MARTIAL ARTS
Shukokai Karate
IONA McCulloch, from Inveraray, passed the coveted black belt test last week at the early age of 13. Iona has trained with Argyll Shukokai Karate and Argyll Martial Arts for the past seven years and has proved her ability many times in competitions and on courses, showing real dedication to her training.
Her examination lasted two hours and included fights with multiple opponents. Congratulations to Iona.
The shield for endeavour, originally introduced into the club in the early 2000s, by Archie MacAllister from Lochgilphead, was won this year by Archie MacColl- Smith, also from Inveraray.
For club details contact Kenny Gray on: kenni.gray@btinternet.com
Kickboxing
SENSHI Do kickboxing’s Craig MacLachlan is ramping up his training towards the world tournament in Japan in October.
Elsewhere the club continues as normal with kids and adult classes on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings’ along with the ladies- only class on Sunday afternoons.
For more information contact Wullie Rodger on: shihanwill@ gmail.com
BJJ
OBAN BJJ held its monthly seminar with chief instructor Marcos Nardini on Saturday April 30. The seminar covered the ‘De La Riva guard’ which is a step up in complex moves and was a sign that Marcos now thinks the club is ready for the next step.
At the end of the seminar club stalwart Lee ‘ white walker’ Williamson received his blue belt which was well earned over the past three years.
The absolute beginners class which is on a Friday at 7pm is continuing to grow and participants are enjoying learning something new with a more slowed and focused look at the many fundamental positions of BJJ.
Normal classes are gearing up towards the next competition on June 4 in Edinburgh where the club hopes to build on the positive results of the last few months.
For club info contact Coogie on coogiepots@gmail.com
Kyokushinkai Karate
A BRIEF history on how kyokushin karate reached Oban;
Having attained high ranks in Judo, Shotokan karate and Goju Ryu karate, Masutatsu Oyama opened his own karate dojo in Tokyo in 1953, named Oyama Dojo. His dojo was first located outside in an empty lot but in 1956 moved into a ballet school. Oyama’s curriculum soon developed a reputation as a tough, intense, hard-hitting but practical style which in 1957 was finally named Kyokushin, which means ‘the ultimate truth’.
As the reputation of the dojo grew, students were attracted to train there from within and outside Japan and the number of students grew.
Oyama would choose an instructor to open a dojo in another town or city in Japan, whereupon the instructor would move to that town, and, typically demonstrate his karate skills in public places, in this way, the instructor would soon gain a few students for his new dojo.
After that, word of mouth would spread through the local area until the dojo had a dedicated core of students. Oyama also sent instructors to other countries such as the United States, Netherlands, England, Australia and Brazil to spread Kyokushin in the same way.
South African born Steve Arneil was one of those sent out and he arrived in England in 1965 and after a very short time had established many Kyokushin dojos in the UK. Arneil went on to be the British team karate coach with many successes.
One of the top students of Arneil was Bernard Creton, a very good technician and formidable fighter who was British team captain and placed fifth in the 1979 world karate tournament in Japan. One of Creton’s students was Iain Rodger who went on to run a dojo for Creton in Caerphilly, South Wales before moving back to his native Argyll in 2002 and established the Oban dojo, closely followed by the Lochgilphead dojo in January 2003. Rodger is now the assistant chief instructor of the IKKU (Independent Kyokushin Karate Union).
For club info contact Iain Rodger on: 07584 166542 or iain@ikku.co.uk