Seishinkai Shotokan Karate InternationalSeishinkai Shotokan Karate International
News and Club Notices
Updated March 15th, 2010
Club Notices
Click here for Club News
Club documentation – Licence Form
Mar 20 Sat… Charity Open Shotokan Course – click here for details of a forthcoming open-course to be taught by Simon Staples and Steve Hollister. The course will be focusing on Competition kumite (Sensei Hollister) and 'Pure karate' for reality (Sensei Staples). The proceeds from the course are going to help the family of a former SEKU member whose wife has terminal cancer and needs to raise £30,000 to fund a trip to a specialist treatment centre in Mexico; both Sensei’s are teaching entirely for free. Details of the charity can be found at www.seizethisday.co.uk.
ISTC 2010 – click here for information and booking details for this year’ training camp in France
Mock Dan Gradings – From the December 2009 grading and including this grading, the Mock Grading in the Hemel Hempstead dojo, which is held ten days prior to the Dan Grading itself, will now be compulsory for ALL students taking Dan Gradings. A student not attending the Mock Grading will not be allowed to take the Dan Grading immediately following. This is for the sole benefit of the student taking the said grading.
Dan Grading Kata – From the December 2009 grading and including this grading, a student taking the nidan exam will not be allowed to perform Bassai-dai kata as their tokui kata. Likewise a student taking the sandan exam will not be allowed to perform katas Jion, Bassai-dai or Hangetsu as their tokui kata. For these advanced gradings a new kata should be studied and performed and not one that has been previously performed as a shitei kata in a previous grading.
‘Little Book of Seishinkai’ – The new, limited edition, special 25th anniversary edition of the ‘Little Book of Seishinkai’ (gold edition) is now available from the Association HQ or ask your sensei for details. Book is £10 and signed copies are available!
New Association Baseball Caps for sale: £12 all sizes, order through Sensei Phipps.
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April 22nd Thu… Special Squad Kata Training Session with Sensei Phipps at Hemel Hempstead School (Hall) from 7–9pm, £10. This is not compulsory but kata competitors (team and individual) are advised to attend to improve their performance before the Shobu-Ippon tournament in May.
March 13th Sat… Results from the 2010 Legend Open Shotokan Championships at Bracknell
2010 Squad – the SSKI Squad 2010 in their new tracksuits at the February training session.
SSKI Open Course with Sensei Dave Hazard 7th Dan – Another absolutely wonderful weekend’s course was held with Sensei Hazard at the Hemel Hempstead honbu dojo of the Association on the weekend of 6/7th February. The course was well subscribed to and everyone enjoyed every session they attended. It is always great to see instructors and students from other Associations training on these courses and it was excellent to see the likes of Matt Powell, Graham Palmer, Donovan Slue and others at this seminar. The junior session on the Saturday concentrated mainly on blocking and counter attacking, in a kind of a clock formation, covering all of the basic blocks and using many different angles while the senior session was a kicking lesson using most of the kicks used in Shotokan karate. On the first session on the Sunday Sensei Hazard concentrated on the Shotokan kata Empi and its applications with the final session being used for close-quarter combat using open-handed techniques only. Sensei Phipps thanked Sensei Hazard for another fantastic weekend’s karate and now everyone looks forward to his return in September of this year.
Sensei Phipps and Sensei Hazard.
Sponsorship – Many thanks must go to Sensei Tony Bunting 6th Dan, who has obtained sponsorship to the tune of £900 from the Buckinghamshire Building Society and the Harpenden Building Society for the new 2010 squad tracksuit tops. Well done Tony, you’re a star!
New SSKI USA Website – we are pleased to announce that the new SSKI USA website is now up and running.
4th Dan Grading – Many congratulations to Jeff Carson who passed his 4th Dan Grading on Monday December 14th.
Dan Gradings – Congratulations to all who passed at the Association Dan Grading on Saturday December 12th: Shodan – Danny Richards, Emily Blundell and Karen Snowley. Nidan – Teiki Benveniste and Thomas Oliver.
News Archive
Congratulations! Many congratulations to Adam and Janine on their engagement.
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Sept 19/20 Sat/Sun… Sensei Dave Hazard 7th Dan – SSKI Open Autumn Course
Another absolutely brilliant SSKI Open Course with Sensei Dave Hazard 7th Dan was experienced by those who attended on the two days of Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th September 2009. Sessions included street situations using our karate skills, the kata Gankaku and its bunkai and an excellent keri (kicking) session to finish the weekend off. At these seminars four instructors from the USA branch of SSKI attended and were in absolute awe of Sensei Hazard and the superb Course. The four, who travelled 8000 miles round trip to train with Sensei Hazard were Randy Bodey 2nd Dan, Jeff Sanders 2nd Dan, Jan Meyer 2nd Dan and Dennis Huff 1st Dan. Sensei Phipps thanked Sensei Hazard for the brilliant weekend and everyone is looking forward to the two Courses with Sensei Hazard in 2010. The dates are 6/7th February and 25/26th September 2010.
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(L to R: Dave Hazard, Randy Bodey, Jan Meyer, Jeff Sanders, Malcolm Phipps, Dennis Huff, Shaun Banfield) |
July 4/5th – Sensei Hazard 7th Dan Course: Another brilliant weekend’s course (at the Hemel Hempstead Dojo) with Sensei Hazard, where on the Saturday he covered the kata Gojushiho-dai for the senior grades and on the Sunday close–quarter techniques using the elbows and open-handed techniques. The junior grades were treated to an excellent kicking lesson on the Sunday which involved many intricate ways of improving your mawashi-geri. On the Saturday they concentrated mainly on basics and kata (Heian Sandan and Tekki Shodan). This course was very well attended with guests coming from many different groups and everyone went away with something to work on. Sensei Phipps thanked Sensei Hazard for a wonderful weekend and we all look forward to Sensei Hazard’s return on 19/20th September of this year. Keep an eye on the website for new times and prices for this seminar.
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Dan Gradings – At the Association Dan Grading on Saturday 13th June 2009, the following participants were successful in passing their grading: Shodan – Leah Groom, Petra Ewington, Imran Ullah and Paul Munjic. Nidan – Kaan Yargici, Nicholas Ross–McCall, Anthony Holt and Thomas Carson. Congratulations to all of them.
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Shobu-Ippon Medal Table – SSKI is in the very prestigious number one spot. Well done to all who have taken these medals over the years. Click here to see the table.
New Association Structure
Association Hierarchy – The following positions and titles come into effect from February 2009:
» Chief Instructor and Chairman – Sensei Malcolm Phipps 7th Dan
» Assistant Chief Instructor and Chairman – Sensei Tony Bunting 6th Dan
» Association Team Coach – Sensei Adam Cockfield 4th Dan
» Association Chief Referee – Sensei Jeff Carson 3rd Dan
Executive & Technical Committee – The above four sensei plus: Sensei Daniel White 3rd Dan, Sensei Paul Carvell 3rd Dan, Sensei Nick Forgham 3rd Dan and Sensei Peter Welch 3rd Dan.
Hemel Hempstead Honbu Black-Belts – Photograph of students that trained on Wednesday 11th February on the Black–Belt only session. The lesson, taken by Sensei Phipps, consisted of the kata Kanku–dai and Jiyu–Ippon line training drills. The next of these lessons will be on Wednesday 11th March.
 Hemel Hempstead Honbu Black–Belts |
SSKI Course (18th January 2009 – Hemel Hempstead dojo). The course instructors for this were Malcolm Phipps sensei, Tony Bunting sensei and Adam Cockfield sensei. The course was split into three groups, using three separate halls and each sensei worked on one important aspect of Shotokan karate (kata, kumite and kihon); this was one of the most successful SSKI courses held for many a year. Many thanks to all three instructors and here’s to the next similar course on Sunday 5th April.
Please also see your club’s AGM Minutes for some very important changes, especially to Dan Gradings, Squad Training sessions and Black-belt only lessons.
December 6th Sat…At the Association’s Dan Grading at the Hemel Hempstead dojo, the following were successful in passing their dan grades: Antony Bunting to Rokudan (6th Dan), Stacey Barton to Nidan (2nd Dan) and Paul Hazell to Nidan (2nd Dan). Sensei Phipps gave a small speech before awarding Sensei Bunting with his 6th Dan certificate, thanking him for his fantastic support during Sensei Phipps’ illness and indeed since. Tony is a true, loyal and very respected instructor who is a credit to the Association and indeed a great friend. His grade is therefore thoroughly well-deserved. Stacey Barton and Paul Hazell both passed their Nidan grades in real style giving even more strength to the very powerful Hemel Hempstead dojo and indeed the Association as a whole.
 Malcolm Phipps presenting Tony Bunting with his certificate |
 Stacey Barton, Malcolm Phipps, Tony Bunting and Paul Hazell |
September 27th Sat… Congratulations to Sensei Malcolm Phipps 7th Dan, our Chief Instructor, for being unanimously voted to the position of Chairman to the Shotokan Alliance at the meeting at the Holiday Inn, Reading on Saturday 27th September 2008. (We've had Chairman Mao, now we've got Chairman Mal!!!)
New SSKI Dan Grades – On Saturday 6th September at the Hemel Hempstead Honbu Dojo the following students passed their Dan Gradings: Shodan – Gary Richards, Sam Richards and Claire Cerins. Congratulations to these fine new shodans, which now gives the Honbu Dojo no less than twenty–five training Black-belts.
Successful Yondan Grading – on Wednesday 16th April, under the watchful eye of Sensei Malcolm Phipps 7th Dan and Sensei Tony Bunting 5th Dan, Sensei Adam Cockfield passed his yondan (4th Dan) examination in real style. Adam had to perform a kata that had been given to him by the above panel, three months previously. The panel had chosen kata Meikyo to which Adam had to perform the kata in front of the panel and the senior class. Then, with four of his London club’s black-belts, had to show the panel the oyo/bunkai of the kata; Adam performed this once slowly and then once at full speed. Adam then went on to take a one and a half hour senior grade lesson in front of the panel. Adam also had to write a thesis on any subject pertaining to karate training and also a smaller thesis on the kata Meikyo. Adam’s chosen subject for his main thesis was ‘The Impact of Competition on Modern Shotokan Karate’; click here to read Adam's two excellent and well-researched theses. The whole grading was a huge success; both Sensei Malcolm and Sensei Tony commented that this was the very best yondan grading they had ever witnessed and has set a real benchmark for future participants. A grade which was really earned and not just given for a certain amount of time elapsing or any other such means. Adam is the very successful Association’s Coach and his London club is now a real force to be reckoned with, with eight excellent black-belts and a strong club below these yudansha. Well done, Adam, and well-deserved!
Sensei Dave Hazard 7th Dan Course – on Sunday 20th April at the Hemel Hempstead honbu dojo, SSKI students and their guests were treated to yet another absolutely brilliant Course by Sensei Hazard. Guests came from as far afield as Ramsgate, Norwich and Billingshurst to train with Sensei Hazard and this excellent Course made the journey worthwhile. In the junior session Sensei concentrated on the kata Heian Yondan, cleverly giving bunkai and partner work in the early part and then putting the kata together near the end of this session. In the senior session a similar idea was put into operation concentrating on the kata Jion which contained some very interesting oyo and bunkai. Another absolutely superb Course with Sensei Hazard and everyone looks forward to his return on the weekend of 20/21st of September to the Hemel Hempstead dojo. Sensei Phipps thanked Sensei Hazard at the end of the senior session for such a great day and then both Sensei Phipps and Sensei Hazard presented Sensei Adam Cockfield with his 4th Dan certificate for his successful grading the previous Wednesday.
