Sensei Robert King (5th Dan) and Sempai Aaron Jones of Koryu Uchinadi (KU) Kempo Jujutsu were invited to teach a knife attack and defence seminar by Shihan Rick Cunningham, who has trained with their organisation before. The seminar was held at Annangrove Dojo, attended by Annangrove and Turramurra KIMAA students as well as Sensei Mark McFadden and Sempai Jon Ellis from the North Coast.
The seminar focused on attack, block and counter-attack techniques and combinations involving a knife. There was a great emphasis on the reality of fighting with a knife, dispelling any illusion of imitating what one sees in film or television. A variety of different situations were covered as students were taught, if there is no alternative, how to use a knife effectively against an armed opponent.
Multiple sparring exercises were conducted in the class. The last one was a particularly effective demonstration of the lethality of the weapon, where students swapped their wooden and plastic knives for permanent marker pens, and were told to free fight with a partner. The number of arms and t-shirts coloured in red and black pen said it all!
After the seminar, the group went to a cafe in Round Corner for lunch.
The seminar was seen as a great success that was enjoyable, but also gave a realistic understanding of the knife as a weapon. Shihan Lipman, Shihan Cunningham and all the students were grateful for the time given by Sensei Robert and Sempai Aaron. To Shihan Cunningham and the guest instructors, the most important thing to take away from the seminar was a healthy respect for the knife, as well as a key martial arts principle: if one can walk away from a fight, walk.
You can read more about Koryu Uchinadi (KU) Kempo Jujutsu on their website here, and read more about Sensei Robert here.
Kyokushin International Martial Arts Australia 