Curso KDS Gibraltar Mayo de 2009 con Sensei Harada

El pasado 15, 16 y 17 de Mayo tuvimos el honor y el placer de asistir al curso que impartió Mitsusuke Harada en el club KDS Gibraltar.

Fue un placer ver como el Maestro tenía un excelente humor y una gran forma física a sus 81 años. El maestro comentó (cito de memoria):

La prueba de que mi método de practicar karate es bueno, es que a mi edad aún puedo neutralizar suavemente un ataque y controlar al oponente. Ésta es mi vida, éste es mi karate.

Sensei recuerda como Funakoshi era capaz a sus 80 y tantos de aceptar el ataque de uno de los estudiantes jóvenes y lanzarlo a un lado. Dice que entonces no le parecía gran cosa pero que ahora a sus 80 comprende que es algo dificil. Otros maestros a su edad no practican, sólo pueden observar y corregir a los alumnos o ir contando los tsukis: ichi, ni, san...



En KDS es el club anfitrión el que prepara el curso. El Maestro y sus alumnos 5º Dan puntualizan, corrigen y realizan demostraciones sobre lo explicado por los anfitriones. De ésta forma el club que prepara el curso aprende el máximo, ya que han preparado el tema y no hay como enseñar a otros para aprender.

El KDS Gibraltar propuso por un lado como absorber un ataque, esperando hasta el último momento y entrar en irimi , para luego combinarlo con una técnica de fumikomi. Irimi siempre es una técnica desafiante que requiere gran decisión.

Por otra parte trabajamos el kata hangetsu. Realmente, hasta que se trabajan uno por uno los movimientos con una imaginación real no se aprende el kata. Sin estas sensaciones, el kata no es más que una coreografía. Trabajamos el kata punto por punto con los compañeros y en pequeños grupos.

Como siempre me gustaría agradecer la gran hospitalidad y cariño con las que nos tratan todos los miembros del KDS Gibraltar y su instructor Frank DaCosta. También nos gustaría agradecer a Sensei, Mary y Marc por su enseñanza y consejos. Por último dar las gracias a Lionel por su traducción.

Esperamos verlos pronto a todos.

Practice biography of Stephen Pointer

Hola, my name is Stephen Pointer.

Please, let me tell you something about my practice of Karate-do Shotokai (KDS).

About the age of sixteen I found myself deeply interested in the philosophy and esoteric knowledge coming into the UK from the East, at that time in the UK it was very difficult to find a teacher, over the next few years I spent my time visiting different clubs and associations practicing yoga, taichi, aikido, and karate, At the age of twenty and what seemed purely by chance I set off one day to visit a club that I heard of, at this time the club was known as Southampton Bushidokan, I recognized immediately that the idea here was very different, and from within the practice was a strong and clear sense of direction, I was hooked.

I enthusiastically continued to train, as a young man of twenty I was open to many new ideas, a few months passed and then there was talk of a visit from our teacher, the club had hired a large hall in the next town, the course would be given over the weekend.

A little over thirty years later I can still remember nervously walking into that hall, the course was well attended, I was in awe of the many black belts there, in the center of the hall was a group of dan grades surrounding the japanese master, Sensei Mitzusuki Harada who was talking and demonstrating techniques, although having virtually no technical knowledge at that time I could see that this man was different, I could see that somehow this man, Sensei Harada, had transcended technical form and could move freely from within the artform, during that weekend I watched time and again as Sensei Harada made various demonstrations, his ability to softly make contact with the attacker and without effort throw him out 2 or 3 meters, it was totally convincing for me, not knowing if it would ever be possible to reach Sensei's Harada level of expression of Karate-do I made the decision that this was for me, that this would be my path also .

The years pass and I find myself along with others a Junior instructor. At that time in Southampton we had the university club and the city club, it was felt that we needed a second city club, I was to asked to start the RedBridge club having the guidance and safety net of my seniors instructors soon Southampton had three clubs. These were good times with many people and much club activity, a lot of travelling and many adventures. Sooner that I could imagine thirty years have slipped past and now I found myself in many ways I more senior instructor.

I was attending a week long course that Sensei Harada was giving in Gibraltar, we had met late in the week for lunch and an informal chat, I had established a small practice with some individuals that had grown into a small group of about twelve people, Sensei Harada suggested that this group be formalized and that I establish a KDS practice, here, in the south of Spain, speechless and feeling deeply honored I have taken the task to hand and heart.

We have a KDS club in the north of Spain, San Sebastian, and a long established practice in Gibraltar, with this together Sensei's Harada help and guidance I believe that we can established and make resident the knowledge, methods and practices of Karate-do Shotokai as taught by Sensei Mitsuzuki Harada.

Steve Pointer, 3rd dan

Práctica en Granada con Adrian Quick

El pasado sábado 4 de Abril tuvimos una práctica con Adrian Quick 5º Dan de KDS Inglaterra. Aprovechando que Adrian se encontraba de vacaciones en España, practicamos de 10 a 2 en el gimnasio del colegio Garcia Lorca en la zona Zaidín-Vergeles.

Podemos ver una foto del evento.