Courses

Summer School - see the Summer School main page

Realistic Knife Defence:

With an ever-increasing risk of attack on today’s streets and with the majority of attackers wielding a knife or ‘sharp edge’ weapon, Britain has become a knife culture. With this in mind it is important that everyone understands the destruction such an attack can cause. This course teaches a realistic approach to knife defence and the real dangers of bladed weapon attacks.

Please click here for a write up of the course held in November 2002.

Stick Fighting:

These courses cover all aspects of stick fighting from single to double stick, to stick and knife. Taught by Sensei Dan Lewis these courses are progressive and reflect the ability of the participants.

Apart from its own inherent benefits, stick fighting has direct relevance to your unarmed karate work.  The speed of a stick is up to ten times faster than the hand. Training in this way will improve you hand-eye coordination and really help to put looseness and speed into your technique.

Hakutsuru Te (26th Jan 2002):

The course started with a run through of kata sanchin and then focused on the applications of the opening movement in the kata, namely the morote chudan ude uke in sanchin dachi. However, as opposed to in the kata where the technique is performed slowly and under tension the aim here was to "explode", mimicking the beating of the crane’s wings. The adrenaline required for this explosion is produced in a similar way as in the performance of the three-punch drill - quickly. An important principal is that of floating, sinking, spitting and swallowing; when the arms move forward the body moves back, or the arms up and the body down and vice versa.

This technique can be used as a block, a strike or a combination of the two. For example, if attacked with a punch, it is possible to intercept the attack by pulling the arms inwards and then striking the attacker by extending the arms again (this is made even more effective if the attacker’s arm is pulled on, opening up the neck).

Another example sees the interception of a punch as before but then moving in towards the assailant trapping his leading leg with sanchin dachi. The closest arm to the attacker is placed onto the front of the neck and then the elbow pushed down onto the top of the chest to send him to the ground. If being performed on a taller opponent it will be difficult to apply a force downwards but a strike to his groin will bring him down to a level for this to be possible.

by Andy Whitton (4th Kyu)

Multiples:

This course is on the subject of dealing with multiple attackers in a street defence situation. The majority of fights outside the dojo are not one-on-one Queensbury rules affairs but usually involve 2 or 3 attackers intent on causing you harm.  Don't let anybody tell you this situation is easy - it isn't.

This hands-on course run by Sensei Gavin Mulholland and covers the basic principles, footwork, positioning and zoning required to get you out of trouble.

Grappling:

Ground fighting is an inherent part of Okinawan Goju Ryu which has been all but lost in many Japanese styles and even in some Okinawan schools. The vast majority of fights go to the ground and almost all attacks on women end up here.  If you are clueless in this area you will definitely be out of your depth should a situation occur.

Ed Ball Memorial Competition:

Although Goju Ryu is not a tournament style, (indeed it is almost impossible to apply hard/soft technique in the limited forum of karate tournament), we do hold one annual competition in the memory of one of our students who unfortunately passed away several years ago at the tender age of 18 years.

The tournament features contact sparring, grappling, kata and demonstrations and is all done in a spirit of fun rather than competition - at least that's the theory!!!