that their kid(s) could attend. And of course, all the participants for helping to make this event (like all our others) a complete success. Kieran Takacs from Seascale has been practising karate with us since February 2016 and is showing some real talent. He is a member at our Gosforth dojo and joined at the same time as his father Sam, for some quality 'dad and lad' time! Polite, hard working and always with a smile on his face, Kieran is a great example for our other junior members and it's a pleasure to have him in the dojo... Why did you start karate? I thought it would be a really good experience! I was interested in learning how to do karate and I also wanted to get fit and strong. What do you enjoy most about our club? I love learning different techniques and training with the other members in class. What benefits have you gained from regular training? Controlling anxiety, gaining confidence becoming more focused. What goals do you have for the future? I would like to continue progressing through the ranks and continue learning new techniques. What message would you give to others who may be looking to start martial arts? Anyone can start karate, you don't need to be special. And anything you don't think you can do, the instructors will show you how - they're all very helpful! Come and give one of our classes a try...Stuart Rigg from Beckermet has been a member of our group since April 2015 and has become regular face at many of our classes. Last year he successfully completed the application process for our invitation-only closed dojo, as an uchi-deshi (inside student) under our Chief Instructor, Chris Denwood. Stuart was also awarded a first-class pass for exemplary performance at our most recent grade examination, where he achieved 4th Kyu (Purple Belt) and now enters the advanced ranks in strong fashion, continuing his progressive journey towards our coveted Black Belt. In addition to his regular thirst for training, Stuart also acts as a dojo prefect at our Gosforth club and is making great progress in building the skills necessary to move into our dedicated coaching programme. We're very much looking forward to seeing how Stuart develops over the coming months/years and privileged to share his member's spotlight here on our website Why did you start karate? I’ve always had an interest in martial arts, I tried a few clubs over the years but none gave me the type of training I was after. I always preferred functional based training, pushing yourself for a purpose, rather than competition based training. I’ve trained in other martial arts, from a local MMA club to visiting China to train in kung fu, however I’ve always returned to karate as a foundation martial art. What do you enjoy most about our club? The atmosphere is amazing; everyone pushes each other and helps one another with whatever their journey is, either be gaining new skills, increasing fitness, or building confidence. The type of training suits me perfectly as the concentration of each session shifts to develop your training, so it can go from working on form and structure to strength and control. The training varies from intense physical exercises to technical training to develop the dynamics in techniques. A good characteristic of E.S.K.K is that you can share these additional skills with each other, all levels and capabilities are welcome, and it allows you to further develop them and incorporate them into your karate. What benefits have you gained from regular training? I have gained physical fitness and it has helped with my confidence. My strength and flexibility has gone up, with added bonus of balance with better body control. It’s introduced me to some great people, and made me feel really welcome, which makes all the exercise and training more enjoyable. What goals do you have for the future? I’m going to continue my karate training, whilst linking it with other forms of martial arts. I have already trained some kung fu in China, and found numerous links between karate and kung fu, with more trips to come in the years such as Thailand to gain some skills from Muay Thai. My goal is not to restrict myself to a single discipline, however karate I have found to be a good base for building the skills and attributes I am after. What message would you give to others who may be looking to start martial arts? If anyone is considering starting martial arts, the advice I would give is to just go for it. The worst that could happen is you find out it’s not for you, but you wouldn’t know unless you tried. After all, it’s what we don't do in life that we end up regretting the most! Fancy giving one of our classes a try?Well done to everyone who stood up to be counted today for belt testing. Karate is no easy path to follow and our ranks are never given out lightly, which is why no matter what the outcome everyone who faces this challenge always deserves our deepest respect. Congratulations to everyone who was successful (listed below) and to those who didn't manage to earn their grades today, remember that the key to success is tenacity - so be sure to come back, keep working hard and use this experience as a positive platform for growth. Successful or unsuccessful, the reward is the same - more training. So we'll see you back in the dojo again soon :-) Special congratulations go to Ian Sessford, Stuart Rigg and Sarah Hobbs for achieving first class passes for what were exceptional performances. Big thanks to panel members and assistants who helped make the day run safe and smooth. Your enthusiastic support is always very much appreciated. Chris We held our first booster class of 2017 yesterday evening at our Moor Row dojo. The topic was 'Creative Kata' and everyone had fun, whilst learning why the classical forms we practice in our style are so important. The junior members worked in small groups and their task was to create a mini-kata based on techniques they individually chose. They had to decide on how best to combine the movements together, what stances to move to and from, which direction to turn and how to finish their kata off with a memorable ending. They also had to design their own salutation posture and of course, give their new creation a memorable name :-) The juniors then had a little time to prepare their kata, ready to showcase it as a team in front of the whole dojo at the end of class. We had some excellent performances from all three groups and a real creative use of karate techniques - well done to all! Whilst the juniors were working in their own groups, the senior members began to explore the creation of kata in a different way, more akin to traditional ways. They began by choosing three or four common acts of violence (e.g. a push, hook punch and grab/headbutt) and then looked at how best to counter such attacks. They then undertook a process to 'formalise' these applications into a solo representation and joined them together in order to create their new kata. They also focused on how the embusen of their form may accurately represent the combative angles used in their two-person scenarios. Like the juniors, our seniors had some time to work on the performance of their kata before unveiling it to the rest of the dojo. Of course, this created a different dynamic to the children's performances, which helped to show the difference between both approaches. All in all it was a fun session, but the aim was also to promote more serious learning too. The classical kata that we practice has been passed onto us through generations and as such, carries with it the seed of it's original creator(s). Since much of karate history has been lost to the passage of time, we now have the responsibility of undertaking a process of reverse engineering, in order to explore their practical applications. This, we need to carry out with the context of traditional karate (civilian self-defence) firmly in mind, a hearty dose of common sense and with deep respect for those pioneering masters who set the wheels in motion for our opportunity to practice today. Dojo Members...Don't miss out on our next booster class at another one of our clubs in February - Topic to be confirmed very soon!
A huge well done to everyone who challenged their rank at the grading held earlier this evening. Especially so to those individuals who were unsucessful last time and rather than give up, decided to go back to the drawing board and as a result, showed some fantastic improvements! This is what karate is all about - refusing to take the easy route and instead, seeking to explore the path less travelled. Yes of course, you may come face to face with a few discomforting hurdles along the way, but if these are faced with a positive and tenacuious attitude then there will always be potential for growth. It is our ethos for dojo members to become accustomed to this blueprint for success and then learn to apply it to other aspects of their life. It's never an easy path to follow and we inevitably lose many along the way, but those who do manage to persist will slowly develop a special character that no amount of money can buy. Young Oliver Whillock needs a mention here as he really stood out today. Not simply because of the standard he's reached, but more so, his rate of change over the past year. You see, a few months back he would have struggled to maintain focus for more than five minutes. This evening he showed a level of skill and determination to be proud of. With continuing patience and support from his parents, instructors and class-mates, he's made some amazing progress. So congratulations Oliver and please keep up the great work! As well as Oliver, we also had Harrison and Charlie make inspiring come-backs from unsuccessful gradings. Rather than simply throwing the towel in (as many unfortunately do), they've chosen to use their experience as a stepping stone to success. Fine examples to strive for and if maintained, the very attitudes that will take these children far in life. As you can probably guess...I'm feeling a little proud tonight :-) Great job everyone, Chris. Huge congratulations to everyone who took part in their grading on Sunday in Whitehaven! As always it was a tough and challenging day. Everyone worked extremely hard and pushed their boundaries. It was fantastic to see the effort and camaraderie from all participants, working together and supporting each other all the way. You have all done us proud once again and thanks everyone who can along to support the event. Here are a couple of great quotes taken from our Facebook comments, which I think help sum up the support we have within our E.S.K.K family! Jenny x /
My first grading, a potentially stressful experience was made a lot easier by other members, many of which I didn’t even know wishing me luck and advice. Credit to Chris, the instructors, assistant instructors and all the members of the E.S.K.K family as they ensured that the true spirit of the founding fathers of karate was carried on.”
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Grading Results April 2016 | |
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We ran from 10am to around 6pm and throughout the day we undertook a total of five examinations ranging from beginner, intermediate and advanced brown belt ranks. The grading panel were not only pleased to see a generally high standard, but were also inspired to see so much effort and determination on display from juniors, teens and adults alike.
On looking around the room, we could also see great examples of the heart-warming support and camaraderie that makes our dojo so very special. Every result was a team result and even though individual ranks may change, the ongoing friendship and unity between dojo members will always remain.
So here's to another successful grading and let's now get back into the dojo, train hard and aim to raise that standard even higher for next time :-)
Although it's been a while, we haven't forgot! Our Koen-Kai (support group) have been working behind the scenes to review all the entries and we've finally decided on a winner...
The winning image was inspired by a drawing that was submitted by a wonderful little 6 year old girl, Sadie Woodburn. So we'd like Congratulate Sadie who wins 1 month's free unlimited training at our dojo, plus a T-Shirt bearing her awesome design!
We also very much liked a particular slogan to go with our new logo, so figured that our competition should also have a well deserved runner up. The slogan we picked was, 'Born in Shuri, Forged in Cumbria' and was inspired by a suggestion submitted by one of our adult members, Garet Mair. As runner up, Garet also wins a T-Shirt! Finally, the design that Sadie submitted required us to amend and re-format electronically into a vector image suitable for T-Shirt printing. This was very kindly converted for us by our resident dojo artist and Koen-Kai member, Kelvin McDonald. As thanks to Kelvin, we threw a T-Shirt his way too! |
Sophie C
The morning session ran from 10am until 12pm and involved yellow belts and above of all ages focussing on kicking dynamics.
We completed a number of exercises which looked at improving joint mobility and flexibility, accuracy, the shape and strength of kicks and delivering power into kicks on impact shields. To round off the morning, we completed some sparring drills to help emphasise the fluid delivery of kicks.
The seniors who attended the afternoon session from 12:30pm until 3pm worked on the six Naihanchi limb control drills with the focus on seamless transitions between the different techniques found within them. It's fair to say that working 1-6 integrated completely threw most of the participants well out of their comfort zone!
Everyone worked very hard and a special well done to those who attended the additional evening training at the Cleator dojo afterwards :-)
Sophie C.
Plus a huge thank you to everyone who came along to support our junior and senior Xmas parties!
Everyone had a fantastic time at our Junior Xmas Party. The venue was full and we had party games galore! Special thanks go to Sylvia Ling and Danielle Leeson for helping to organise the event, Imagination Parties for their wonderful entertainment and not forgetting Bob the Minion, our VIP guest, who took time out of his busy schedule to attend :-)
Our Senior Xmas Party was full of fantastic food, great company and amazing singing, courtesy of Cindy Hoten, who always adds class to our evening. It was lovely to see so many of our members and parents having fun and getting well and truly into the Christmas Spirit.
Don't forget, most of our weekly classes will resume again on Monday 4th January and we look forward to seeing you again. recharged and raring to go. However, due to Jenny & Chris' new arrival, a small number of classes will be temporarily suspended - full details below...
- Karate: Classes will resume as per normal on Monday 4th January.
- Egremont Kettlebells: Classes will resume on Monday 11th January.
- Workington Kettlebells: Classes will resume as per normal on Wednesday 6th January.
- Pilates & Enduro-Strike: Classes are temporarily suspended and we aim to resume again at end of February. Confirmation emails will be sent out to all members.
We will leave you all with some pictures from our Xmas parties - a reminder of great times spent with great people :-)
Sophie Cx
Junior Xmas Party 2015
Senior Xmas Party 2015
As we follow a rotating curriculum for Kyu ranks, our catch up gradings are used for individual members who require extra support/mentoring following an unsuccessful attempt at the current phase, or those who were unable to attend the standard grading they were preparing for back in November, due to extenuating circumstances.
As usual, our expectations were met in terms of effort and determination, which we always set as 100%. This is always more important that the outcome.
Congratulations to those who achieved their next rank and see you back in the dojo again soon!
Sophie C.
- Ashton Hetherington
- Sadie Woodburn
To 9th Kyu (Red Belt):
- Robert Merrett
- Jackson Merrett
- Jay Cruickshank
- David Woodburn
To Provisional 8th Kyu (Yellow Stripe):
- Eden Hetherington
- Reid Nicholls
To Provisional 7th Kyu (Orange Stripe):
- Kieran McDowell
- Harrison Cloudsdale
- Blayne Moorhouse
To 7th Kyu (Orange Belt):
- Neil Carrick
To Provisional 5th Kyu (Blue Stripe):
- Keenan Carrick
Whether successful or unsuccessful, to attempt a senior grading is always commendable as these challenges are as you would expect, much more demanding than the beginner and intermediate events. They not only test the candidates physical abilities, but after around three hours of intense effort under the watchful eyes of the grading panel, their attitude, character and spirit is also under scrutiny.
The standard at our dojo is high and our expectations are always increasing, so to gain a brown or indeed a black belt rank at our dojo is something very special. These ranks are considered very personal to each individual, with holistic requirements that help mould their ongoing karate journey through many months of hard work and commitment leading up to the event. Simply put, there are no short cuts here!
Therefore, huge congratulations are in order for everyone who stood in front of the grading panel yesterday to give it their all. I'm sure that the spectators and fellow Karate-Ka present were not only privileged to see such a great show of skill, but also inspired by what was a shining display of energy and spirit.
Some words from Sensei...
"All I can ever ask from my students is that they put 100% effort into everything they do in the dojo. Mind, body and spirit from the moment they bow in, to the moment they bow out. No matter how much natural ability or talent you happen to possess, this is always the blueprint to success in any field or passion. I can certainly say that everyone's performance at this grading was a shining example of this ideal and for that, you should all be very proud."
Name |
Rank Achieved |
Hannah Wignall |
Junior 3rd Kyu (Brown Belt) |
Sarah Hobbs |
3rd Kyu (Brown Belt) |
Phoebe Forster |
Junior 1st Kyu (Brown Belt) |
John Smallman |
Shodan (Black Belt) |
Lewis Cullen |
Shodan (Black Belt) |
So on Monday 17th November, it was the turn of 1st Hensingham Cubs to join in the fun once more. It was 3 years to the day since E.S.K.K's first visit to Eddie Stewart's cub pack. Eddie now runs the Hensingham branch with help from other volunteer leaders. Back in November 2012, Pauleen Wignall was a cub leader when we visited for a demonstration, she is now the proud owner of an orange belt as she passed her 7th Kyu grading at the weekend, small world! Just as last time, David Forsythe changed his usual Monday night cub leaders uniform for his dogi and joined the E.S.K.K volunteers to share traditional karate with the cubs.
The evening opened up with a Grand Howl where the cubs line up under the leaders direction and the appointed duty sixer (a well earned position of responsibility for one of the 8 to 10½ year olds) leads the salutation. All the cubs crouch down and howl 'we will do our best', the duty sixer then stands and howls back 'cubs do your best'. The cubs all then join him standing and reply with 'we will do our best'. This opening howl is an important part of the session and aligns to the cub promise and scout law which includes the line 'I promise that I will do my best'. This promise aligns perfectly to the ethos of traditional karate, particularly the family spirit and strong determination shown by all of our dojo members.
A solo performance by John Smallman was punctuated by loud cracks as Sensei demonstrated posture testing as carried out in our senior closed dojo. These cracks were generated by the sound of Sensei's hands slapping down on John's shoulders, as well as kicks that fired in to John's legs to check for correct structure. Although this kind of training is strictly only for adults, The young audience, now completely captivated, were very eager to try some karate for themselves!
Sensei then went on to take the group through a short warm up and a half hour taster session for the cubs. They learned our formal etiquette and the meaning behind our important bows of respect, followed by some basic punches, 'blocks' and kicks. After a few repetitions, The kids found out that karate can be pretty hard work, but although they were tired, they still worked hard and smiled throughout. We finished off the taster session with some padwork drills using the techniques learned to really raise the pulses. Sadly though, the time passed far too quickly and with the arrival of parents, this signalled the end of the session. We were all impressed at just how much everyone had learned in such a short space of time as demonstrated by a well performed closing etiquette.
A special thanks goes to all our new honorary cubs:
Elaine Ashford / Charlie Ashford / Sophie Cullen / Lewis Cullen / Holly Leeson / Danielle Leeson / Kelvin McDonald / Natasha McDonald / Dominic Mills / Reid Nicholls.
Reid also swapped his cub uniform for his dogi to perform in front of his fellow cubs. What a courageous effort and one which we hope will earn him his cub martial arts activity badge.
Dave F and Sophie C
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