All Inclusive Martial Arts

Just came across this clip, just reinforces my believe in a say-no-die human mind. I know it's a clinche but nothing beats a determined mind... not even after amputation.

So ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages enjoy the clip. click here

On Karate Punch

It's been a long discussion on whether martial arts (read Karate) is becoming soft and softer year after year. Case in point, just watch 60's, 70's and 80's clips on championships in you tube etc. Karate had the greats such as Englishmen Terry O'neill and Geoff Thompson, Japanese 'samurais' such as Yahara and Takaeshi Oishi. This generation never heard of hand mitts, shin guards, chest protectors, gum shields as today's generation of rafael Aghayev and Luigi Busa do.

Even without these 'safety measures', the earlier generation still managed to minimise injury (or were they tougher?) on the tatami.

I may not agree totally with Iain Abernathy's views but I totally agree on some use of power and swiftness in punching and kicking. As he puts it in world combat association website...

"A punch is fundamentally designed to damage other human beings so that they can no longer function. A punch should therefore be judged by the success criteria of its ability to incapacitate. We should train our punches with that goal in mind such that our training increases the ability of our punches to incapacitate. A punch should be deemed “good” if it can damage people."

Iain claims that today's punches and techniques in general are taught in such a way to look nice beautiful...

Don't know what you think.

Aikido Gashuku In Rwanda

December 2013 AD marked the exact month that Aikido was introduced in Rwanda.

On the March of the year 2014 will go down as the month that Rwanda held their inauguration seminar. The seminar which ran from 9th to 15th of March 2014 was held at the Nyarutarama Sports Trust Club and graced by Massimo di Villadorata Sensei 7th Dan from Canada.

Aikidokas from Canada, Iran and Rwanda took part in 6 day seminar and Rwanda neighbours, Kenya, were not left behind represented by 3 aikidokas from Nairobi Aikikai. 

KKGA National Individual Championships

The Kenya Karate-do Goju-Kai Association has invited all Goju Ryu dojos, schools and institutions for the forthcoming Individual juniors, cadets, seniors and veterans individual championships.

The tourney is to take place at Nyayo Stadium, Call room on the 8th and 9th March 2014 from 0900 hrs to 1700hrs, participation fee is Ksh. 500 per individual.

According to sources, both kata (form) and kumite (spurring) will be featured as the championship will be used to select the team that will represent Kenya in the forthcoming 1st All Africa Goju-Kai  Karate-do championships which will be held in Mauritius later on in the year. For a full Goju-Kai 2014 calender of events, click here.

Aikido Academy Officially Launched

Being one of the most recently martial art introduced in Kenya, aikido is definately here to stay. Aikido has been practised in Kenya since October 16th 2009 introduced by a Polish  Sensei Matteusz Wage who has since left the country. Being the branch of Birankai Poland, they follow the Birankai system.

For quite a while, the Embassy of Japan  has been and still hosts this Aikido group on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1700hrs to 1900hrs. Further details can be seen on their blog and their facebook page.

Another aikido group,the East Africa Aikido Aikikai, also practice in Nairobi,  and have recently opened an aikido academy, Sagana Aikido Academy which is an all-girl aikido group. More info can be found on their facebook page or the Sagana Aikido Academy facebook page.

Kenya Goju Kai Calender

Ok, I know its been a long time since the last post, does that mean that the martial art scene in Kenya has gone silent? Maybe..... maybe not. But...oh well....

The Kenya Goju Ryu Karate-do has released its time table for the year 2014-15 and yes every month there will be an event, so ladies and gentlemen get your Gis out, clean your shin guards and dust your belts and buckle-up for a busy year ahead.

DATE	EVENT	VENUE
15 – 16 Feb	National Goju Ryu Referees and Table Officials Cetification Seminar	Nairobi
8 – 9 March	National Individual Novices, Seniors and Veteran Championship	Nairobi
22 March	Annual General Meeting	Nairobi
18 – 21 April	Goju Ryu Karate-Do Training Camp (Gasshuku)	Kampala
17 May	Commemoration of Kaisho Gogen Yamagushi International Seminar-cum-Grading (By Grandmaster Saiko Shihan)	Nairobi
14 June	Inter-colleges Championships	Mombasa
12 July	Goju Ryu Karate-Do Welfare day	Nairobi
9 – 10 August	Black Belt Seminar (Gasshuku)	Nakuru
22 – 25 August	1st All Africa Goju Kai Karate Do Championships	Mauritius
20 September	Young Warriors Goju Ryu Karate-Do Championships	Nairobi
10 – 12  October	Commemoration of Goju Ryu Karate-Do Founder-  Chojun Miyagi	Moshi (TZ)
8 November	Inter Counties Goju Ryu Karate-Do Team Championships	Kisumu
5 – 7 December	International Training Camp	South Africa
20 December	Sayonara Party	Nairobi
17 January 2015	Goju Ryu Karate-Do Junior Cadet and Instructors Seminar	nyeri

Kenya Karate Veterans

On Monday (6/01/2014) Kenya's Standard Newspaper featured a story of Kaizer Karimbhai a veteran karateka who is still going strong despite clocking over 60 years. Kaizer godan (5th dan black belt), is one of the Karimbhai's whose family has been associated with karate for the last four decades or so. He has dedicated his life for the way since the 60's.

Perhaps what got me more excited is what he said about one of Kenya's great sensei

"Our efforts to promote karate were greatly assisted by the Japan government, which sent top-notch instructor Yashio Tamura as the chief national coach"

Kaizer Karimbhai continues

"Tamura made great contribution by training hundreds of local karatekas and also a national coach, Wallace Gachanja"

Now, any of Tamura's sensei student current or past should be proud  to hear of this and most definitely am honoured to be one of his students... oss!