Cambridge ESKA

Our on-line Zoom training sessions have proved to be a life-line for many people, not only providing that all-important training, but additionally offering much needed contact and interaction which has been missed by so many during this Covid time. All are welcome, you will need to contact us initially for sign-in the details. Training days and times are as follows:

Club Sessions

Tuesday evenings from 7pm until 7.45pm

Thursday evenings from 7pm until 7.45pm

Saturday mornings from 10:30am until 11:30am

Please note that the length of the sessions time will vary depending on the subject, but all sessions begin promptly.

Association sessions

Monday evenings from 6:30pm until 7:30pm

We have additionally arranged for our club and association members to train on-line with other clubs, so please enquire for details.

Successful Dan Grade – Despite Covid!

Excellent news from December and certainly to be celebrated – Nilanshu Mukherjee has been awarded his Junior Shodan – Black Belt following many years of training and despite the restrictions due to Covid – more on this shortly.

WELL DONE NILANSHU! Oss!

Oss All, Our apologies as it has been a little while since we have posted. As you now know, we have had to return to our on-line Zoom training as a result of this further restriction in our movements. However, the Zoom training is going extremely well and I strongly encourage you all to take-part in both our club and the Association sessions.

None of this on-line training would be possible without the commitment of our club and associations instructors, who are able to fit this around their own work and business commitments.

Keep training – keep focused – and let us all look forward to being back together in the Dojo once again.

Yours in Karate-do

Jeff Sensei

Oss Team Cambridge,

As the heading states – HAPPY FRIDAY –

– We are a another week closer to getting back into the Bar Hill Dojo

– We are another week closer to getting back into the Cottenham Dojo

– We are another week closer to getting back into The Ley’s Dojo

– We are another week closer to our first ever virtual Association Christmas event

– We are another week closer to a great Christmas break

– We are fit and healthy and we have a focus

DONT GIVE-UP!

We have a lot to look forward to…see you tomorrow and have a great weekend.

Jeff Sensei

We received sad news last week that Hanshi Michael Randall MBE (9th Dan) passed away.

Hanshi Randall was one of the founding members of our association back in 1979. He originally trained with Soke Kanazawa in the 1960’s and was one of the first Karate-ka in the UK to gain a Black Belt under Soke Kanazawa.

Hanshi Randall awarded our own Chief Instructor, Hanshi Michael Nursey (9th Dan) with his Shodan, (1st Dan Black Belt) back in 1970.

Hanshi Randall authored and was featured in several books, one of the most notable being, ‘The Shotokan Book of Facts’ which he co-authored with Hanshi Nursey and Dr Clive Layton.

Both Hanshi Nursey and Hanshi Randall are a key part of our lineage, as they inextricably link us to the UK origins of our art in the 1960’s. As further verification of our credibility, I among many others, have met and trained with both Soke Kanazawa and Hanshi Michael Randall.

Thank you Hanshi Randall for all your teachings. Oss.

Oss All,

Well, we’ve been in this lock-down for several weeks now and for many families, it has been very difficult. In terms of our Club, I believe that our virtual training sessions have been going very well and we will continue to develop them. Many of you have engaged with us and as a result, you have maintained or improved your health and fitness, further developing your Karate. Well done! This is a great team effort, which would not have been possible without your Instructors or the Seniors grades putting-in their time and commitment during these challenging times. We will continue to run and develop these sessions until further notice and I confirm the details below.

Additionally, our Association is running virtual sessions, on Mondays and Thursdays, to which you are all welcome – I know that many of you have been attending with great success.

Please remember that we are additionally posting training videos onto our Facebook page.

Let us keep this going so that we can all benefit.

Oss All,

As you are probably now all aware, due to the major issue regarding the COVID-19, we have taken the unprecedented step of suspending all Karate training at all three of our Dojo’s Bar Hill, Cottenham and The Ley’s until further notice. We have done this to safeguard everybody and in the very real interests of Health and Safety and our own Code of Conduct and Duty of Care to you all, our Karate family.

Please monitor this website, our Facebook page, my emails and the Association website for further information and updates.

Above all – keep practicing. I and the team will be posting help and advice on this to further assist you………Russell Sensei has already posted his Press-up challenge on to our Facebook page…….and in time, you will get to see my new ‘On-line’ Karate assistant instructors!

Our Association is very fortunate to have among its Senior Dan Grades, two ex. World Champions and several International Medal-Winners, including our very own Masaya Sensei (Sandan).

Between them and under the expert guidance of John Gillespei Sensei (Rokudan – 6th Dan) Ex. World Champion, they have formed the Kata Squad, a specific group created to enter both National and International competitions, in the categories of Kata and Kumite, (fighting).

This year, Katie and Antonio took part in the AMA’s in Sheffield over the weekend of 29th February/1st March and did extremely well, bearing-in-mind that this was their first time representing the Association. Katie, doing Heian Yondan, was entered into the under 12’s Kata category whilst Antonio entered the Kumite.

Well done both of you! More pictures to follow.

Antonio strikes a superb Oi Zuke in the his kumite category, Sheffield Championships March 2020

Here are the most important dates for the upcoming year – 2020.

Coloured Belt/Kyu Grading dates

Sunday 29th March
Sunday 21st June
Sunday 13th September
Sunday 20th December

Black Belt/Dan Grading dates

Saturday 16th May
Saturday 14th November

Association Championship

Sunday 1st November

41st Christmas Dinner Dance

Saturday 28th November

The journey through Karate is different for everybody, but the start is usually similar for most people. Here, we celebrate the success of some of our newest Team members who graded at out Bar Hill Dojo. Well done to you for taking the first and second steps on the journey.

As one of the many Japanese proverbs states – “A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step”