Copyright Peter Morton Academy of Judo Jujitsu Karate
Annual National Seminar 2007
Tharwa, ACT - 12-14 October 2007
The seminar was hosted by the St Edmunds branch and held at the Birrigai Outdoor School, Paddy's River, Tidbinbilla Rd, Tharwa ACT.
Open letter to the Academy - National Seminar 2007 - from Shihan Edward Scharrer (pdf,52kb)
Friday
Arrival and barbecue tea.
Annual General Meeting.
Saturday
Session 1: Warm up and stretch with Sam Godwin
This session started at the ungodly hour of 6:00am. A body did not even have a chance to partake of the legal drug that goes under the common name of coffee. Those of us that are the Academy elders and over the half-century mark need a heart starter first thing in the morning, not to mention plenty of beauty sleep.
Now Sam is of the female persuasion and one who has taken a course or two in How to Torture Through Stretching 101.
We all know that the majority of the female race can bend their body into unnatural positions that make a mere male cringe, something to do with the female ability to bear future generations I have been told. Therefore it was with some amusement, and of no surprise, when Sam's male partner and fellow training dummy expelled a slightly controlled but painful 'owwww' as Sam demonstrated on him a stretch for that part of a leg string named after a pig meat product.
To give credit where credit is due, this session was, despite the early hour, extremely beneficial and conducted in a professional way that even a slow-activating brain and body could comprehend and translate into movement. Now, if only I could remember the exercises so that I could inflict them upon my students; why should only a few have all the fun?
Breakfast and an opening ceremony followed the loose-limb-waking-up session then it was heads down and bottoms up as students were thrown into the serious stuff.
Session 2: Judo drills with Renshi David Burgemeister
Dave is one of those people that seem to appear and disappear from a room in the tradition of a Ninja. One minute he is there, then in the blink of an eye he is nowhere to be seen.
He can be quite unassuming and low key but once captured on the tatami he transforms into a person that all students, no matter what rank, cannot help but admire. He is very adept at judo, boxing and the whole Academy syllabus.
There is nothing like having a few rounds of judo with Dave, if one can survive more than one round and experiencing the power of his throws. When training with Dave one never feels afraid of being broken because there is an intangible confidence conveyed as soon as Dave puts a hand on one's judogi. Usually 'oh shi...' flashes through one’s mind. Just kidding. The truth is that before a breath is taken, one's body is on the tatami, in a perfect breakfall position and the left hand is numb.
Uchikomi (non-throwing attack drills)
In the initial stages it is essential that throws be practised using non-throwing attack drills where a throw is never actually completed. Usually the same technique is repeated many times, for example ten at a time taking turns without actually throwing the opponent to ground. Uchikomi drill is done incorporating all moves except the throw. A full throw is executed on the tenth move. A partner-change takes place at the end of each drill. Throw used: Ogoshi.
Randori (free practice)
This is where students learn to go with an opponent's attack and where breakfalls are practised.
Using throws and counter throws, a student fakes out then throws. Throws used: Ogoshi, Ippon Seoi Nage, Harai goshi.
Session 3: Reading a boxer in defence with Renshi David Burgemeister
Boxing: the act or art of fighting with the fists; a combat with the fists.
Boxer: one who boxes or is skilled in boxing.
Although boxing is not a major part of the Academy's syllabus, it is touched upon so that a student can experience another common fighting discipline and have some idea of what to expect if they are ever in a situation where their opponent has some skill in this art.
Anything and everything can happen against a boxer; the main aim is to wrap up the boxer and stop the arms, which are a boxer's weapon.
Types of boxer & defence against each type:
- Stand off: Let the boxer come to you but move, move your head, move around, draw them in to you.
Use a decoy, fake kick, dummy punch or hand swipe to draw the boxer in to you. - Aggressive: Get out of the way, let the boxer come through, wrap the boxer up and take the boxer down.
- Methodological right-handed and left-handed: Get around and behind. Slip or get around and take down with a judo throw or hold.
Boxing drill
This drill gives an instructor insight into how students behave against each type of boxer.
- Shadow boxing: use combinations while moving around.
- Partner training: non-sparring preparation for boxing using combinations with a partner.
This teaches how to block a punch and maintain a good defence. - Group rotation: students form into groups (four if practical).
- Four different boxers, one for each type, move around each group.
- Each group has to defend against the boxer using a defence style that is appropriate to the type of boxer.
- The defence rule is 'no aggression' but to use method only.
Session 4: Guest martial artists with John Bear and troupe
Kokusai Jujutsu practitioners John Bear and troupe once again demonstrated their art, showing basic moves and strikes with a 1.3 metre long, 5 centimetre thick, wooden staff (Jo) as used in Jojutsu.
Students were lucky enough to practice these moves with and against John and his students.
In a normal class situation, John's students train with minimal conversation but working with our mob they quickly discovered that silence in training is not our way. It did not take them long to adapt and a smile was quite often seen upon the face of their master.
The Academy has a way of inspiring students to relax when they train and I guess, by the reaction of the guest martial artists, that this effect was irresistible. Resistance was futile and infectious enjoyment was the rule.
Competitions
- Peter Morton Perpetual Trophy (Basic Steps Kata) won by Kaleen, ACT, branch
- National Self-Defence Trophy (Two-man Attack) won by Gill Alava, 3rd Kyu green belt, Isabella Plains, ACT, branch
Saturday night
Frivolity and a wild night of creative dancing to a live band followed the Saturday night formal dinner and presentations.
Sunday
Session 5: San Ryu Do
San Ryu Do is combat sport weaponry using rubber swords, head protection and hand protection. The rules are simple: points are scored for a strike to the head, limbs or torso. As you can imagine the rules soon dissipated into the Universal Ether and free-for-all became the rule.
Rules stifle fun and, since serious injury or loss of limb could not be inflicted on a body, the fun factor soon rose to a point where combatants and onlookers could no longer function due to excessive laughter. Talk about getting in touch with the inner child.
An interesting approach to this little game was a Kendo attack style and war cry by a blue belt. Using this controlled approach, he, surprisingly with little effort, scored a number of accurate strikes to his opponent’s head. There is a lesson there for everyone me thinks.
Session 6: Techniques review
- Change training partners on a regular basis to obtain experience at attacking and defending a variety of body sizes.
- When blocking a straight punch, twist the body as you block so that the punch misses the head.
- Do not over-block.
- Wait for the attacker to react.
- An attacker is to act in a realistic way, both in the attack and as a technique is being delivered to them.
- General point for all techniques that involve a punch or a kick: throw a proper punch and deliver a proper kick.
Kempo, Kyu belt level: all straight-punch block defence is one hand only, block and grab. Do not block with two hands but block only with one then grab with one or two hands.
Kempos 1,2,3,4
Kempo 4: one hand block, two hands grab arm, kick to ribs, punch to ribs, drop down on knee, hand on ankle, lean back, two hands grip ankle, stand, flip, flip back, drop to knee, chop to ankle.
Kempo 5: one hand block, two hands grab arm, two kicks, knee on arm, take to ground.
Forearm Hold: Raise hand (stop motion), turn and grab the wrist, hand on elbow, arm bar, push elbow, take to ground.
Round Kick: drop your arm, catch the attacker's leg, your forearm behind the attacker's knee, take to ground, pressure on knee with your body.
Session 7
As the last session of the day, and the seminar, students were treated to a course in games hosted by Renshi Graham Darby.
At the same time, for the less active and more cerebrally-inclined students, Shihan Edward Scharrer conducted a seminar entitled Isaac Newton in Martial Arts (biomechanics).
Photos of the Birragai Educational Centre & surrounds
