As mentioned a few posts ago my Sensei, Paul Mitchell, hosted a kata bunkai course, focusing on the kata Gojushiho Sho. Those that were there enjoyed the course and we all learnt a lot. For those that missed it, here’s a small sample, looking the triple nukite (spear hand) strikes from the kata.
Tagged bunkai, Gojushiho, Gojushiho Sho, karate bunkai, kata bunkai
For anybody interested in realistic and effective kata bunkai (and close enough as I know that many readers are in other countries), Sensei Paul Mitchell (my instructor) will be holding a kata and bunkai course on Sunday 6th February. This is open to practitioners of 
any style of Karate or TKD as long as they are above 4th Kyu/Kup.
The first section will break down the kata Gojushiho Sho and its form (from a Shotokan perspective). The second half will look at the kata bunkai (practical applications). Sensei Mitchell is an expert at karate bunkai and an acknowledged authority within the Traditional Shotokan Karate Association.
I have posted previously about Sensei Mitchell’s kata bunkai courses, so you can CLICK HERE to see how he teaches and the type of advanced kata bunkai he teaches.
This course is highly recommended to anybody who can make it.
Details are as follows:
Time: 11.00 to 2.30pm.
Location: Wells Blue Sports Centre, Kennion Road, Wells, Somerset BA5 2NR.
Cost: Adults £12.00, Juniors £10.00.
A light lunch will be provided, so if you intend to attend, please let Sensei Mitchell know in advance. You can email him at: shotokankaratewells@hotmail.co.uk
Full details are on the Wells Shotokan Karate Club website.
Posted in Bunkai, Courses, Karate, News & Miscellaneous
Tagged bunkai, bunkai course, karate bunkai, kata bunkai, kata course, learn bunkai
My Sensei and Tai Chi teacher, Paul Mitchell, will be running a 2 day Tai Chi course on the weekend of 27th/28th November. The course will cover various aspects of Yang style Taijiquan and Nei Gong (internal change) syllabus.
Paul’s approach to Tai Chi is that it is a high level martial art. If you want to study Tai Chi as a martial art then ideally you would be better off practicing a harder martial art first (Kung Fu, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, etc), which was always the traditional way in ancient China. You don’t have to of course, but it will take longer to understand the martial aspects of Tai Chi if you don’t.
Paul has a very deep understanding of martial arts and is amongst the very best teachers for practicality of application (both Karate and Tai Chi). He is also the first Karate teacher I’ve ever had who explains Karate in esoteric/energetic terms and who can properly explain martial arts as a “Do” (way of life) better than anyone I’ve ever trained with. Paul really is a hidden gem who deserves to be better known in the martial arts world.
It was always the traditional way in China to learn Kung Fu first, then Tai Chi; then to revise your Kung Fu to include the Tai Chi principles (this works with Karate/TKD etc as well). If you practice another martial art and would like to learn how to add Tai Chi principles into it, then Paul’s the guy as he regularly does this with his Karate. It is no accident that the 3 senior grades in the Paul’s Karate club (Paul, myself and Joe Andrews – 3rd Dan) all practice Tai Chi as well.
There will be several teachers in attendance and so students will receive assistance with whatever they need for their own personal development. The course was run last year to serve as final review of material at the end of the year; it was requested by students again and so here it is!
Course Details: Henton Village Hall, Henton, (near Wells), Somerset, UK; starting 9.00 am on Saturday morning and finishes at 4.30 pm on Sunday. The cost of the course is: £90 with a deposit of £30 required to secure a place. Cost includes the two days training and lunch on Saturday and Sunday.
To take part, email admin at lotusneigong@hotmail.co.uk.
For further information, visit the Lotus Nei Gong website and check out their Youtube channel below:
Posted in Courses, News & Miscellaneous, Tai Chi
Tagged applied tai chi, internal change, lotus nei gong, tai chi, taijiquan, yang
Having been to a couple of Kevin O’Hagan’s seminars, I can vouch that the guy is a great teacher and extremely practical. Most of what he teaches is simple, effective and can be easily incorporated into your own style. I certainly incorporated it into my Karate and into our DVD, Inside Bassai Dai.
Kevin and his son’s, Tom and Jake will be running a 6 month Teaching Diploma next year, which I would highly recommend. Apart from Kevin’s practicality, he is a real gent who is very approachable, humorous and makes time for anybody who has questions for him (on and off the matt). His son’s are the same. I’ve posted about Kevin before, so you have a look at the type of things he does HERE and HERE.
Anyway, for information about the diploma itself, here it is Jake O’Hagan’s own words:-
DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS……….
I am writing to you with a unique opportunity so that you can be first to pencil it in to your training calendar for next year.
At the start of 2011 Kevin O’Hagan is planning to host his first ever 6 month Diploma course to qualify the lucky few as an official instructor in the O’Hagan Total Combat System. This diploma will train you to a standard where you are able to incorporate and integrate parts of Kevin’s system within your arts where possible and pass on to others. It will be authenticated and signed by Kevin. This will be a unique and highly sought after credential. Kevin is a respected internationally in the world of reality combat so this diploma will carry some weight.
This unique training experience will occur once a month for 6 months and will require full commitment to every training session to complete the Diploma. You will have the chance to train through intense 4 hour sessions side to side with Kevin as he works closely with you to hone your martial skills.
The course will be split in to 6 modules which will be based around topics such as anatomy of a street predator, predicting violence, understanding fear, threat assessment, Manstoppers, combat ground fighting, adrenal response, mugging rituals, multiple opponents, control and restraint, weapon defence and much more!!!
As you can see from the subject matter the Diploma is bursting with information. Theory and practical hands on training make up the subject matter. Both aspects are as important as each other in Kevin’s system. The Diploma will help you understand the street predator inside and out then focus on verbal and physical ways to systematically defuse defend or attack back successfully.
Kevin will impart over 34 years of knowledge in these intense 4 hour seminars to a small group of applicants on a very personal basis. He will be sharing the essentials and fundamentals but also be letting you in on all his martial secrets and favourites that will distinguish you from the rest.
This really is a unique and valuable opportunity for anyone who is serious about martial art. This course will not be padded out or sugar coated; it will be fast moving, jam packed and no nonsense. Due to Kevin’s martial arts up bringing in the Japanese arts of Goshin ryu and Kodai ryu combat jujutsu under instructors such as the hard and infamous Mickey Upham, ’Mad dog’ Dave Vincent, SBS veteran Mike Marshall and the renowned self-protection guru Dave Turton, Kevin has brushed shoulders and shared mats with the very best in the self-protection, Jujutsu and MMA world.
Kevin is now one of the few active instructors in the UK teaching these dying arts. He wants to preserve and promote them for the future. Will you be one of the fortunate applicants to aspire to this?
This course will change your training perspective forever! As pre-mentioned Kevin has trained with the best and is excited to offer this Diploma after years of hard training. This chance will be limited to a small numbered group and will be very personally taught at a very reasonable price; for martial artists from any background. We want to provide this opportunity to as many as possible in the future so we will guarantee you get your money’s worth.
If you are interested could send a reply to this or respond via phone; we will give more details and answer any questions you may have. Again this will be a unique chance and only available to a small group; so register your interest ASAP.
Thanks for your time and I hope to hear from you soon
All the best
Jake O’Hagan O’Hagan Total Combat System Tear Up Promotions +44 (0)7789 865 284
PS: Please let Jake know that you heard about here!
An acquaintance of mine, Paul Loughlin, will be teaching a child bullying self defence seminar followed by an adult edged weapon defence seminar this coming Sunday at the Bristol Martial Arts Academy (Bristol, UK).
As well as being at 2nd Dan Kickboxing/Karate, Paul is also a qualified Self Defence Instructor:
Level 1, Complete Basic Self Defence
Level 2, Complete Ladies Self Defence
Level 3, Adverse Situations & Multiple Attacks
Level 4, Street Weapons Self Defence
Paul who has his own company, ADD Self Protection, was trained by Dave Turton, founder of the Self Defence Federation (SDF) and one of the pioneers of street wise self protection. I have met Paul at some of Kevin O’Hagan’s seminars as he likes to keep his knowledge up to date; so if you are free this Sunday and in the area, check it out. Times and contact details are on his website or you can find him on Facebook.
Here are a couple of clips of Paul teaching with fellow SDF instructor, Steve Hallam:
Coming up on Sunday 19th September is Kevin O’Hagan’s Edged Weapons Defence Seminar. I’ve only trained with Kevin once before on his Manstoppers Course, but for real world self protection practicality, Kevin has to be one of the best in the UK. Although he is primarily JuJutsu based, I’ve always felt that learning JuJutsu is like doing a Karate bunkai class (that is not meant in a condescending manner to JuJutsu as I have a lot of respect the art).
A number of the techniques I learned on the Manstoppers course fit hand in glove with my Karate and I thoroughly recommend it to any Karate/TKD/Kung Fu practitioner who wants to learn more about how to use their own art in a practical manner. If you look carefully, you will usually find that some techniques taught look surprisingly similar to some movements in your katas/patterns/forms that you maybe had not found a practical use for before.
TOPICS TO BE COVERED;
The course is from 11.00am to 3.00pm at the Bristol Dojo, 74-78 Avon Street, St Philip’s, BS2 OPX. Cost £25.00. To book your place contact Jake O’Hagan on 07789865284 or jakeohagan@ymail.com.
Here’s a video clip of Kevin in action. As mentioned above, if Karate/TKD/Kung Fu practitioners look closely, you should recognise some movements from your own katas/forms/patterns. The video clip is not in the “teaching format” that I prefer for this blog, but you have a look at what this brilliant teacher has to offer you on the course.
By Charlie Wildish 3rd Dan Shotokan Karate and Lotus Nei Gong Tai Chi
I have recently had the pleasure of seeing Kevin O’Hagin and his two sons, Jake and Tom, performing a demonstration at the Rotary Martial Arts Festival in Bath. It was fast moving, dynamic and one of the highlights of the Festival. Kevin’s style of Combat Justu, based on his many years studying various froms of Ju Jutsu, and other related arts, is a no-nonsense brutal system for defeating an opponent quickly and efficiently. The people that Kevin has trained with is extensive and reads like a who’s who of reality martial arts.
Kevin is a former professional cage fighter as well as successful author – brawn and brain 
However, he separates his teaching between the sporting MMA side and his Combat Jutsu street defence style.
He has recently been awarded his 7th Dan in Combat Jutsu and is a 6th Dan Senior Instructor in self protection with the British Combat Association, the most respected reality based self protection organisation in the UK. In short, Kevin knows his stuff.
I have inserted a few Youtube clips of Kevin teaching, so that you can see for yourself the type of training he gives. Furthermore, Kevin is running a course soon in Bristol (UK). I have inserted a copy of his promotional poster below. I would say to anybody from the Karate, TKD world etc., who may not think that this is anything to do with your style; think again. Many applications from our Kata’s/patterns/forms, are very similar (sometimes identical) to Ju Jutsu, so I’m sure that if you look carefully, you will find Kevin doing moves that you have seen before, but never thought of applying them in that manner.
(Note: This third video looks quite close to Kung Fu Tiger style with the raking fingers)
To find out more about Kevin O’Hagan, go to his website: www.KevinOHagan.com
By Charlie Wildish 3rd Dan Shotokan Karate and Lotus Nei Gong Tai Chi
  |
| Padded Striking Target $12.95 And see the rest of our focus targets |
