Sunday May 15 saw another KIMAA Black Belt Class held at Annangrove Dojo. The session was an extension of normal the normal Sydney Kobudo (weapons) training schedule.
A number of katas were covered in the class to revise basics, finesse and correct timings. Some were kyu-grade katas, such as Sanchin or the Pinans, as well as dan-grade, such as Seienchin or Garyu. The Kyokushin Bo kata, Chion, was also practised.
The Black Belt class: Sempai Alex Lloyd, Patricia Tan, Sensei Ben Ng, Sensei James Sidwell, Sensei Don Cheong, Sensei Mark Shelmerdine, Shihan Rick Cunningham, Sensei Peter Olive, Sensei Paul Finnerty, Sensei Ian Holdaway, Sensei Mark McFadden and Sempai Jason Lambe.
After the black belt session finished, the bulk of students participated in a Kobudo class.
Weapons revised included the Bo, Sai and Kama.
The Kobudo class: Sempai Alex, Sensei Mark, Patricia, Sensei James, Shihan Cunningham, Sensei Paul, Sensei Peter, Sensei Ian, Sensei Mark and Sensei Ben.
At the end of the class, Shihan Cunningham presented Trish Tan with her 3rd Kyu in Kobudo, having been graded in the April KIMAA Lismore Seminar.
Trish Tan receives her 3rd Kyu in Kobudo from Shihan Rick Cunningham.
The second KIMAA seminar of 2016 was held in Lismore, NSW Far North Coast, at Lismore Dojo on the weekend of April 16-17. The seminar was run by Shihan Rick Cunningham (6th Dan Kyokushin, 6th Dan Kobudo).
The seminar was hosted by Lismore Dojo’s head instructor, Sensei Mark McFadden (3rd Dan Kyokushin, 3rd Dan Kobudo). Other black belts in attendance were Sensei Jon Ellis (3rd Dan Kyokushin, 2nd Dan Kobudo) and Sempai Wally Gray (2nd Dan Kyokushin). KIMAA Karateka included adults and kids from local dojos Lismore and Ballina. Sensei Barry Potts from Northern Rivers Shukokai Karate brought along his students to participate in the seminar’s Saturday session.
The Saturday session of the seminar focused on Kyokushin Karate.
The primary focus of Saturday’s class was on bunkai (application) from kata (pattern or form). The applications were taken from various Pinan Kata and Naihanchi.
Everyone had a good time, and a lot of content was covered in the day.
Saturday participants in the KIMAA Lismore Seminar.
Sunday began with Kobudo. A grading was held, and students were assessed by Shihan Cunningham. Trish Tan, Wally Gray, Jack Hannah and Wes Snyder were all graded to their next Kyu belt in Kobudo. Congratulations to all.
Kobudo students in the KIMAA Lismore Seminar.
After the Kobudo was a Little Lions session. This session included kihon (basics), pad/bag work and kata.
The Little Lions enjoyed themselves, especially having guest instructor Shihan Cunningham show them a few new tricks!
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Lunch was then served, expertly BBQ’d by Sensei Jon Ellis. Thanks go to Geoff from Wyrallah Rd Blue Ribbon Meats for supplying the snags to feed the hungry Little Lions after the morning session. Patricia Tan was also a great aid with the supply shopping and other little situations that arose. Of course thanks also go to the parents of the Little Lions who gave up their weekends to come and support their kids.
Shihan Rick Cunningham with the North Coast Little Lions.
The opening of this dojo is a proud expansion of KIMAA operations on the North Coast. Thanks go to all students who helped clean and prepare the new dojo for training.
The new Ballina Dojo.
In other recent news for Ballina Dojo and their Little Lions, on Sunday April 10, Cooper competed in the first round of the National All Styles.
Cooper came second in the Pee Wee Points Sparring division. Congratulations, Cooper! Thanks go to Sempai Rob James for standing in Cooper’s corner on the day.
Competing were three fighters from Ballina Dojo and eight from Aspley Dojo.
Sensei Jon with the competitors from Ballina Dojo.
Mick Calnan, Cooper Bahadur and Peter English, all students of Sensei Jon, fought on behalf of the NSW Far North Coast. It was the first time competing in a tournament for Peter and Cooper, and the second time for Mick.
Mick fought very well but unfortunately did not win his fight. He made the dojo proud though, earning the nickname ‘The Gumtree’ from his fellow competitors because they couldn’t knock him down or budge him!
Cooper fought two fights and won both. He lost his last fight – in the final for his division – but made an admirable effort for second place.
Peter had one fight and was put up against a 1st Kyu (Senior Brown Belt). Peter is a 10th Kyu (Orange Belt). It was a tough fight but Peter managed to hold his own against the much more seasoned opponent for the entire two-minute round, also taking second place in his division.
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Videos of some of the fights are available on the private North Coast Kyokushin Facebook page for members there.
Eight of Sempai Rob James’s Little Lions also competed on the day: Brock, Bodie, Quinten and Chantelle Dielwart; Darius and Mayhar Firoozi; Jack Bolger; and Isaac Selwood.
Sempai Rob and the competitors from Aspley Dojo.
Sempai Rob was impressed by everyone’s courage and determination on the day – most notably young Isaac, who has only been training a short time but managed second place in his first tournament.
Chantelle twisted her ankle seconds into her first round and was taken to hospital. She has since been released with no broken bones, just severe bruising and soreness. We wish her a speedy recovery.
Brodie and Brock Dielwart performed well in their first tournament as did Darius Firoozi. Jack Bolger placed second in boys 8-10 years; Isaac Selwood second in boys 10-12 years; Mahyar Firoozi second men’s novice 70-80 kgs; and Quintin Dielwart placed third in the men’s 8th Kyu novice.
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Four students from Lismore Dojo attended the tournament with Sensei Mark to watch and support their fellow karateka. Jack, Yacho, Lachlan and Phil enjoyed watching their first live Kyokushin tournament, giving them a taste of what they need to train for in the future. Their attendance is a typical reflection of the KIMAA attitude, showing up to support your mates in the dojo even if you don’t have a fight on the day. Their cries of encouragement from the sidelines would have helped the fighters from Ballina and Aspley get through their two-minute rounds, no doubt.
Well done to all involved for their training in the lead-up, their performance on the day and their continuous display of the Kyokushin spirit.
Kyokushin Karate gradings were held recently in KIMAA‘s two dojos in the  Far North Coast of New South Wales. The gradings were for the Little Lions (kids classes) and adult junior kyu grades.
Attendees included adults and kids from local dojos Annangrove and Turramurra. Students also came from the Far North Coast dojos, Lismore and Ballina, led by Sensei Jon Ellis (3rd Dan Kyokushin, 2nd Dan Kobudo). Young Jarryd Close represented Brisbane’s Aspley Dojo.
Shihan Howard Lipman extended his apologies but was unable to attend due to work commitments.
An afternoon class was held on the Saturday, attended by the North Coast and Brisbane students, along with senior grades from Sydney. The session focused on Kobudo, specifically the Kali sticks and Bo. This was followed by bunkai from the Kyokushin Karate kata Pinan sono Ichi.
Guests from the other dojos and Sydney seniors then enjoyed a dinner at Shihan Cunningham’s home, prepared by Shihan and his wife Kirsti.
The main part of the seminar took place on the Sunday, beginning at 9 am. The first session ran students through basics, which included a lot of partner and contact work. This was followed by sanbon kumite and bunkai from Pinan sono Ichi & Ni.
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For the next session, students were broken up into groups based on belt grade and experience with Kobudo.
Sensei Ian Holdaway (3rd Dan Kyokushin, 1st Dan Kobudo) took some junior kyu grades through the Pinan sono Ni kata and bunkai. Sensei Paul Finnerty (4th Dan Kyokushin, 3rd Dan Kobudo) took other kyu grades with little prior Kobudo experience through the Bo, specifically the Kihon kata. Sensei Mark Shelmerdine (4th Dan Kyokushin, 4th Dan Kobudo) took a more experienced group of kyu grades through the Bo, including the Kihon kata and the partner contact work.
Kobudo at the Sydney Seminar.
Senior grades remained inside with Sensei Peter Olive (4th Dan Kyokushin, 1st Dan Kobudo). Sensei Peter took students through various Karate kata, including Pinan sono Yon & Go, Yantsu, and Gekusai Dai & Sho.
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A BBQ lunch was then served by Sensei Ian.
Students were then broken up into groups again based on which weapon they wanted to work on. Sensei Mark took students through the Eeku kata; Sensei Paul taught the first Sai kata, Chibana no Sai; and Sempai Alex Lloyd (2nd Dan Kyokushin, 1st Dan Kobudo) ran the Kali stick group through a partner drill and multiple combat drills.
Sempai Alex teaches kali sticks
Sensei Peter & Sensei Don with Eeku
Chibana no Sai kata
Sensei Paul teaches Sai
All students came back together for the final session, which was fitness and fight training. Students did full-contact work in rotating pairs. It was a hot weekend with high-intensity cardio, allowing the karateka to demonstrate their fitness and determination.
Kumite at the Sydney Seminar.
Students enjoyed the thorough stretch and warm-down at the end of the class!
Thanks go to all guests from the North Coast and Queensland dojos for making the trip to Sydney, as always; thanks to Shihan Lipman and Shihan Cunningham for organising the weekend; and to Shihan Cunningham once again for running an excellent seminar.
The next KIMAA Seminar will be held at Lismore Dojo in April.
The first KIMAAÂ black belt weekend class of 2016 was held at Turramurra Dojo on Saturday February 27th.
This class continued on from the Kyokushin black belt sessions last year in August and October. They are now scheduled shortly before the twice-yearly KIMAA seminars, designed to both consolidate knowledge among the seniors to ensure their students’ preparation is correct, as well as being advanced training for any seniors attempting a grading.
Three katas were practised: Saiha, Seienchin and Okinawan Seipai. Students then worked in pairs to go through the bunkai.
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There were some sore bodies at the end of class from all the throws and takedowns – not to mention the wrist locks – but it was a successful class with a lot of focused content.
Senior Kobudo students fronted up to Annangrove Dojo the next morning for training, again with Sensei Mark and Sensei Jon in attendance. The Kobudo black belts revised Sakugawa No Kon (Bo), Arnis stick drill, Chatanyara No Sai (Sai) and Kudaka No Jo (Jo).
Sempai Alex Lloyd, Sensei Jon Ellis, Sensei Ian Holdaway, Sensei Mark McFadden, Shihan Rick Cunningham, Sensei Paul Finnerty, Sensei Mark Shelmerdine & Sempai James Campbell.
Kyokushin International Martial Arts Australia 