MARTIAL ARTS
Kyokushinkai Karate
YOUNG Darryl McLaughlin travels south on September 22 for his first foray onto the big stage. Darryl is taking part in the Cadet section (16 and 17-year-olds) of the British Open and Cup of Europe event which is in Crawley, England. Club coach Iain Rodger will be mat side with Darryl at the tournament. The last couple of weeks leading up to this he will be focusing on stamina and movement to avoid the risk of injury this close to the competition.
The Kyokushinkai club in Oban has a small core of dedicated students who work hard week upon week. A word often heard in the Kyokushin dojo is ‘osu’ which is a contraction of the Japanese words ‘oshi shinobu’ which means to ‘push and endure’; this is one of the most important philosophies in Kyokushin Karate and carries over into everyday life. Kyokushin training makes a person physically and mentally stronger inside and outside of the dojo.
Shihan Iain had this to say: ‘I was extremely touched a couple of years ago when one of my students thanked me for giving them the mental strength to deal with a close family bereavement.’ Iain went on to say: ‘I am fully aware that Kyokushin is not for everyone, but for those that never try, how will you know?’
The club is actively looking for new members until the end of September after which the next intake will be January 2018.
Anyone interested in learning this traditional style of karate should contact Iain Rodger on: 07584 166542 or iain@ikku.co.uk
Kickboxing
EXCITING times are ahead with some new sessions starting in the very near future: Mondays at 6pm will see the start of Kick Fit – a cardio session based around circuits and kick boxing pad work – so participants will get all the fun, fitness and stress relief of kick boxing without fighting.
Fridays will see a straight-from-school junior session, starting at 4.30pm for 90 minutes and seniors from 6pm for 90 to 120 minutes.
This is all in addition to the regular Wednesday session juniors at 6.30pm and seniors at 7.30pm. Also there is a junior session on a Sunday at 11am for 120 minutes with the last Sunday of each month being a three-hour fun day, where the juniors play games that develop core strength, team work, balance, co-ordination and self-belief.
Beginners are always welcome, juniors ages five to 13 and seniors 14 to 114.
For more information contact Wullie Rodger on: 07588 513618 or shihanwill@gmail.com
BJJ
OBAN Brazilian Jiu Jitsu had three junior students compete at the Scottish Cup in the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow on September 4. Ewan Weir showed great technical skills winning his first two matches. He showed great composure in his third match and was ahead on points when his opponent caught him in a baseball choke to win the match. Callum Weir won silver in the 86.5kg category after missing out on gold after being disqualified for an illegal knee reap (sweep).
It was a fantastic performance for rookie Jamie Bates, who, in his first competition, won a gold and silver in the ultra-heavy weight category.
This was another amazing performance from the students of Oban Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and demonstrates again that the club is performing at the highest Scottish standards.
The club’s continued growth and development has brought new challenges, obstacles and opportunities. The greatest opportunity being the chance for the club to run its very own, dedicated training hall, seven days a week.
After consultations with other Scottish gyms, they will very soon be offering a fully-matted training facility focused on BJJ and MMA. It is an exciting new chapter for the club and its students. More information will follow soon.
For club information contact Coogie on coogiepots@gmail.com.
Shukokai Karate
Training continues as normal with the clubs working towards the Lochgilphead tournament in early November. Beginners are always welcome and anyone thinking of taking up this martial art should contact Kenny Gray on: kenni.gray@btinternet.com.