The Gibshot Blog

GibShot has seen a lot of young people come and go either karate isn’t for them or their friends decide to convince them something else is better. To be fair it matters not the reason, just the fact that a committment to something especially something physical, is better than doing nothing. Karate has always been the poor relative in Gibraltar the rest of the world not so much in fact it is growing.
Myself and Sensei Paul went to a seminar in Crawley (near Gatwick) recently 4 days training a total of 11 hours in the dojo, full on if you want to know what it was like. I had a connection with the senior instructor Sensei Ohta 7th dan I trained with him many years ago when I lived in London at Sensei Enoeda’s dojo in Marshall Street. Also instructing were two alumni of JKA Honbu in Tokyo Shimizu 6th dan and Kurihara 6th dan. It was tough training and our legs felt it after almost continuous training each day with just 2 water breaks but it was brilliant if you like traditional karate.

2024 too is already planned, I always go to the 4 day Naka sensei course held by the Asociación de Shotokan Karate Espana Tradicional in June. This year is the 7th course and I’ve been to all of them and made many friends from Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Argentina, UK, Germany, Japan etc etc. The course runs in late June and my wife comes along spending her time in Chiclana at the beach or hotel pool while I train for 3 hours. This year In March there is a 4 day course also with Kobayashi sensei 7th dan. A lot to do and training to be had for those of us that love karate in all it’s forms.

Speaking of which while I was away early last year I managed in May to get to Okinawa and trained at the world famous Higaonna dojo in Naha. Master Higaonna thankfully allowed me to train (it is an invite only private dojo). He is 83 years old now and I attended 3 sessions of the 5 days I was there I couldn’t make the 4th as I had a plane to catch. It was truly an honour and I have made friends there I will never forget though my Japanese needs serious improvement. Oss!

Hi Everyone,

Gibshot is still well and truly going but finding a venue is always a problem in Gibraltar. We are currently training from 6 to 7pm (summer hours) Tuesday and Thursday weekly. Once the schools go back we will probably go back to 8pm to 9pm (9.30 for experienced students) as the school is in use earlier.)

I am also available for private tuition which is possible mornings and again evenings for an hour a lesson. (p.o.a.)

Other News

I was fortunate earlier this year to spend two months wandering around Japan the full story of which will appear in book form later this year. Suffice to say it was the adventure I truly hoped it would be and I met some wonderful people and most didn’t even do any form of karate.

As we await this years school allocation we are currently training Tuesday at 8pm adults only due to late start/finish. On Thursday we have the children’s class starting at 7pm finishing at 8pm when the adults will carry on unabashed.

If you have a child and they are interested specifically in karate then bring them along to watch. The sessions are physical and in fairness to the instructors they are here to learn karate not be dropped off to run and punch for an hour…. shock horror they actually have to learn karate, shotokan karate which involves discipline. If they are equipped and have the mindset they will love it and improve their concentration, discipline and confidence. Drop me a line at sensei@gibshot.com for details.

I was saddened to hear that a friend and senior member of the Shotokan of England Karate Union (SEKU) Sensei Malcolm Bradley (5th dan) passed away suddenly a few days ago. I have known of him for most of my association with SEKU which to date will be 30 years this year 2022. I first properly met him on the annual Isle of Wight week long course SEKU used to hold every spring bank holiday in 1994. I only trained at his dojo proper once when accompanying Sensei Dewey on a visit to the IOW and Malcolm, I considered him a friend ever since.

As we hit summer here in Gibraltar thankfully Gibshot has been training even in isolation training on a low scale continued but now we are back in full swing but still following the rules of course.

We are looking at a possible weekly morning training session for kids over 5/6 years old those over 10 should be in the adult class (details on this website). However if you want a taster then drop me an email.

Although GibShot has been back training in it’s limited form and we recently had Sensei Mick Dewey 8th dan (SEKU) over to teach, which included the kata Gankaku and some kumite at distance, which isn’t easy, things have at least been moving. Our main classes have been lunchtime and as we are a small group atm distancing wasn’t a problem. Again the main thrust has been kata much easier to keep apart.

I tend to teach kata in a way that helps the confidence and concentration of the students. Yes we practice together as every club does BUT with individuals I also get each of them to perform the kata out front on their own as their colleagues watch. Always kata they know and especially kata they wish to use in competition. Whenever that starts again.

I had this idea years ago because when I was training for competition as I was away from the Honbu dojo in Portsmouth I trained often alone. Yes I trained around London often with Sensei Eric Pitch at Willesden Green dojo and when I worked in London I did lunchtimes twice a week at Marshall Street usually with Sensei Ohta but sometimes with Sensei Enoeda. These classes suited my work routine and though sometimes I was away from the main group especially in Marshall Street where they trained usually in the evenings I lived in Uxbridge so after leaving the office I tubed it home most days. My point being nothing will be better than correct training in a class group but sometimes we have to train alone. At this time in the mid to late 90’s I also taught at Uxbridge dojo on the RAF camp as well as trained myself in Yatley and Sandhurst with another SEKU dojo now long closed. In order to keep this going I often did kata in the Gym on the RAF base which takes some doing if you are not used to people watching you from competition experience which I was. These small kata practices I enjoyed because I had to get over the nerves of people including friends watching me, especially those that did not do karate.

I remember one night I was in the old gym hall alone. I’d been punching the large punch bag strapped to the boxing ring set up, the bag was heavy and full of round beads so it didn’t give too much but the ring reverberated at each punch. an exercise I enjoyed as it helped keep my technique straight. I then started to practice a few kata. Usually I would do all the Heian kata speed and power. If I wobbled or made an error I would do the kata agin slowly then again at speed, only moving to the next when I had no obvious errors.

I would then pick 2 of the brown belt kata and follow the same routine then a first dan kata. Finally I would begin the kata I was practicing for competition. It was around this time I heard several buses pull up outside the gym full of young cadets who were staying in the transit block overnight which was opposite the gym. They were chatting and then I heard someone shouting above the noise telling them to go into the gym and wait. So…. I was going through the kata as they all filed in chattering until they saw me when they politely lowered their voices (there is some good in military training, respect is one). They all lined up against a wall about 50/60 feet away and sat or stood watching as I continued to practice and I have to say once I’d finished that kata I felt like heading out with what seemed like 100 of them but more likely only about 60 looking at me.

I didn’t in fact I started to add more kime and a little speed as I grew in confidence then I added the kiai’s and it wasn’t long before we had forgotten each other and they carried on their quiet conversation. From this point I always asked students to perform their grading kata at the end of a class in front of the other students knowing the pressure would be on but their friends afterwards would be patting them on the back no matter how good or bad they had performed. It is a training method I still do and believe my students get a lot of confidence from it, eventually.

Oss

Frankie

For those following randomly the Gibshot blog, yes I must write more but I am hoping a student will pick up and run with it. Anyway to carry on you may remember back in September last year I passed my Yondan exam, Sensei Dewey might say “scraped thru” I tell the story it was with flying colours!

Well Gibshot is not a place to bubble along as this past week myself and Paul Crudgington went through to Portsmouth, the spiritual home of GibShot karate under the Shotokan of England Karate Union. It is the place back in 1991 I started Karate for the second time. After Paul arrived on the Thursday from Gibraltar we gathered our gi’s and headed to Portsmouth honbu for the training session. The session was particularly tough as this focussed mainly on kumite (fighting) both pre planned attacks and freestyle as well as Sensei’s usual basic training sessions which barely leave you time to gather breath. 90 minutes later we were off for the post training debrief at the Jolly Taxpayer a local pub.

The Friday saw us again collecting our gi’s having washed and ironed them for training at Lovedean dojo under the critical eye of their instructor Brian Smith 7th dan. He is also No2 Instructor at SEKU after Sensei Dewey. Again with the pace constantly keeping you looking for a breath we focussed on combinations particularly kicking and punching some 8/9 or even 10 moves one after the other slowly, quicker then with full speed and power required. It makes your head spin. The class finished with what we call “ren-geri” a combination where 4 kicks are performed with the same leg before placing the foot on the ground. This is repeated several times on each leg and requires balance as well as technique and strength. With thanks to Sensei Brian and his students we headed to Sensei Dewey’s local pub near Portsdown Hill called the George Inn. An old staging post of an inn with no TV, no juke box and a large selection of ales, perfect.

Saturday with gi’s washed again we prepared for our final training session. This time I was given a reprieve just before we left and told I would be training today. We headed again the Lovedean dojo where Paul was taken through his paces under the scrutiny of Senseis Brian Smith and Allan Lewis (both 7th dan). The small class was taken by Sensei Mick Dewey 8th dan and Paul was again under the kosh. Combining a lot of what he had already been put through plus 12 different katas some of which required bunkai. Bunkai are the practical application of kata techniques turning what look like simple moves into blocks, punches and even throws.

Finally when all was done Paul went to get changed with the 3 Senseis discussed his performance of the 3 days. The discussion culminated in Paul being awarded his second dan. Sweet and deserved after 3 years of work getting to this point. Well done And congratulations to him.