The junior class drilled the forms for a while before we had some fun with the Viking combat kit and the long swords. The competition was fierce and the differing approaches by the kids – from super aggressive right through to running away – was on show. The kids all showed great spirit and their was a great sense of fun throughout. Well done.

The adult class was trained by Kancho Garry who led us in a a session that started with boxing drills. These drills became more elaborate then incorporated jujitsu techniques and finally went to the floor in what turned out to be a masterclass in combined “mixed” martial arts. The session was thoroughly enjoyed by all the guys and it was a real treat to be instructed by such an accomplished martial artist.

Training with the top men in Spirit Combat will continue on Saturday with the seminar in Dunfermline led by Soke Brian Dossett. I don’t need to remind you that Soke is a martial arts legend and the creator, and leader, of our amazing martial art. The opportunity to meet and train with him is not to be missed - training with the founder of a martial art is almost unique in the martial arts world and this is an opportunity not to be missed.

You are all aware of the details – kids seminar 10:30am and adults 1:30pm – and I am expecting that you will all attend the seminar to support Spirit Combat in Scotland. This is an excellent opportunity for us to showcase our martial art to ours guests from other disciplines and your help and enthusiasm will assist in our achieving this.

Kids, would like you all to be there and ready to go at 10:15am and, similarly, the adults be booted and spurred for 1:15pm.

The junior grading went by very successfully with some great performances from the kids. Kancho put them all through their paces and there were some really good gradings and the juniors showed what they could do with verve and energy and did everything they could to earn the belt. There were first timers, that showed the nerves of the occasion, and more experienced kids going for higher grade belts but all did themselves proud on the night – congratulations to you all and special congratulations to Josh with his 100% score. Well done everyone, great effort.

The adults trained after the grading and as well as learning their new forms they looked at the newly introduced boxing drills. There was also a grading taking place with Carmen completing the grading that had been cut short last week after her unfortunate injury. Carmen performed very well given the circumstances of setting herself up for a grading twice in a week and, with Sensei Sean acting as her uke, passed with aplomb.

Carmen’s grading completed this grading cycle and we can concentrate on other things. We will soon be hosting Soke Brian Dossett, the founder and grandmaster of Spirit Combat, in Scotland and he will lead us in a seminar giving us some of his vast martial arts experience. More details very soon...

The juniors had their last training session before next week’s grading and the session concentrated on the forms with the purple belts adding some throwing drills in. The session looked at the form and the finishes that make it complete – the movement, observation and stances. Jujitsu involves grace and poise and these complement and add to the power and physicality of the techniques. The kids also practiced some punches and blocks as part of the drills to complete the night. Good session kids and good luck next week (although you don’t really need it if you work hard and perform in the way you always do.)

The adults had some students grading so we were very pleased to welcome Kancho Garry to join us and the grade the candidates for their belts. The session started with the whole class warming up and performing a number of drills – these included a breakfall, kicks, punches and a floor drill. As the rest of the class trained the candidates joined Kancho on the grading mat and performed their forms, rolls and breakfalls before the spirit test.

Congratulations to Stuart and Gary on gaining their red belts (with tags no less) and to Tyler for gaining his green belt (also with tags.) Great effort from the three of you and I know that when you put on the new belt you will know that you earned it.

As usual my thanks go out to the guys who join their club mates and train hard and fast yet get no belt at the end of it – coming along to uke, support and encourage shows the ethic of teamwork, camaraderie and mutual support that makes the SCI clubs in Scotland what they are.

The junior class was busy and we had a real mixed bag of training including kicks, stances, forms and finally an escape from a grab; the higher grades also had the opportunity to practice the forms that they have been learning recently with the new locks and takedowns. The grading is very soon and the juniors that will be graded showed lots of effort and commitment by concentrating on and, when necessary, tweaking the forms. Well done kids, keep the effort up.

Adult class welcomed Michael back to the mat and, after reacquainting him with the fire exits and toilet facilities, pitched him straight back into the training. The class maintained its high octane pace with us switching between forms, throws, floor drills and quick cardio burst exercises.

We closed the class by having the students grading performing their forms in front of the other students and then seeking the observers feedback – this exercise is very useful as it not only generates feedback from peers but it in some way replicates the pressure felt at a grading as you are aware of the fact that you are being observed closely. I was extremely impressed by the reaction of the students and felt that they performed extremely well given that they had no indication that this was going to happen.

The juniors trained with the forms and the throws as well as drilling the postures and blocks that we have been working on the past few weeks. The blocks are really important as we need to be able to defend ourselves from attacks and ensure that we give ourselves the opportunity to respond. We also practiced the postures to make sure that the kids understood the relationship between technique, posture and balance – postures become really important as you cannot perform any technique when you are overbalanced or falling over!

The adult class continued with the high tempo approach mixing up all the different aspects to give us the all round workout. We worked cardio, a boxing drill, floor drills and the forms to give ourselves a good once over. What was great for me was stepping back and watching all the guys on the mat working together in a way that was so focused and motivated – it’s great to see you all working so intensely with your forms and techniques that you are self managing and only call on me for assistance or guidance. Great work guys and a real indicator of the spirit we have going in the club.

The juniors concentrated on forms and worked hard on their techniques and throws within the individual parts of the form whether this was the takedown, the throw or the lockup. I was impressed by both the concentration and the commitment of the kids and the desire to get better and better was obvious to see. The grading is now only three weeks away so the effort shown was good to see and I remain confident that you will all be able to give your best on the day.

The adults also concentrated on the forms but not before we had had a real cardio blast to get the blood flowing and the muscles stretched. The cardio has become an important fixture in the training as I want us to keep our conditioning high for the explosive aspect of the positive style that we train with. Positive requires quickness and power meaning muscles need to be trained and prepared for this movement to happen; negative on the other hand requires a fluidity of movement that our bodies learn through the harmony exercises that we drill. Great effort guys, I can see you all gritting your teeth and pushing yourselves - spirit in all it's glory.

A wee side note - a number of the guys in the adult class are looking to participate in the Tough Mudder event next year so this cardio will come into its own with the stamina and strength that it will encourage.

The juniors had a real good go with the forms and worked on the technique and finishing within the forms. The higher grades concentrated on the throws and learned that unless you are completely committed to the technique it will look and feel shabby, even though the throw is executed. We also kicked a bit of fitness and co-ordination into the mix so that the kids had a chance to have a real all-around exercise/technique feel to the session.

Adult class maintained the pace of the last couple of weeks and continued the high octane cardio with the forms and other techniques. We worked the bag with kicks and punches before moving on to clinches and forms; the effort was intense and the guys really put a lot of energy into the whole session. I was really impressed with the forms and can see the massive high standard that you guys have been working to – when it comes to the grading I am confident you guys will all showcase your skill.

The junior class saw some returnees after the holiday and I took the opportunity to re-establish the form with those that had been away. We took a really technical approach with the kids and made them work with their forms to re-acquaint themselves with the techniques and ensure that they did them thoughtfully and in a considered manner. This was mixed up with some cardio and a some drills to give the kids the all round experience; great effort kids and more to come.

The adults had another full throttle session with the guys getting a real sweat on with kick drills, punching drills and the forms to the forefront. I kept the pace at a high tempo and we made sure that the whole night was one where the body was pushed to perform at its highest level for a sustained period of time to get the maximum physical benefit. This is the way it’s going to be here on in and I’m really pleased by the way that everyone has stepped up to the mat to work with this new regime. Great effort guys, I’m well impressed.

The first night back for the adults was a real full throttle cardio blast that pushed us all physically and really got the blood pumping and the body working. We pushed the envelope and drilled kicks and punches, interspersing this with high impact exercises and stretches - all the major muscle groups got a real going over as well as some of the minor ones that we didn’t know we had. The kata added to the overall mix because the concentration required was effort in itself meaning that the mind had a workout too – exercise your body, exercise your mind and keep the big muscle in your head fit and healthy too!

The pace was a hectic and non-stop but remained controlled and considered throughout meaning that a real buzz developed with all the effort and energy on show. The guys really worked hard and put maximum commitment and effort into their training; this meant we all got a great deal out of it and, from the feedback, they really enjoyed the session. All this and it was free session too, so the guys that weren’t there missed out on a double bonus.

Classes are back to normal next week so the juniors will be back in training. See you all then for more of the same.

It was clear that the summer holidays are here as the junior class was a very quiet with only a handful of the kids training. The juniors spent most of the session on the forms but also did some work on the rolls and kicks – this was in competition mode with the two teams competing against each other to complete the tasks first. Great fun all round with some good technique thrown in for good measure.

The adult class trained with forms, clinches and floor drills to get an all round workout - there was certainly plenty of sweat as all the guys put in a good session. The session looked at all aspects of the martial art - from stand-up to floor - as well the traditional foundation of the form. The session finished with the kata giving us the chance to slow down and practice technique and control together.

I handed out flyers to let everyone know the closure dates over summer – I will pass them out again next week and post the details on the blog.

The junior class spent the bulk of the class learning the katas – the lower grades learnt the first kata with Sensei Eddie while I took the higher grades and concentrated on second and third kata. Kata is a really important discipline as it teaches posture, control and the importance of the stance when performing the technique. The kids really got a hold of it and I was very impressed by the great job that they made of the different katas – it’s a difficult discipline and one that we will practice more and more until you all comfortable with them.

Adult class concentrated on forms but also drilled some cool combatjitsu style takedowns that really showcased the dynamic nature of jujitsu. The forms were absolutely brilliant and I was really impressed by the way that you all worked together to look at the forms and break them down to explore the possibilities. What I really liked was the fact you all went for simplicity instead of flashy over elaboration and let the techniques shine. The teamwork was superb - teamwork allows both tori and uke to look at the form and learn how and why the techniques work and therefore learn together.

The junior class really got into the forms this week and worked hard on the techniques within them. Purple belts in particular mixed it up with the kicks and throws within their form and tried some new techniques that I showed them to give them something else to think about. Great effort all round with some real concentration on the new techniques.

Adult class also looked at the forms with the emphasis being on the simplicity of the technique – we looked at the form with the elaboration removed to ensure that the technique itself shone through. Adults also looked at a couple of techniques that could be incorporated into the form then finished with some harmony to pull it all together – the positive and negative give the complete feel to the form and show how both work.

Both classes’ forms looked great and you should be proud of your efforts.

I was unable to make the classes on Thursday after I had to work unexpectedly but Sensei Sean stepped in on my behalf and took both. He ran both classes with his usual enthusiasm and, from the feedback, I hear the classes were full of fun and energy. Back to normal next week and I will see you all soon.

The junior class had a real look at the forms and spent a lot of time practicing the new techniques and takedowns. A lot of the class are getting to the higher grades so the expectations are higher too - purple belts now have a form that includes a kick and a throw meaning that it is complex and complicated. Practice as you have been and I have every confidence that you will all get there.

The adult class had the absolute privilege of being instructed by the Kancho for England, Kancho Bill Cox. Kancho Bill was the guest of Kancho Garry and was invited to instruct the adults and share some of his vast experience of martial arts. Kancho Bill started with the familiar first form before taking it in a completely different by introducing strikes to medians and pressure points. The amazing thing about the strikes were was that they were not based on power but a transference of energy to disrupt the opponents nervous system and cause confusion within the body.

This was an absolute masterclass from a genuine master of martial arts and we are extremely grateful for this opportunity to be instructed by such an extraordinary man.

When you reflect on it you can see how special it to have two Kancho’s on the mat and the many, many years of experience between them that they have shared with us.

A special night.

The juniors were absolutely buzzing when they received their new belts and their certificates from last week’s grading. We then had a wee look at the new forms for everyone before getting the Viking Combat kit and the swords out and having a battlefest. The competition was fierce and the rules were nearly adhered to by most of the kids although there was one kid disqualified from both disciplines for an over exuberant approach to swordplay!

Enjoy your new belts and enjoy the step up. Remember that the higher the grade the higher the expectation and the greater the challenge.

Adults concentrated on kicks and strikes within the form and drilled the more positive approach. I was looking for sharp, controlled and well judged kicks and strikes that were there to hurt and disorientate the opponent and allow complete dominance within the form. This training gives us the perfect balance in our forms as we have the harmonious, negative approach from the aikijitsu and the direct, positive approach of the combatjitsu style. We will continue this approach over the coming weeks and add another weapon to our arsenal.

Thursday was grading night with both the juniors and the adults being tested and appraised by Kancho Garry. It was the first time in a long time that both classes were on the mat together and it is good for the kids to see the adults train so that can experience the forms that the adult class train with.

The grading was excellent and despite some nerves juniors and adults all performed impressively to gain the new belts. Green belts, junior and adult alike, found that this was a far harder grading than they had experienced before as Kancho had a greater expectation of the students going for the darker belts – the higher the belt the harder the grading.

There were some outstanding performances across all the grades and a number of students, adult and junior, earned their belts as well as tabs, so very well done to you all. As I always say at a grading I am being graded as much as yourselves as what and how I have taught is being examined as much as your performance so I must thank you all for making me look good at the grading. When Kancho gave you your results he also gave you feedback on what areas you need to work on and improve. Take this advice seriously as he will look for you to work in these areas for your next grading.

I will present the juniors with their belts and certificates on Thursday and you will all be able to congratulate each other on your achievements.

Finally, thank you to the guys from the adult class who attended to both uke and assist me with the administration of the grading; this really helps as it allows me to concentrate on the mats knowing that things are organised both on and off . Despite not grading themselves their assistance and support shows the ethos of the club at its best and the sense of camaraderie that exists.

The juniors took advantage of the last training session before the grading to look at the forms that they would be performing on the day. We made sure that we trained with all the important parts of the form including mat awareness, posture and finishing so that we could present them all at the grading. The kids all tried hard and I hope you show the same commitment at the grading so that Kancho sees how much work you have all put into it.

Adults also prepared for the grading by drilling the forms - we practiced them on a purely technical basis to ensure that we understood the dynamics of what was going on. We also looked at some of the harmony within first form and practiced both the positive and negative nature that this brought to the form showing the power of the two working together.

Both juniors and adults are grading on Thursday. The hall will be open from 6pm and I would like you all to make the effort to get there as soon as you can so that we can organise everything that needs done; ideally I would like everyone there for 6.30pm so that we can start at 7.00pm sharp. Good luck, do your best and I am sure that you will succeed – if it makes you feel any better just remember that I am being graded too and will be just as nervous as you.

Sensei Alison hosted an open night at her club opening in Edinburgh last night and myself and some of the guys went across to lend our support. Sensei Ali showcased Spirit Combat so effectively that the audience at each session all took a go on the mat to try it out kids and adults alike – with luck this is the start of great things in Edinburgh.

It is great that the sense of co-operation and support is so strong amongst the clubs that they will step up to assist the other members in promoting our martial art and I thank you all for it; Sensei Ali was extremely grateful for the support and thanks all the guys for their time and effort.

We trained in the Dunfermline club’s hall as our own hall was unavailable due to the funeral of George on Thursday - George was a good friend to the club for a lot of years and it was only fitting that the celebration of his life be hosted in the hall he loved so much.

Kancho Garry took the training and gave us a real masterclass in dynamic movement and body mechanics. Kancho made us look at the breakfalls and examine the posture and position of both the forward roll with breakfall and the sacrifice throw; both were intended to make us look at what the body was doing when performing the technique and how we could control it to ensure that we could return to a strong fighting posture. Kancho drilled first form from a boxing perspective and the use of the head and body to control and master the opponent; this led to strong,positive movement with absolute control. Finally into this drill the negative side of aiki-jitsu was introduced to harmonise the whole form into one that combined power, grace and control.

We are privileged to have an 8th Dan former kickboxing world champion to train us and need to remember that very few organisations have anyone of near grandmaster level who can step onto the mat and dominate it both physically and with force of personality. A big thank you to Kancho Garry for his skill, expertise and experience.

We will be back to normal next week but remember juniors will start at 6.30pm and adults at 7.30pm.

Due to circumstances we will not have our own hall next Thursday so I have had to cancel the junior grading that was due to take place that night. I will reschedule the grading and it will most likely be the night of Thursday 16th – this is not set in stone and I will confirm this either way as soon as I am sure of the arrangements. As things stand there is no class for the juniors next Thursday (2nd May) and they will return to normal on Thursday 9th May at 6.30pm-7.30pm.

I have managed get a hall at short notice for next week so the adults will now grade on Thursday 2nd May at Our Lady of Lourdes church hall in Dunfermline 7.00pm – 9.00pm. This is the venue for the Tuesday class so we will have access to the mats that we need to train on - this pulls the preparation time back for the guys that were expecting to grade on the 16th but, as I said tonight, they are more than ready to perform.

The juniors really concentrated on the forms tonight, including performing under the pressure of being watched by their fellow students while performing the techniques. It’s often easy to perform well when you’re nicely relaxed on the mat but when pressure is on it becomes just that bit more difficult. The green belts really scored some success with the hip throws with just as few creases needing and a bit of confidence required.

Adult class also looked at forms with a bit of time spent on drills. I was looking for technical work with the emphasis of performing the techniques within the form fluently and with major emphasis on control. On the other hand the floor drills were to be performed fluently but at speed, particularly through the transitions.

To reiterate - no junior class next week; adults grading at Our Lady Of Lourdes, Dunfermline on Thursday 2nd May; and junior class resuming Thursday 9th May at 6.30pm-7.30pm.

I was hiking the length of the West Highland Way all last week so when Thursday came it was Sensei Sean who took the classes that night. From the feedback I got both classes went very well with Sean concentrating on the work that needs done for the grading with both the adults and the juniors - it’s good to know that I can leave the class in such capable hands as I trek the wilds of Scotland. I will be back on the mat on Thursday and will follow on from what we have done the last few weeks as we use the last few sessions preparing for the grading.

With the grading only a few weeks away the junior class spent a lot of time on forms as well as practicing the kata. The forms are technically looking good but I need you all to remember that the form is not just the movement but include the stances and the finish in guard; this is where the kata will help you as it teaches you co-ordination and the correct movement between stances. We will practice forms and kata more as we approach the grading to give you all plenty of time to brush up. We finished with some fun with the swords and the boys vs girls scenario that the two team captains managed to engineer meant that there was an extra edge to the affair...in all the noise and fury I had no idea who won, we’ll sort that out next time.

Adult class spent time on their forms too as the people grading prepared by looking at the technical side of their forms. We chucked in some randori to test the concentration of the grading candidates and the results were very impressive with the commitment clear to see. We also drilled the adult kata and I was very impressed by the technical application that you all showed when performing the techniques – with the kata what we do need to work on as a club is the timing and speed of the movements so that we can perform the kata as a group were we to do a demonstration or other event. In all, however, it was all very impressive.

Sensei Sean will take training next week as I am trekking the West Highland Way and I thank you all again for your generous sponsorship. See you all soon.

With the Easter holidays in full throe the junior class was a little quieter so I took the opportunity to try out a new a technique with them and broke out the nunchaku. Despite the occasional nunchaku bounce off the head the kids really impressed me with both their following of instruction and their all round co-ordination – it was good to see them all engaging with something that they had never seen before and really going for it.

Adult class welcomed Barry back to the mat after his enforced absence and it was nice to see him back in the thick of it despite his understandable ring rustiness. The adults looked at defening against knife attack with techniques that included a practice situation with a single knife thrust then a more realistic situation with a sustained attack. It was particularly interesting for me to watch the latter as you were all put under severe pressure by your uke’s and your reactions were varied – whether successful or unsuccessful you all learned a little about how you reacted to the unexpected.

I have arranged grading dates and can tell you all that the juniors will grade on Thursday 2nd May and the adults will grade a fortnight later on Thursday 16th May. Now that the date is set you all know the time that you have to perfect your techniques and get the last minute practice and preparations done - I will give you more details closer to the time regarding times etc. but the main point is that you all now have a point to focus on.

The last night’s training for the juniors before the Easter holidays was a busy night and the big group trained really well together to look at their forms and the the other techniques that we looked at. We started with forms, as we always do, but we also looked at a clinch on the floor after a takedown to give you all a wee bit of diversity with your training. This was a bit of a change from your usual techniques but gave you the chance to try the floor techniques that Spirit Combat embraces. Green belts also had a chance to try adult first form – this gave them a look at the fact that the techniques that they learn as kids transfer to the adult syllabus and are just as effective when dealing with a much bigger opponent. I was really pleased with he whole session and enjoyed the interaction.

Enjoy your holiday and don’t eat too may Easter eggs or there’ll be plenty of starjumps when I see you again.

Adult class had a really technical feel to it with us concentrating on forms and kata. The whole point of the session was to look at the negative side of the art - negative sounds, well negative really, but in this sense it really means ‘resisting’ and is all about the fact that we need to train to work with an opponent that is either stronger than us or resists us when we know where we want to go. We looked at relaxing into the techniques and letting them do the job. The kata gave us the chance to iron out the wrinkles and it was great to see you working on the intricate wee moves that make the difference. A nice session that worked on the more technical aspects of the art.

The junior class worked on their forms, clinches with the green belts working on their throws. The effort is great and the techniques really coming on with the only thing that needs to be added into the mix is confidence. This is important for everyone, whether it is the newest white belt working with the clinch takedown or the green belts working on the hip throw, as confidence in yourself and your partner is what makes the technique flow and keeps yourself and your training partner safe - the green belts know this for sure because the hip throw will not work with no confidence in there. Work on this and it will all come together.

The adult class started with a cardio blast courtesy of Dean who put a 100 mile an hour warm up together to get us hyped up and ready to go. We looked at forms and some kick combinations before finishing with a grapple on the floor - the grappling got the adrenalin running and the competitive spirit came to the fore. Sensei Alison showed the class act that she is by showcasing the importance of remaining confident, clear headed and thinking tactically by neutralising opponents much bigger than her by working to her strengths rather than theirs. We will look at floor work next week and hopefully grapple some more.

The junior class spent plenty of time on their forms as well as the clinches and the throws. The forms look good and you are all beginning to co-ordinate the moves for the clinches – you will find out later why these clinches are so important when you learn the techniques that they are preparing you for. I am still organising the grading for late April so use this as the incentive to keep up your efforts.

Adult class continued on the theme of forms with us concentrating on the simplicity of first form at the start of the class, we mixed up the positive with the negative to get a feel for the movements within the contrasting styles. We moved on to drill kicks to get us used to practical kicking combinations; the theme was more on technique but we did finish by combining speed with power to give the pads a good kicking. We finished the class with our own forms and the chance to pull it all together.

Both classes will continue to work towards the grading and I will post details when I have a concrete date. In the meantime keep up the effort guys.

The juniors had a great session working on the forms and throws that they have concentrated on over the last few weeks. It's about breaking the technique down, understanding it and then using it whether it be during the form, a throw or a clinch. The session was busy and everyone buzzing and I really enjoyed being right in the middle of it. As I told you during the training I will hopefully organise the grading for the end of next month – I know this feels a long way away but I hope that this will make you focus on what you need to work on.

The adult class started at full throttle with a real cardio burst during the warm-up and into the forms. We also looked at some kicking drills with both semi-contact and more powerful combinations on the pads -this showed us that the power comes from the technique and not solely from the muscular application of force. We finished with some students practicing their forms and a couple of the higher grades concentrating on the kata – a slightly more chilled finish to the class after the frenetic start.

Both classes again worked well together with the sense of co-operation and fun coming across throughout - great stuff.

The junior class had a really good time working on forms, clinches and (especially the higher grades) throws. The class had some really good energy and the kids really worked well with each other – the newer students have really blended into the class and it is good to see the way that the more established kids have welcomed them in. I have been impressed with the work that has been going into your techniques and it is good to see you all getting there.

The adult class worked on two specific areas concentrating on the kata and first form. When we looked at first form we looked at the different approaches that could be taken looking at the positive, the negative and the harmonious aspects before mixing and matching the approaches. This really showcased the form, and the avenues and embellishments that are open to it, showing us why it is the foundation of our martial art. Again there was great energy and co-operation amongst the guys on the mat and we showed what we can achieve when we work together.

Unfortunately the adult training camp has had to be cancelled his year due to the poor uptake of places. I am aware that times are hard for some people but it does not lessen my sense of disappointment this but this will not stop my enthusiasm for organising this camp again in the future.

On a more positive note Eddie and I have been leafleting in Rosyth and Dunfermline to promote the three or our club's in Fife. This will get the new Dunfermline club off to a fine start. While you have all been relaxing we have pounded the pavements braving dogs and wire sprung letterbox traps that catch your fingers just to make sure you have new students to train with – I hope you appreciate the effort!

Remember, it is important that we look after each other and any newcomers, whether it is a new student or a new club, because together we are so much stronger.

The junior class was very well attended despite the school holidays and the kids that trained put a really good level of effort into their training. The forms are really coming on and the green belts hip throws began to really look the part thanks to Sensei Alison’s excellent additional instruction, particularly with the girls - this breaking down into simpler parts obviously helped. The whole class worked together really well and I can see the next grading being as successful as previous with all the hard work going into your martial art.

I was a bit disappointed with the attendance at the adult class as I did not want us to lose the momentum that we had built up over the last few months but I took the opportunity to have a very technical class that concentrated on the forms and the kata. We broke the kata down to its component parts, with me demonstrating the individual sections, and I could see from the looks of recognition that this helped you all understand where it was all coming from. Sometimes understanding is the last piece of the jigsaw and I could see that this made the kata more accessible and therefore easier for you to execute.

As I mentioned at both classes there is an additional club night on a Tuesday in Dunfermline and you are all welcome to train, adults and kids alike.

I was really buzzing on Thursday at both the training sessions as I enjoyed leading everyone in their training and watching everyone, juniors and seniors, coming together in a way that made me proud to be the sensei of such a great club.

The junior class was a real mixture of individuals with the contrast between the higher grades and new starts really obvious as they trained - it was brilliant to watch the enthusiasm of the new starts and the quiet proficiency of the high grades as they went about their craft. We worked on breakfalls, kicks, grappling and forms with the kids really going for it with everything we drilled; it was great to watch and I was very pleased with the effort everyone put into it.

The adult class had the same energy as they trained with the takedown, harmony and forms that we worked with. It was superb to watch from the periphery as you all worked together with the techniques and brought each other on by co-operating and discussing what you were training with. The adult class is a perfect example of self motivated people training together for the benefit of all and it is clear from my perspective that you are taking the opportunity to progress in this great martial art of ours.

I'm still looking for deposits for the summer camp, some have already handed theirs in and I'm looking for the rest asap. You know how good previous years have been, don't miss out.

Remember that Eddie now has a class on a Tuesday night in Dunfermline and this gives you the opportunity to train for a second night. He has two classes with juniors 6.30pm-7.30pm and adults 7.30pm-8.30pm and all are welcome. Eddie asked me to thank all those that came to the first night to support him with this new club and to extend the invitation to all, juniors and seniors, to train with him if they can.

We’re good, we’re growing and it’s all down to how we work together and look after each other. Good times.

The junior class was again busy and we looked at the forms and takedowns that we have been concentrating on over the past few weeks. We got the kick shields out to practice kicks and I was impressed by some of the technique on show though the reverse side kick looked more like a dance class than a martial arts kick – don’t worry as the co-ordination that you need for this kick will come with practice. The overall improvement is great and I really enjoy watching the teamwork that I see.

The adults continued with the harmony that we have been working on although we jumped away to look at the clinch and throw that we have worked with in previous weeks. We also looked at the combos that we have drilled recently - you have all practiced the harmonious movements and it was a good opportunity at the end of the session to take them into a more positive frame by looking at the practical application of the same techniques with aggression and speed. We finished the session with Sensei Sean and Sensei Alison showcasing rolls and throws and Sean doing his salmon leap to great effect – it appears I’m not the only show off in this club.

Remember that application forms and deposits for the camp need to be with me by 25th February – it’s closer than you think!

The junior class continues to be busy and we spent most of the session looking at the forms. We mixed it up a little with some boxing with the pads and looking at the takedown that we drilled last week - there was a lot of effort and concentration from you all and it was a really good training session. What I like is the buzz that I am seeing on the mat as you go through your paces as it shows me that you are enjoying what you do and that you are having fun.

The adult class started with the first form cardio exercise that we have been training with before breaking down the first two floor drills and then revisiting the takedown that we have practiced the last couple of weeks. We finished the evening with forms before taking on the club kata; this was some of the guys first attempt and they did very well picking up what they did. The session was a nice mix up of cardio and technique and there was good energy throughout.

The main news for the club is that Eddie will be opening a club in Dunfermline that will train on a Tuesday night; I have wanted a second training night for a long time and now we have the chance through this opening. This is a great opportunity for us to start the expansion of Spirit Combat in Scotland and I am sure that your support will ensure that it is successful - feel free to train there as often as you can. The club will open on Tuesday 12th February with juniors training 6.30pm – 7.30pm and adults training 7.30pm – 8.30pm. You will find all the details, times, etc. on www.combatjitsu.co.uk/Dunfermline.html (while you are there check the new look site!)

The junior class restarted and was really busy with a five new students joining the mat. I was really pleased that you all made the new starts so welcome and showed them the ropes when you trained with them - you will all remember how you felt on your first night and it is good that you helped the newbies to settle in. We drilled our forms, and added a little bit of grappling to mix up the techniques that we were training with so that your first night back. You all did well and your effort and commitment was clear to see.

I let you all know that the summer activity for the kids’ will be a day trip to the outdoor centre at Dounans in Aberfoyle. This will be a great day out with plenty of activities and lots of fun – I will you all the details when I get them.

Adult class blasted the forms with particular emphasis on first form - we mixed up the technical side and the physical side giving ourselves a nice cardio workout at the same time. After a few throws we also looked at our own forms and worked through the various techniques together to get a handle on them. A good all-round mix of technique and physicality for a nice workout.

I distributed application forms for the adult summer camp and need them returned with deposits by 25th February. With our English colleagues expressing strong interest this year promises to be bigger and better and something you really don’t want to miss.

I hope you all enjoyed your holidays, had a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

The adults started the new year with a technical class to get themselves back into the swing of things. I showcased a couple of techniques that we drilled with and although they were fairly technical they will fit nicely into the forms. This was also the first chance for those that had graded at the last club night to try their new forms and familiarise themselves with the techniques involved. In all it was a nice wee session to shake the cobwebs and get back into the routine for training.

We return to normal next week - the junior class will resume training on the 17th at 7pm and the adult class will return to its usual time of 8pm. We have another exciting year ahead of us with a few irons in the fire regarding additional clubs and a summer camp that goes from strength to strength. I will keep you informed about everything that is going on and I look forward to you all joining me for the trip.

Thursday night brought the year to an end for the adult class, and the club as a whole, with a grading and the award of student of the year. The grading saw six students obtain their belts with two grading for the first time. The standard was again incredibly high and Kancho Garry recognised this through the marks that he awarded, including Andy’s amazing 100% score. Congratulations to Crawford, Dean, Andy and Tyler on your promotion to your next belts, and to Paul and Carmen for your success in your first grading – you are all a credit to both yourselves and the club and I am proud of you all. Also a big thank you to Kancho Garry for making himself available to grade the students and all the ukes that attended to support and encourage your colleagues – it is testament to the club spirit and camaraderie that students attend and train despite not grading themselves.

Congratulations to Vicki in her award of the title of student of the year for 2012 – this is a richly deserved award that recognises the hard work and dedication that you have put in and shown throughout the year. It’s not bad that you finish the year with this award and a blue belt; congratulations and very well done. Congratulations are in order too for Tyler in his receiving the award that recognised his achievement in stepping up from junior class to adult class. Tyler has managed to move into an environment that some adults struggle with, and he has done it with confidence.

On a personal level I wish to thank the students for their presentation of a training jacket and a bottle of wine, and the kind words from John as he presented these. I do not do this for the thanks but always appreciate them when I get them as they show that I have made a difference. I hope you have all enjoyed the year that has passed and recognise and enjoy your achievements, both juniors and adults. There are many plans afoot for next year and I know that the train of success will continue into next year and beyond. In the meantime I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

The club is now closed for the holiday. Adults will return at 7pm on Thursday 10th January 2013 (an extra hour to shake off the cobwebs) with the juniors re-starting Thursday 17th January at the usual 7pm.

The juniors had a great turn out for the final night and we finished the year with a night of fun with the swords, Viking combat and the nunchaku. There was much noise and fury with the weapons and there were some great performances from the kids as we all enjoyed the competitive nature of the bouts. We finished the night with the presentation for student of the year which was presented to Tanner - congratulations Tanner on this well deserved award as it recognises the effort you have put into your training over the course of the year and the high standard that you set, very well done.

The junior class is now off for Christmas and will return on Thursday 17th January. I hope you all have a brilliant Christmas and a very happy New Year; enjoy the holidays and I’ll see you all in the New Year.

Adult class had their final training session before their grading next week and we looked at some throws before concentrating on forms. Some of the guys also worked with the harmony that we have practiced over the past couple of weeks and are really beginning to get a handle on it. Those grading next week are in really good shape and will do themselves proud; you have all put your work in and it is plain to me that you have grasped what you need to grade at your usual high standards. Those that have never graded before try to relax and enjoy the experience; you have prepared really well and are well up to the challenge of the grading. If it helps any, just remember that I too am graded as your performance is linked to how well you have been taught – when you look good I look good, and you all know how much I like looking good!

As I discussed last night at training the hall will be open from 6pm for those that want to have a little bit more practice. I would ask that those grading try to be at the hall for 6.45pm so that the paperwork can be completed in good time. We will have a drink together after the grading as we will be closing the club for the Christmas holiday and I hope you can all stay to toast another successful year.

The junior class looked at forms at the start of the training session before really concentrating on kicks. We drilled a lot of kick combinations that included some really tricky reverse kicks that tested your technique and co-ordination. Your standard that you displayed with the kicks was very high and I was extremely pleased with just how good you were at them. You will also have seen for yourself that the power of the kick is not from how hard you kick but the combination of power, co-ordination and technique – great effort and really pleasing to see. Next week will be the final junior class of the year and we will have a fun finish to the year

The adult class concentrated on forms as they prepared for the grading in a fortnights time. The forms are looking really top notch - it is clear that you have all grasped the techniques and have worked hard to get as proficient as you have with them. Some of the other guys worked with additional harmonious combinations, adding to the technique that Sensei Alison introduced last week, and are looking good with the combinations and adaptations to the tried and tested forms that you are so familiar with.

We have the adults’ night out tonight (Saturday) and with only the adult grading left to complete our year it will be with pride and satisfaction that I will look back on a great year with loads of achievements in both classes to look back on.

The junior class started with their forms and then worked very well with the boxing techniques that we tried at the end of the class. I particularly enjoyed the boxing because some of you were smaller than the gloves you wore but you hit the pads like you meant it which is really the name of the game – as long as there is spirit the rest will fall into place. The swords at the end were very entertaining and I was impressed by the competitive nature that you showed when you competed with each other. Keep this competitive spirit up as it helps to build a feeling of "team" within the club and leads to you all pushing each other forward.

Adult class tried one of the technique that we trained with at SCI headquarters and they gave us a look at the negative side of the harmony. It was really impressive technique and you all grasped the difficult co-ordination that it required - thanks to sensei Alison and her instruction for showcasing how this should be executed. We also drilled some throws, looking at the hip throw and the shoulder throw in particular, and we will drill these more in future so that everyone gets used to, and relaxes with, the feeling of being thrown.

It is the adults’ night out next Saturday and we will have a good time together after what has been a really busy year for club. This will be the penultimate event of the year with the adult grading on the 20th being our final event - the adult grading means that we will finish on a high before our Christmas break and we will return rested and raring to go in the new year.

Seven of us attended the SCI Advanced Grading in Surrey on Sunday 24th November with four grading, one uke-ing, one spectator and myself officiating. I will do an event blog and share the details of the full weekend of events but the main news is that Sensei Sean graded to first dan, Eddie achieved his shodan-ho black belt and John and Vicki both graded to blue belt. Our students acquitted themselves very well and showed the skill, grit, determination and character that you would expect from students of our club.

Over the course of the weekend we met up with Soke Dossett, Master Jim Cockram and Master Peter Jones socially before the grading - and a professional one at the grading - as well as numerous other professors, senseis and fellow students at the grading itself. It was a big representation from our club and we showed our fellow martial artists the spirit, friendliness and humour of the Scots.

Congratulations to the four guys who graded, you thoroughly deserve your new grades and I am very proud of your achievement - enjoy your new belts.

The junior class trained with their forms last night as well as drilling some cool takedowns with each other. The takedowns are a really good way of you seeing why your breakfalls are so important and, because we have drilled takedown techniques a lot more recently, I have seen a big improvement in your standard of breakfall. Everything that you train with is important one way or another and it is when you finally see the big picture you can see how all the separate parts fall into place.

As I announced last night the juniors will grade sometime in the new year to give you all a chance to work on the stuff in the grading syllabus that needs polishing and ensure that you earn your new belts with great performances all round.

Adult class were joined by Kancho Garry for the final session before the students grading at the weekend head for Surrey early Saturday morning. We started the session with a look at a variation of no.3 where the tori had to execute the technique one handed; this makes you think about the principle of the technique involved and shows both its adaptability and power within such a simple movement. We also drilled harmony where we worked on a set of harmonious movements that really emphasised the role of the uke within the technique – harmony is not just about the flowing movement of the technique, but the fact that two people must work together in harmony to achieve the outcome.

Seven adults are heading south on Saturday to represent both the club and Spirit Combat Scotland at the advanced grading in Surrey on Sunday. Four are grading for various belts, including two going for the hugely important blue belt (read your Student Handbook to find out why this belt is so significant,) and I know that you’ll all join me in wishing them the best of luck. It is great that such a good sized group is going down to represent us and it shows how the club had grown and developed over the past few years

Eddie and I represented the club and Scotland as we attended a seminar with Spirit Combat’s Soke Brian Dossett and Master Jim Cockram yesterday. The event was hosted at the Go Maru Defence Academy dojo in Gateshead and attended by martial artists from NE England. During this seminar we were very lucky to have some one-to-one training time with both Soke Dossett and Master Jim and they taught us some really top techniques that incorporated harmony and chi into forms. They made us break the familiar techniques in 1st form down to their most basic, but also most powerful, principles and look at how our body can be made more powerful through utilising chi energy. Flowing and harmonious it may have been but both myself and Eddie broke a good sweat and had a really good workout.

I picked up some new stuff and will definitely be bringing it back to the club for you to experience. It’s a real boost for me to get some learning time myself as I spend most of my time teaching – I love leading the class and instructing, but being pushed to learn something new is a great buzz and to learn it off the best is a real bonus.

The seminar finished with a bit of fun as we had a go at Hollywood stunt fighting and you’ll be pleased to know that this gave me the opportunity to freestyle (i.e. show off) in the best principles of our club.

We spent some time with Soke Dossett and Master Jim afterwards when we enjoyed a quiet drink and a good chat with them at their hotel. It is testament to the two of them that they make themselves so available and are happy to spend time with their students talking martial arts and listening to, and taking seriously, the feedback that this generates. There are not many martial arts out there where you can sit down with the founder and grandmaster and chew the fat with him, engage in banter and enjoy a good laugh. We were privileged to spend some time in their company and I think they enjoyed our Scottish perspective and humour.

The junior class did really well with forms and also worked hard with the tricky little technique and takedown that I threw into the mix. Although the forms are the basis of what we do in the class it’s good for the kids to have a go at some of the trickier self defence techniques so that they can get a wee taste of what the martial art has in store for them. You all worked very well with a difficult technique but the best thing for me was seeing both tori and uke working together to learn and stay safe. Green belts had some good work too on the hip throw - mind and body are beginning to work together and it’s clicking into place for you.

Adult class worked on a self defence technique that started with the positive side, blended with the negative side and finished with harmony - this illustrates how adaptable the techniques are and how the different aspects of the art can be utilised into the whole. We also worked with the forms for some last minute drilling and practice before the higher belts grade in 10 days time – because of this next week will definitely be all about the forms as final preparations are made for the trip. It’s good to see all the hard work and co-operation come together with everyone having a part to play whether grading on this occasion or not.

I will attending a seminar with Soke Dossett in Newcastle this Saturday and will travel down with Eddie to represent both the club and Scotland at the event. We have worked hard over the last couple of years to establish strong links with our counterparts down south and it is important that we maintain this – we know we’re a great club so it’s only right that they get to know that too…

I announced the provisional dates for the December gradings to both classes on Thursday with the juniors hopefully grading on Thursday 13th December and the adults grading a week later on Thursday 20th December. These dates are definitely provisional and may change, but I am hoping that these will be confirmed soon so that we can finish the year with the gradings and the student of the year competition.

Before this a group from the adult class will going down to Surrey to represent the club and Scotland in the presence of Soke Brian Dossett at the home of Spirit Combat in late November. While we are there we will attend a gathering on the 24th before having the grading on the 25th of November. There will be eight of us travelling with four grading – a great turnout and something that I will be proud to lead.

The juniors continued preparations for their grading by training with their forms as well as drilling the kata. The kata was new to most of the class with the newest class members trying it for the first time. It is difficult to co-ordinate the hand techniques with the changes in stance but that is exactly what the first kata is all about – co-ordination. Well done with all the training and particularly with the kata, a good attempt all round.

Adult class again concentrated on the forms with some work on specialised techniques thrown into the mix. With some of the the higher grades grading in less than two weeks the class was more about fine tuning than learning new stuff. I am more than pleased with the standard on show as it is so high - everyone looks the part, knows their stuff inside out and show flexibility and imagination within the techniques.

The junior class worked well on the forms and breakfalls that we started the class with and the green belts continued to work with the hip throw and hand techniques of their form. The class broke into the two groups to train and it was really good to see the co-operation amongst you as you worked. During the training I particularly liked that the junior grades really helped the new start by making her welcome and starting to teach her the first parts of first form – you all remember how you felt on your first night and this support really helps to settle new students in. We finished with the swords and I enjoyed the variety of techniques with my favourite being the closed eyes and wave the sword school of fighting. Class.

Adult class continued with the forms but we also drilled the hip throw and the higher grades ran through the kata. Everyone is looking really good and I’m really happy with the standard on display from everyone – this shows me that you have all grasped the techniques and are doing really well in incorporating them into the forms. Forms, hip throws and kata meant are real nice mix and we finished with some swords too – Dean’s helicopter technique was a class apart and left Andy unsure whether to be amazed or confused. In the end Andy chose a combination of both. Great training and a great team spirit; well done everybody.

The junior class was back to its buzzing self after the holidays and the kids got torn into their forms in preparation for the grading. You are all beginning to get the techniques for your forms in place with the green belts in particular building up some confidence with the hip throws and the hand techniques they need. Make sure that you continue to work on the other parts of your forms and always finish with a strong posture and a good stance – this makes a good form great. Enjoy Halloween and don’t forget your Sensei when you divvy up the sweets.

The adult class again put the emphasis on forms as we prepare the group of high grades who will be representing Scotland at the grading in Surrey in a month. We continue to look at the club form, the international form and harmony and getting everyone comfortable with all three approaches. It is good to see how easily that you can all switch between the three and I put it down to the varied syllabus that I have put in place over the past couple of years – you are all comfortable with the different aspects that I have introduced and you have made yourselves flexible and adaptable.

If you read your Student’s Club Pack you will see that when you reach a higher grade Soke Dossett puts a lot of emphasis on “Disturbance.” One of the ways he tests your abilities is to give you something unfamiliar and watch how you react and learn from it - I am confident that you are all prepared for this if and when you are tested in this way.

Great effort from both classes, all your hard work is coming together well and you should be proud of yourselves.

The junior class looked at the forms with the green belts working on the hip throw some more - we also got the boxing gloves and pads out to work on power, focus and stamina. The kid tried really hard with these exercises and there was some great effort going into hitting those pads. When we worked with the forms it was clear that the green belts are beginning to understand the principles of the hip throw and when they can co-ordinate the technique they will have got it. Great effort from the kids with the boxing gear – it’s a bit different but you all smacked the focus pads around. Good job all round.

The adult class welcomed back a student that we had not seen in a while and after the usual club witticisms about showing him round the building and putting a name badge on him, Michael joined us on the mat. The adult class was at almost full capacity and we started the session with working through the first stages of harmony by learning to pirouette with the uke assisting by following the hand around. When we started the exercise it looked like dance club but when we moved on to the second stage you all saw that it was actually an evasion that you had been practicing. We then concentrated taking this principle to the next stage by moving this harmony into the forms. We practiced this further before moving onto our own forms; as I said at the end of the night the forms are looking really good and it is clear that you have everything you need in place.

Arrangements continue for the November grading down south, the Christmas night out and the year end gradings. I will continue with these preparations and let you all know what is happening as I go.

I missed both classes this week as I was otherwise engaged, but from the feedback Sensei did his usual great job in my place. I understand that the kids’ class was small and that Sean did a boxing night with the kids that were there – great stuff, and I hope you enjoyed the introduction to the gloves. Sean also put the adults through their paces on forms so the work we have done over the past few weeks was kept up. Many thanks to Sensei Sean. I’m glad that we have Sean in the club and that he can step in in such a seamless way when needed; I look forward to catching up with you all on Thursday and we’ll get stuck in together.

The juniors spent a good bit of the class with the forms as the main focus of their training. I mixed it up a bit with a little boxing drill and there was some kicks thrown in for good measure. The kicks and the punches are intended to teach focus and co-ordination because without these in place you will never hit the target with any power. There was good energy and your attempts were good, particularly with the boxing as this is not something that you have tried before. Keep the work rate up on the forms and concentrate on what you are doing – a couple of you were easily distracted and your work rate suffered because of this.

The adult class kept the forms to the forefront and the additional techniques that we drilled were intended to enhance the techniques within the forms further. Overall the simple approach has really paid dividends as your forms are showing the technique, control and finesse that our martial art excels at. Juijitsu is at its most effective when it is at its simplest and, although we have the opportunity to add and elaborate, we should never lose sight of the power of the basic principles.

I am not available nest week so sensei Sean will take both classes – brace yourself for a cardio burn!

The junior class did really well with some of the new stuff that I threw into the mix with them. I started the class with a real cardio burn and had the kids sweating it during the warm up before we got right into the forms. Forms were good and credit is due to the green belts who have worked hard on the hip throw – you still haven’t quite got it 100% but the improvement is brilliant all the same. We also introduced a tricky little punch defence with take down that made you all think about body movement and your balance. I was well impressed with how the white and red belts coped with this despite being not quite so familiar with takedowns; you all tried really hard and the commitment was there to see. Well done everyone.

Adult class kept same focus on the forms and drilled first form intensively before looking at individual forms. The class started with a light cardio workout, moved to a powerful takedown technique based on number 3 before hitting the forms. The class finished with a cardio burst from a randori style boxing drill that tested co-ordination as much as commitment – it’s not something that we have tried before but you all seemed to enjoy it and it is definitely something we will drop into training in the future. Great mix up in the class and great commitment all round.

The junior trained well with the forms and really put some good effort into the techniques that they were performing. The class also drilled some kicks and worked with a defence from the chop to the head - the evasion that you were working with is an introduction the most basics of harmony and gives a little hint of the aikido side to spirit combat. These cool techniques are a really good way to think ouside the box and gives us all the chance to try something new. Good effort from everyone and a good level of concentration throughout meant that the class went along really well.

Adult class started with a cool technique defending against a two handed grab – it worked nicely and had plenty of options when finishing. We concentrated on forms again establishing the techniques with first form before moving on to drill our own forms. This format has been very successful and the standard of the forms is extremely high as a result of it. We will mix it up again next week and I will try to get a bit of the boxing that I intended to do this week.

The junior class spent some time on forms as we continue to prepare for our grading in November/December. We looked at the techniques in the forms and drilled takedowns from clinch and the punch. The takedowns were very difficult because they are complicated and you did very well with your control and because of this you kept yourself and each other safe. You will need to keep this level up to make sure that you are ready for the grading because the higher grades have a lot to show Kancho when the time comes.

The adult class spent most of the class looking at the forms and we again stripped them right back to basics. Working with first form re-established the basics of the techniques so that when we moved on to our own forms the simplicity shone through. As I said at the end I was very impressed by the standard displayed with the forms and it is clear that you have all embraced the simplified approach.

As we discussed at the end of the adult class we will arrange a Christmas night and the sooner we can agree the night we’ll get on with organising it. After all our hard work I think we deserve it.

The junior class was busy again and we used the big crash mat to help with our breakfalls. The class was much more disciplined and because of that we managed to get so much more done - so well done to you all for screwing the nut and getting back to the hard work. As I said on Thursday night I have had a real problem getting time to take all you kids away for a fun day so I will get you all a gift instead – I’m afraid that I work shifts and although I can guarantee Thursday nights I struggle to arrange other days off. I am as disappointed as you and hope the gift makes up for it.

The adult class concentrated on forms and we stripped them right back to the basics of the techniques. We looked at first form and worked through the techniques by stripping them back to their most basic structure and taking it from there. We all love the embellishments that we can add to make the forms spectacular but there is still a lot to be said for reinforcing why forms work at their most basic level. We will continue to work with the forms in this way for the next few months.

The junior class was busy with a very vibrant atmosphere. In fact it was a bit too vibrant which led to some of you kids being distracted and lacking concentration. Because of the noise I had to stop what I was doing and ask for quiet a few times and this meant that I had to interrupt what I was teaching to make sure everyone was listening. This meant that the training session was stop-start and we never really achieved everything we needed to do. I want training to be fun, and we always have a fun bit at the end, but there are parts that need you to be focussed as lack of concentration can mean people get hurt. Some of you are beginning to get to the high grades and with the belt comes the responsibility to show an example to the younger and lower grades.

Adult class concentrated very much on throws with various shoulder throws being the main techniques practiced. The throws can be tricky to co-ordinate and need both the tori and the uke to be confident in their own and each others ability so that the technique can be performed safely and efficiently. We finished with forms and I prompted the adults to think about incorporating the harmony we looked at last week and the throws from this week into the forms that they were doing. As I said at the end of the class forms will be a big focus from now to the end of the year as we prepare for the trip down south. Really good training session, with a lot to take on, but the application and concentration were both first class.

The junior class had their second week of training after summer and there were a few more of the kids making their way back to the mat. The class concentrated on forms to begin with then I took you all through your kicks and breakfalls. We need to be taking a good look at both to make sure that we are getting the techniques right – kicks need to have the technique spot on to have power and the breakfalls need the technique to be there or they just look loose and sloppy. We will go back to these again and again over time to make sure that we can do them properly.

The adult class started with a look at the harmonious side of the art and we looked at some of the circular harmony techniques that can used within the forms. We concentrated on harmony from second form but, as I later demonstrated, these techniques can be used in nearly every form. Although harmony does not seem immediately practical in actual fact it can be a very powerful part of the art because it introduces the “negative” aspect of juijitsu. Training with the “negative” aspect prepares the student to deal with opponents that are very much stronger than them as it puts in place the techniques that exploit the opponent’s weaknesses to their maximum extent. Add to this the fact that they’re very cool and you have a winner!

The junior class returned after the summer holiday and there was a good turn out from the kids. We started straight into the hard work and put a lot of effort into the forms. A few of the kids were learning new forms and there was a good deal of concentration on the mat from all those that had so much new stuff to learn. The green belts worked with me on the tricky hip throw technique and we made it easier by breaking it down to the basics and taking it from there.

I announced at the end of the kids'class that we would be going to Dalkeith for an adventure day and I will get back to you all with specific detaila as soon as I get a date organised.

The adult class got back to normal and we also took the opportunity to look at forms. This was the main focus of the class but we started by looking at a takedown and floor technique that will fit in nicely with all the stuff that we worked with over summer. We continue to develop the all-round techniques approach that we have been drilling the last few months and we will continue to develop this as we go. It was a good training session with good effort and concentration all round

(I hope you all spotted the Twisted Sister song in the post title. Well I thought it was clever anyway. Suit yourselves...)

The adult class summer programme came to an end on Thursday with our last extended session of the holidays. We reviewed everything we have drilled over the last few weeks and finished by throwing in a little bit of floorwork and a look at forms. Again there was a lot of good application and hopefully you will all have seen how everything we do should fit together seamlessly – as I mentioned at the end of the class a great many of the techniques we have drilled can be fitted into the forms with no effort whatsoever and you should look for the opportunity to use them whenever they present themselves.

The juniors return next week so the adult class will return to its usual 8pm slot. I hope you have all enjoyed the wee change and the opportunity we have had to really get our teeth into something in the way that we have. From my point of view it has been a really good summer for the adult class with the training camp and the extra training we have managed – well done to everyone for all your efforts.

Just a wee reminder – juniors back next week 7pm, adults back to their usual 8pm.

The adult class summer programme continued with us looking at defences and counters - it was a good, hard session and I am really pleased with how you have all taken to the drills that have been introduced. The drills are hard, and the pace quick, but you all worked really well together and the teamwork has meant that you all really got a handle on what has been taught.

We will keep up the pace and next week we will continue with the full throttle, hi-octane blast that we have had all summer. Personally, I think that the extended training times have been of real benefit as I can really see how everyone has really pushed on and up. I hope you all feel this too…

The adult class continued where it left off from last week with the focus on combatjitsu and forms. We continue to look at the relationship between forms, stand-up and floor drills while training and see how they all both complement and blur into each other. The effort was again quite intense and we got a good sweat on while working with each other. It must have been a bit of a cardio blast because even Andy took on fluids!

The class slowed down towards the end and we finished with a warm-down that consisted of a couple of run throughs of the kata. The kata is new to some of you and you do not quite need to learn it yet, but it is always good to get yourself familiar with the process and learn the moves with the rest of the class so that when the time comes it is not too big a jump.

Great effort guys and more of the same next week - we will keep the pace up at the level it has been for the last couple of sessions and will continue with the various drills we have been working on.

With the junior class off for the summer the adults have taken the chance for extra training by taking over the kids’time slot and nearly doubling the time available for the class. The class was busy with nearly everyone making it to the session and we started with a real cardio burst by drilling combatjitsu straight from the warm-up. We looked at standup-to-floor and standup-to-throw before finishing by incorporating some combatjitsu into the forms. The effort from the guys on the mat was great and you all worked really well together to ensure everyone got the most from the workout.

The form work that we drilled later in the class was both well executed and imaginative with the co-operation again very clear from the outset - this co-operation was further evidenced when the class drilled a randori and the encouragement and support for your colleagues was very obvious. As I said at the end of the class it makes me very proud to see how this teamwork and togetherness has developed and this can only happen because of you as a group taking the training and instruction that I offer and working with it. In this way a club becomes greater than the sum of its parts and that is exactly what I see when I watch you train together.

Training next week will again start at 7.00pm and we will continue with the drills we have been working with. No excuses if you turn up at 8.00pm – if you do your warm-up will be easy with the mega press-ups you will be doing!

The adults returned from the training camp at Dounans tired but extremely happy after the exertions of the weekend. The camp was a great success and I will be putting together an event blog to let you all know everything that went on (and make you jealous that you were not there.)

The junior class finished for the summer on Thursday night with the class quite quiet given the amount of kids on holiday. I will phone and text parents to confirm that they are aware that the class is now closed and also inform them all that the class will restart after the school holidays on Thursday 16th August at 7pm. In the meantime I hope that you all have a really great holiday.

Adult class will continue over the summer period and we will take the opportunity to extend the time we have to train by starting the class at 7pm and training for a good couple of hours. This will give the adults a chance to really go for it for a few weeks and I will mix up the training to make sure we look at everything. I look forward to us all really getting a sweat on…

The junior class was a little quieter than usual because of the holidays but the kids that did train worked well in preparation of their grading next week. The class had some good cardio during the warm-up and they really concentrated on forms before I jumped into the mix and swung the sword in the wee competition to finish. I make no apology for my conduct but my philosophy is that even if my opponent is 3’ 6” and 6 years old they’re still fair game on the mat! It was a great way to finish the class and I think everyone had fun.

Grading next week starts at 6.00pm for the juniors so I would like you all to try to be the hall for 5.45pm so that I can get the paperwork organised and we can start sharp. Remember that your grading is your way to show what you have learned and a chance to impress both Kancho Garry and me with your skill. Best of luck to all of you that are grading and remember that even if you are not you are welcome to come along to both train with and support those that are.

Adult class had a good turnout and started with a bit of cardio then moved onto floor drills before concentrating on their forms. Towards the end of the class some students put in a bit of work on the kata to finish what was a pretty good all round class. The class marked the last session before the weekend training camp and the mood was buoyant as we packed up the kit that we are taking with us - the camp last year was a real highlight and I have no hesitation in thinking that this year’s will be no different. We are joined by a few people from outside our club, both within and outwith Spirit Combat, and I am sure they will all enjoy the very special welcome that we extend to all visitors. We’ll be sure to tell you all about it when we blog the whole event afterwards.

Junior class had their second last training session before the lower grades grade for their next belt. There was good energy but what I need you all to think about is the spirit and commitment that is needed to show that you understand and believe in what you are doing on the mat. Spirit Combat is a martial art that needs spirit and dedication as much as the movements and techniques and without them it looks shabby and lazy. To avoid this you must put all your effort and control into the mix to make sure you look like a martial artist that trusts what they are doing – control your movements, keep them sharp and keep your balance and posture throughout. Next week will be the last chance for those that are grading to put this in place before Kancho Garry tests you (and me) so take the opportunity to make these changes.

Adult class concentrated on floor drills and forms for their training. It was great to see the commitment and effort that you all put into the training and the way that you work together encouraging the best from each other as you train. I especially enjoy seeing the way that you have added your personal stamp onto the foundation of the form and taken them the way you want them to go. The forms are so flexible that you have a great deal of scope to elaborate on them but I would remind you that the simplicity of the form is its greatest strength and I would not want you to lose sight of the fact that simplicity works. Great training session.

The adult weekend training camp is next weekend and those going do not need to wear gi’s at next Thursday’s training – trackies and t-shirt is fine.

I was away Thursday and left the both classes in Sensei Sean’s capable hands and from the positive feedback that I have been given both classes were very well received. Sean gave his usual energy and commitment to the training and from his feedback you all responded by putting in a good training session. As I have said before it is very reassuring to know that I can leave the class in as capable hands as Sean’s and know that he will be supported and respected by all the students. I will be back next Thursday and will catch up with you all then.

The junior class again concentrated on the forms that they are working on and I can see the improvement week on week - everyone has really moved on and the white and red belts in particular have done really well. The green belts’ hard work is beginning to pay of as the hip throw that they have been drilling in recent weeks is beginning to come together. This is, however, still a work in progress and something that we will keep working on in the coming weeks.

The junior class still shows great energy and the co-operation on show is a big part of the success. The fun and banter helps make the class a success and it is great to see the class gelling with all the new starts that have joined the club.

After last weeks discussion about combatjitsu the adult class had a chance to have their first look at some of the combatjitsu techniques that we will be training with, and eventually drilling, in the future. The class really got what we were trying to do and it was good to see you working through the techniques with tori and uke each taking on their role required for the technique to be successful. The class finished with some work on the technical aspects of the forms and brushing up on technique.

As I discussed at the end of the adult class, we are looking at competing in combatjitsu competitions as a club next year but if anyone feels that they would like to enter any of the events arranged this year I will assist you in preparing as much as I can - it would great experience for the individual and something that they could bring back to the club and share.

I am away next week so both classes will be trained by Sensei Sean – get ready for a cardio blast!

I returned from the martial arts gathering over the weekend buzzing with excitement over where Spirit Combat is going next. I and the three that accompanied me south were privileged to spend some time with not only Grandmaster Soke Dossett but with high ranking professors and masters of Spirit Combat and had the opportunity to both pick their brains about the martial art and train on the mat with them.

I was most excited about the fact that there will be a big focus on combatjitsu has been very closely looked at and rules and scoring formalised to make this an aspect of Spirit Combat that can be taken to competition. With this in mind I attended a seminar on combatjitsu to familiarise myself with this development and have brought some ideas back on how this will be introduced to our training to prepare for this. Exciting times ahead.

The junior class was again busy with the focus of the training being forms and kicks. The forms are coming on well but the kicks showed a wide range of ability and skill – one young lady was absolutely outstanding while some other students really need to work on their technique. We will continue to work on these as we go.

Adult class welcomed back its favourite senior citizen as John returned after his prolonged and troublesome injury. It was great to get him back into the club and back onto the mat and although he will need to look after himself whilst training his training colleagues will love getting his determination and enthusiasm back on the mat. Adult class looked at forms but had their first taste of the combatjitsu combinations and techniques that I will be introducing into the syllabus.

The trip down south will be documented fully in the Event Blog but there is one detail from the trip that needs to go out immediately. Whilst at the gathering Sensei Alison was honoured with the grade of fifth degree master by Spirit Combat International in recognition of her huge contribution to the martial art. Sensei Alison received this honour with her usual modesty and humility and it made me and the other Scottish representatives proud to be there and see her receive it.

After last weeks successful kick-a-thon both classes returned to normal training. The juniors worked on forms and the green belts drilled the components of the hip throw again. The concentration in the class was good and the forms are coming on well, particularly the newer starts.

The adult class also looked at forms, both club and international, as well as drilling a cool escape. The session was more technical than full throttle but it gave us all a chance to work on the technique of the forms and look at the harmonious side of the international form. We will continue to drill both style of form, club and international, to ensure that you are comfortable and confident with both.

Four members of the club are heading down south to a Spirit Combat gathering in Woking this weekend. Sensei Alison, Vicki, Eddie and I will take part in discussions and workshops with other Spirit Combat practitioners and, in doing so, represent both the club and Spirit Combat Scotland. It will be a long journey, and I am sure that the weekend will be a lot of hard work, but there will be some good fun too and the important thing is that there will be members of our club taking a part in events at the home of Spirit Combat.

Both classes did the sponsored kick-a-thon last night and, with a great deal of effort and energy, both managed to meet and beat the targets set for the event.

The kids had a target of 1000 kicks and managed to blow this away with a total of 3688 in the time given. This was a tremendous effort and the huge total showed that everyone managed to play their part in the kicking. Just remember that when we get our day out in the summer you will all feel that you deserve it because of your efforts last night. A big thank you to the parents who helped with holding kickbags and counting the kicks, your support really makes running these events so much easier and I always appreciate the big role you all play in the club.

Adult class also kicked the bags for their kick-a-thon and were set a very demanding target of 3000 kicks within the time allowed. The 9 adults took turns kicking and holding the pads, meaning that only 7 were kicking at one time, and managed the immense total of 3792 kicks. Sorry kids, but the adults blew you away with their total. Adult class had a new start coming to try the club out last night and he was pitched right into the mix with the kicking – as much as first nights go it was a bit different but respect to Andy for jumping in so enthusiastically. Great teamwork from the adults and top class effort from all of you.

I will sign all your sponsorship forms to confirm your achievements and you can start collecting the money promised so if you did not have it last night bring it next week. Thank you again to everyone who took part - kids, adults and parents alike – for making this another enjoyable and successful club event.

The junior class did a lot of work on the forms before the green belts split to concentrate on learning the hip throw with me. This is a complicated throw that takes a lot of practice and a good bit of confidence to get right but when you get it it is one of the best throws that you will learn. We will keep working through it to make sure that you get plenty of time to practice. The lower grades did well with the forms and I was again pleased to see the higher grades working with the newer students so well – this brings everyone on together and helps develop a feeling of partnership within the class.

Adult class started with a bit of a fitness hit with a good cardio warm up before trying a couple of cool escapes with takedown. The escapes where a good example of looking at the forms from a different perspective as we used the technique from no. 7 as the basis of the escape even though the attack was quite different. This reminds us that the form techniques can all be adapted to different situations and be used in a variety of ways against different attacks. We also looked at our own forms and worked through them adding some refinement and finesse. The adult class was visited by John who, despite climbing the wall with his injury, wanted to make sure that we had not forgotten him - hopefully you’ll be back soon John.

Kick-a-thon next week folks so get those sponsorship pledges going…

The junior class was really busy and you all worked at the forms and breakfalls very well. Busyness means that you all have to pay particular attention to instructions to make sure you are following what is going on and are able to train safely - I had to remind a few students to pay attention during the class and there were also occasions when students did other than they were supposed to which showed me they had not listened. Listening is really important because when I have to repeat myself we all lose training time and don’t get through everything we have to. A big class is really great as it shows that there is a lot of enthusiasm around training but we all have to get used to the big numbers on the mat and avoid anything that distracts us.

Remember kids, 2 weeks until the kick-a-thon so badger everyone you can for sponsorship for the club and our activity day.

Adult class welcomed back Scott after his lay-off and he was reintroduced back into the training in the time honoured method employed by the club – get stuck in, get a sweat on and enjoy it. The class concentrated on forms although there was also some time for some kicking, breakfalls and kata before we finished. I spoke to the class about the Spirit Combat gathering down south and will hopefully have news for those interested as soon as I can arrange details. Great to have you back on the mat with the guys Scott.

Same message to the adults as the kids – try to get as much sponsorship as you can for the club, camp and other events.

I have been away on holiday chasing fish in the highlands and left the club in Sensei Sean’s capable hands. Sean reported that the junior class was again very busy and that there were more kids coming with their parents to see if they could join so our success just carries on. Sean presented a mixed night with forms, kicks, breakfalls and a bit of Viking combat which all the juniors enjoyed. It’s always good to mix a bit of fun in with the formal training and helps keep you all interested.

Sensei Sean led the adult class with a cardio burn warm-up before looking at the forms. Sean also introduced the first elements of the sacrifice throw to the newer class members using the crash mat to assist. When I return next week we will carry all this on as well as looking some more at the international forms.

As a matter of interest, there are some photographs of my visiting Master Jim Cockram’s class last month - Master Jim made me really welcome and it is nice of him to post these on his site. Visit the site to view the pictures and take the opportunity to look around http://spiritcombatchesham.co.uk/?p=132 (if you cannot follow this hyperlink cut and paste it to your browser)

I need to remind adults that I will need the payments for the t-shirts and camp as soon as possible. Try to get these to me next week.

The junior class was extremely busy with the mat at full capacity with another 4 kids dropping in looking to join. This shows that the class is really successful because I have not advertised for a long time and the word-of-mouth that you and your parents are spreading must be really positive for there to be so much interest. It also means that you know that if you are not turning up to train there is someone more than happy to take place!

The juniors drilled their forms and some of the higher grades drilled hip throws before we had a go at speed kicking with the pads in preparation for the sponsored kick-a-thon. I was really pleased that the level of concentration was high despite the amount of kids on the mat and that you all showed good mat awareness to avoid collisions and other accidents. Well done with that.

I will be organising a summer trip to Fordell Firs where we will take part in a number of activities and have a barbeque and a bit of fun. Details to follow.

Adult class drilled some new techniques looking at a couple of cool takedowns with a nice choke and flip thrown in. We also continued with the International forms and got to grips with the technical changes that these entailed, this was especially challenging for those that had not had the chance to try them in the last couple of weeks but we all have a long way to go with them. John also put in an appearance bringing with him the club T-shirts; I must say that they are very cool with the embroidery making them look extremely classy.

In all, busy times ahead for the club with the kick-a-thon, Fordell and the the summer camp all in the pipeline as well as other future events.A reminder to the summer camp attendees - I need the next £25 payment before the end of the month.

The junior class was busy again with the kids enjoying an energetic training session and the higher grades moving up a step as they take the first steps towards learning the hip throw. As several of the kids that had tried Spirit Combat for the first time last week returned we also practiced breakfalls again before moving on to kick drills - both classes will be doing a sponsored kick-a-thon in the club sometime in the next few weeks so a little kicking preparation for everyone is a good idea.

Adult class was quiet again and we continued where we left off last week with the international forms being our main focus. They are really coming on and I can see you beginning to understand the structure of the form and adapting to the change. We will continue to focus on this over the next few weeks.

As I mentioned above I will be arranging a sponsored kick-a-thon in the next few weeks to raise money for the club outings and equipment. In addition to raising money for the club some of the money will go to the charity The Thomas Mason Foundation. Tam was a sensei and extremely talented practitioner of Spirit Combat who unfortunately lost his life whilst serving with the Black Watch in Afghanistan.

The foundation wish to spread some of Tam’s sporting enthusiasm by giving Fife kids the resources to follow their sporting dream by purchasing kit or providing funds to attend events that they could not otherwise afford. I had the privilege to train with Tam and wholeheartedly support this charity in its aims.

I will distribute sponsor sheets soon to both classes and expect you to pester everyone from your granny to your teachers for sponsorship. Adults will be doing the kick-a-thon too and I expect the same level of pestering from you too!

Finally, I need a payment of £25 by the end of this month from all the adults attending the training camp in July; also the club T-shirts will be ready next week and can be bought for £15 each – these embroidered t-shirts will be an essential part of your training and fashion wardrobe this summer!

The junior class was down a couple of bodies with the Easter holidays being in full effect but the mat was still very busy as six joined us to try out the martial art for the first time. This meant a real back to basics session for all of the juniors, irrespective of the new grade that they were holding, so that the newbies could get an introduction to what we do. Going way back to the start does everyone good as it makes us all look at everything that we are doing and to understand why we are doing it. I was well impressed with the way all you blue suits worked with the new ones to show them first form – this not only helps them settle into the class and learn from their peers but it also shows them the friendly people we have in our club.

After some fun with the Viking swords I handed out the certificates from the grading and gave everyone feedback on their performance. The feedback was intended to praise the parts of your grading that deserved it and also to give pointers on what you need to work on for the next time. Please take all this on board and work with it. Well done again to Tanner and Rebecca who were the two standout students of the grading - I was hugely impressed with both your gradings and look forward to seeing where you go next with the martial art as it becomes more challenging.

Adult class turnout was disappointing with just four students on the mat. I appreciate that it was the holidays but there was little communication with me so I was left trying to plan a class when I didn’t know whether I was getting six or sixteen. Nevertheless we had a session that had a bit of cardio; a kick drill; and an introduction to Spirit Combat International forms, before getting the swords out for a bit of a round robin batterfest against each other.

We will be really concentrating on the Spirit Combat International formsover the next few months and you will find them interesting, different, confusing and hugely effective all at the same time. You will see a different way of achieving the same thing with the forms and it will be a challenge to introduce this new way into your training. Confused? You will be. Seriously though, this is a great opportunity to add another string to your bow and you will see how it fits into the different approaches to jujitsu that we already have – hard, soft, harmony etc. Good times ahead and I hope you all join me on the mat to get stuck into them as soon as possible.

The adult grading took place last night with Kancho Garry grading five students (an unfortunate sixth was unable to grade due to injury.) Kancho Garry did not stand on ceremony and after the initial warm-up he started the grading at 100mph with a real cardio burn to get everyone energised and ready to go. Kancho went on to test technique, spirit and stamina by examining forms, floor drills, kata and randori in what was an intense and fast paced grading. Judging by the sweat and the facial expressions from the students, concentration was as important as effort.

Kancho awarded new belts to all five students and gave everyone feedback and constructive criticism on their grading. Kancho also praised a couple of exceptional performances from students as well as giving everyone pointers on areas of their training that require fine tuning.

This grading was another example of the super supportive ethos of the club - I watched the students supporting and encouraging each other to give their best, and the ukes who, despite not grading themselves, were put through their paces whilst assisting those who were. It’s a real club effort and shows the spirit that we have in the club. Great effort guys, and congratulations on your new belts. Thanks again to the ukes for your time, effort and encouragement in making the grading a success.

Back to the usual training for both juniors and seniors next week – I’ll see you all with your new belts and new forms.

Kancho Garry joined the junior class last night to grade the students and test all that they had learned in the past few months. The juniors all arrived early to warm up in preparation and the nerves were not at all apparent until Kancho arrived and the whole thing became real. I tried to reassure the kids that it was really me and my teaching that was being tested and that they should relax and enjoy the experience, but I’m not sure that they believed me! The grading went really well and the grading mat saw some good performances, some great performances and two really exceptional performances. The grading impressed Kancho and he was happy to award belts to all those who had performed so well.

Great effort kids and very well done; you all deserve your new belts and I hope you wear them with pride. Please remember that I told you that the junior class is not on next week as the adults are grading - your next class will be on Thursday 5th April.

The adult class managed a quick blast through their syllabus in preparation of their own grading next week - it was a fast and frenetic session as time was limited, but everyone took the opportunity to drill their forms, floor drills and the kata. You all looked really good on the mat and, although the grading will be hard, you have put so much effort into your training that I have no hesitation in saying that you will succeed.

The hall will open at 6pm next week to give you the opportunity to get some mat time in before grading. The grading will start at 7.30pm but I would appreciate it if you could arrive a bit earlier so that we can get the necessary paperwork done. Good luck next week guys.

I returned from my pilgrimage around some SCI clubs down south and have learned much that I can pass on to you all. I really enjoyed meeting and training with senseis and masters and have some really cool stuff to show you – I will, however, wait until after the grading so that confusion does not set in! I am really excited with what we will be doing with this and think that you will really enjoy the added elements that it will give to both your training and understanding of our martial art.

The junior class on Thursday night was the last opportunity to train before grading with Kancho Garry next week and the night was around ironing out the final creases in preparation for this. We looked at forms, breakfalls and the punch defence / takedown that we have been drilling the last few weeks to make sure that you all had the opportunity for some last minute practice. It was all looking good but I need you to take on board that you must keep up the level of spirit and commitment throughout and not your standards slip – this was really obvious during the forms where they got a bit shoddy as you went through them. I know that you are better than this so make sure you show Kancho want you can do. For the grading next week try to be at the hall for 6pm so that the grading can start at 6.30pm. Good luck to you all.

Adult class was a technical class that really looked at the forms giving us the opportunity to sharpen up for the grading - the forms looked really good and the co-operation between uke’s and tori’s was really top notch. Your forms are all in really good shape for the grading and we will take the chance next week to have a final polish of the kata, floor drills and boxing to make sure that you are confident in all the disciplines you will be tested in. As I said at the end of the class, try to be at the hall for 8pm next week so that you can get on the mat as soon as the kids are finished even if there is a bit of an overrun.

I have been on tour this last week visiting Spirit Combat clubs in England to meet the sensei’s and students and train with them. As you know every club within Spirit Combat has the foundation of the forms to train with, but how they train and the additions that they make to their syllabus is influenced by the instructor. I have taken the opportunity to be there first hand and have met and trained with some great guys and learned a lot of really cool stuff that I will pass on to you.

A great big thank you to Sensei Alex Murray-Hawkes for Tuesday night’s training; Master Peter Jones for his training and hospitality on Wednesday (especially letting me stay overnight at his place,) and Master Jim Cockram for both his time and training on Thursday night. I have learned a great deal about the art from training with these experienced sensei’s and masters and have taken something from each session. I must mention Master Jim Cockram in particular as he blew me away with his teaching of international forms and harmony and has really given me something to both work with and think about as I develop further within the art.

Finally, a massive thank you to Sensei Phil Robinson who offered me both his home and hospitality while I was visiting. He and his family looked after me the whole time I was there and I am extremely grateful to him for their generosity.

While I was away I left Sensei Sean to take the training on Thursday and from the feedback I have received he did a great job with both classes. Sensei Sean structured the classed around the fact that the grading is very close and drilled the forms and techniques required, as well as giving everyone a good cardio workout. Thank you to Sean for stepping up and taking the classes, it is great to know that, if for any reason I cannot take the classes, I have such an able deputy to step in.

A couple of students have left the junior class this week and a new start welcomed. Of the two leaving one has decided to concentrate on his football training while the other has left to join the adult class on a permanent basis. We enjoyed having them both in the junior class and wish them both well with their decisions and hope they have the best of luck. One space was taken up immediately with a new start and we hope that she enjoys our martial art as much as we do so please make her welcome.

The junior class powered on as usual with the focus remaining the same with the forms and fitness being the main training areas. We also drilled a cool defence for both punch and front kick attack that finished with a controlled takedown. These are complicated moves and we will drill then some more in the coming weeks. Great effort guys, keep it up.

Adult class saw the return of two members, Craig and Liam, who had not managed to train for a while but they joined us on the mat on Thursday night. They both trained well and were picking up some of the techniques that they had missed; good effort guys and glad to have you back. Adult class really concentrated on forms, drilled some hip throws too, and the higher grades finished with the kata. Things are looking good for the grading at the end of March and if you all keep up the level of commitment that you have been showing recently there should be no problems.

The junior class continued where it left off last week with a mixture of fitness, technical training and the forms. We put a lot of emphasis on the forms ensuring again that the juniors are familiar will all their forms not just the one associated with their grade. The enthusiasm was good, as was the technical ability, but I want a little bit of fire from some of you – the moves are good and the techniques there but I need you to show that you mean it when you perform them. There are a few of you moving up the belts and this speed and control will be expected at your next grading for you to pass well. Step it up in these areas while training and it will all fall into place.

The adult class had a good turn out and were joined by a student from the junior class who wanted to sample the different training on offer. The adults followed on from next week with the cardio, drills and forms being the main focus before finishing with the kata. Good pace throughout and I was impressed again with the commitment and quality on display with forms and kata the standout. The junior did very well with the more robust nature of the adult training and picked up the techniques quickly – a very impressive debut.

I will be organising the next grading with Kancho very soon and it will probably be late March. I will let you know as soon as arrangements are made but take the timescale as fairly accurate and take on board that those grading have 4-6 weeks of preparation left and use the time wisely.

Finally, camp deposits need to be in for the end of February, get your cash in guys.

The junior class was as busy as the previous couple of weeks weeks and the training just as high tempo. We concentrated on fitness and forms before throwing a punch block and takedown into the mix to make sure that we practiced something new alongside the familiar forms and techniques. I was really pleased with the effort and the concentration you all showed throughout the class particularly when you had something new and unfamiliar like the punch combination to work with. Great stuff and keep it up.

Adult class was another session where we went through all our disciplines and played with a real mix of techniques. We practiced shoulder throws, a boxing style evasion drill and our forms. Everything looked really good but the stand out was the kata which is coming on really, really well – you’ve all got to the stage where you have the basic movements and now need to fine tune and harmonise the individual techniques. Looking good and the hard work is paying off.

As you will see from the homepage of the website I have advertised training spaces for the class. I have had plenty of enquiries and expressions of interest about joining the club in the past year and it is not fair to keep people away when we have students who choose not to train. I have taken the decision to offer out these places as I feel that this is the right time and it will give people the chance to join us and take part in forthcoming events. There are a couple of junior places and several adult places available and interested people can contact me through the various methods listed on the homepage.

The junior class concentrated on two aspects at their training – the art of listening and art of hard work. They are both very important as they make sure that you can practice your martial art safely by making sure that you know what you have to do (listening) and that your body is prepared to do it (hard work.) You all did very well to keep up in what was a physically demanding class and I am sure that, even if you were a bit sore this morning, you felt that it was worth it.

A wee reminder - try to ensure that when you are changing and preparing to come on to the mat to try to use the toilet before we start. Leaving the mat is disruptive to your training but also interrupts the training of your partner so try as much as you can to minimise this. I know sometimes that it cannot be helped but try as much as possible to go before training.

Adult class continued with the high tempo training that we started with last week and there was a good mixture of forms, drills and high impact cardio. A high level of commitment from everyone meant that we all got the maximum out of the class and it was good to see the co-operation as you worked with each other. Co-operation has always been one of the great strengths of the adult class and one that we will continue to foster.

We finished the class with a little bit of “sticky hands” as I like you all to step out of your comfort zones and try something new and unfamiliar. There were varying degrees of success with this exercise, and some co-ordination issues, but we will try this again and you will soon see an improvement on your technique.

Finally, the date is set for the adult training camp (July 6th – 9th) and I will be looking for completed forms and a £15 deposit by the end of February.

The junior class had a real buzz about it and they all enjoyed a good mixed session. We drilled our forms from first form again before moving on to practicing the kicks that we were training with last week. We added in a couple of really cool turning kicks, as well as a jumping turning kick, to give the kids a chance to try some of the flair techniques that we can learn. They are difficult kicks and I did not expect everyone to get them immediately but it is good to try techniques like this as they not only give you something to aim for but introduce some of the body movements that you will be using when you move up the belts.

I was really impressed by the junior class and their ability to concentrate on what we are doing. I have reminded you in the past about the need to listen more and concentrate more and I am really pleased to say that that I watched you training and saw both of these happening. You should as proud of yourself as I was of you all, well done.

A last wee note to the juniors – I really am looking for all your ideas for the juniors’ activity day during the summer and will consider every suggestion (if not too outrageous!) Let me know in class.

Adult class numbers were back to more like the usual numbers and we had an introduction to the first of many cardio sessions that will be a part of the training for the foreseeable future. Building up stamina and core strength are important parts of the training and it is something that we will concentrate on in class - it will be far more effective in the long run if you can look at doing some cardio training in your time to enhance this. Give this some consideration. The training itself was a good session mixing forms, throws and floor drills and it was good to feel that the adult class was up and running again. Great effort guys and there will be more of the same next week.

Just a wee note to finish. This is the second anniversary of the website and the blog within it. They are really important in advertising both our club and our martial art to people within our organisation, other martial artists and the public at large. I hope that you continue to use both and support our efforts to let the world know who we are, what we do and the great time we have together as a club.

The club resumed on Thursday night with both classes in action. The juniors were buzzing and put a really good session that mixed hard work with a bit of fun. We looked at the forms running everyone through first form and working up – this helped kick off the memory and re-establish everything that we have learned in the last year. We finished with some fun and it was nice to see that the spirit of competition extended to the wind down game at the end. It was great to get all the kids back on the mat and if you keep up the level of enthusiasm that you showed the other night we will have a great year.

The adult class turnout was a little disappointing but we kicked off with some takedowns and forms to get ourselves started. I had intended a massive cardio session but a more technical class was appropriate for the smaller group - the guys trained together well and there was some good technical ability on show.

I am looking at this year’s calendar of events and am looking for numbers for the summer training camp weekend. This needs to be done fairly quickly so that I can put the payment structure in place as soon as possible. Please contact me directly or through the website on info@combatjitsu.co.uk so that I can start the booking process.

Please take a look at the news and events page as some information on the club camp has been amended.
Thank you
http://www.combatjitsu.co.uk/News_and_Events.html

I hope everyone had a great New Year and really celebrated the festive season in style. Both classes will resume training a week on Thursday with the junior class restarting on Thursday 19th January at 7.00pm and the adult class restarting at 8.00pm the same evening.

I will make sure that you all get the opportunity to shed any pounds that you have put on the holidays and will get you back into shape for the new year!

The adult class last Thursday (22nd December) was the final night of the year and we finished with a grading and some end of year presentations.

The two students grading gave a very good account of themselves despite their nerves and both achieved their red belts from Kancho Garry. Kancho was very impressed at the standard of the technique on offer by the students grading and praised the consistently high standard of the club as a whole. Congratulations to both Dean and Crawford on achieving your first belts with special credit to Crawford on achieving a perfect score on his grading.

The adult student of the year award was presented and, although there were some strong candidates for the award, the winner simply stood out as the natural choice. The student of the year was awarded to John in recognition of all his hard work and effort in the past year - John has always given 200% in everything he did in the class and took the initiative when looking for additional Sunday training midway through the year. Bar an injury late in the year John would have had perfect class attendance and was a part of everything that the club took part in the last year. Congratulations John, a well deserved award.

We thanked Kancho Garry for all his support during the year and presented him with a bottle of malt whisky with the clubs compliments. The students then surprised me by presenting me with a personalised belt to thank me for the really successful year that the club had had. I was as touched as I was surprised and would like to take the opportunity to thank you all for both the year that we have had and the extremely thoughtful gift presented to me.

The club were joined for the night by senseis Si, Raymond and John to help Spirit Combat Scotland mark the contribution and achievements of sensei Alison, and her many years with Spirit Combat. With her family in attendance sensei Alison was presented with an inscribed katana and Kancho recounted sensei Alison’s achievements within both the martial art and her life as a carer. Sensei Alison was touched to the point of speechlessness – an achievement in itself! It was nice for past and present students to attend the ceremony and shows the high esteem in which sensei Alison is held by those who have come into contact with her over the years.

It was a fine way to finish such a successful year in the club and I will take this final opportunity to thank everyone for their efforts in the club and behind the scenes. I expect this year will be just the start of further success and expect to start planning for next year very soon.

I hope you all had a great Christmas and wish everyone a very happy New Year.

The junior class finished this year with a fun session where we had a wee team competition as well as some fun with the swords and Viking kit. The winners of the team competition were thrilled by their prize as a bag of coppers – “shrapnel” as one junior commented – is what every kid wants at Christmas. I get hit with this shrapnel all year and it is my only chance to pass it back. Enjoy your prizes folks!

On a more serious note the junior students of the year were announced and I would like to congratulate Tanner and Josh on deservedly achieving these awards. You both trained very hard this last year and your awards are very well deserved. Also, I would like to thank you all for the cards and gifts I received last night and hope that you all enjoy the Christmas holidays and have a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

The adult class had a disappointingly low turnout with only four on the mat for the penultimate training session of the year and only a couple letting me know that they would not make training. I appreciate this is a busy time of year but feel that there needs to be a bit more effort to attend classes as much as possible. There are new aspects of the martial art being introduced all the time but because of their sporadic attendance some individuals are in real danger of falling behind; this would be a real shame given how much work was put in by you all earlier in the year.

Next week is not only the last adult training night this year but it is a grading night too with a couple of students grading for their first coloured belt. Given that we have had such a good year at the club, and have clubmates to support as they grade, I would appreciate it if everyone in the adult class make every effort to attend so that we can complete the year with all that have been involved present. We intend to have a drink together at the end and toast this last year and I hope you can all make it.

CLASS IS CANCELLED TONIGHT DUE TO BAD WEATHER
08/12/2011

Both classes focused on the technical side of the martial art with the emphasis being on technique. Although cardiovascular conditioning is a really important aspect of martial arts it should not overtake the technical side as both are required for the full package.

The junior class really concentrated on their forms and I was really impressed with the technique, control and mat awareness. I think you are all getting there with your forms and that little bit of extra time between gradings really seems to have paid off because the improvement over the last couple of months has been really noticeable. You should all be very pleased with your efforts and how far you have come; I’m really proud of you all.

Adult class worked some more with the techniques from last week before concentrating on their forms. The forms were all about technique and control rather than speed, and I was impressed at the standard you were all performing at - I was looking for simplicity within the forms so that the technique shone through and you certainly did that. This simplicity and back to basics approach is reinforcing our foundation and ensures that we understand our martial art and the principles within it.

I asked all adults to try and ensure their attendance at the final training session of the year on the 22nd of December. There will be a grading that night and we will make some end of year presentations before having a drink together. It has been a really great year for the club and I would really appreciate you joining me to toast our success.

There will be no Sunday training at Crombie now until the new year, I will let you all know when we intend to resume when we return after the Christmas and New Year break.

The junior class were really enthusiastic and trained really well on all their drills and forms. I gave one of the juniors the chance to take the warm up, which he did very well, and will give this opportunity to other juniors in the next few weeks. This is a great learning opportunity as it makes you think about what you are doing and makes sure that you can explain it properly to others. At the end of the class I handed out flyers to the class about the dates the club will be closed over the Christmas holidays – if you did not get one ask me next week for one.

The adults trained with some combinations that will fit into the forms, as well as the forms themselves. The focus that we have at the moment is to look at the basic but powerful techniques that form the foundation of jujitsu and Sensei Boo assisted the higher grades with some old school jujitsu to illustrate this. This old school style is as interesting and useful as it is simple and it is important that we learn these different aspects to have a complete grasp of the martial art. Thanks to Sensei Boo for his instruction. We will continue to drill the basics over the next few weeks and months.

As I said in the adult class I have the received information regarding next year’s prices for SOEC centres so I will sit down early in the new year to plan the summer training camp. In the meantime you can let me know if you are interested in attending. If you are new to the club and not sure what to expect go to the Events Blog in the main website to check out last year’s Highlander camp and the cast of characters that took part in the shenanigans.

Training at Crombie this Sunday is 4pm – bring water as usual.

The junior class was really good with a great mixture of hard work and fun. I was very impressed by the high standard of technical ability that you all showed in the forms and the techniques and was very pleased to see the control that you all had when performing them. Control is very important because we are all there together to train and we do not want people being hurt. If people are hurt they cannot train and may also begin to think “why would I want to train somewhere where I get hurt all the time?” So, very well done everyone, you did yourselves proud.

I was disappointed with the turnout at the adult class as the mat was quite quiet last night. I can appreciate that people have priorities in their lives and that a balance must be struck but training in martial arts requires commitment and this commitment is shown by attending training regularly. I understand illness and injury will keep you away at times but I would appreciate it if you would contact me to let me know if you are missing training so that I can plan classes accordingly. I know some people keep in touch and let me know in good time that they will miss training but I think a wee bit of consistency across the board would help and, as such, I would like you all to keep in touch whenever you will be absent. My mobile number and email address are on the front of the website.

The adults that were there trained in Spirit Combat and jujitsu basics by stripping down breakfalls to their component parts and drilling first form without the tori moving their feet. The latter teaches the basic jujitsu premise of using the attacker’s body against them by breaking balance and using the push-pull counterforce techniques within the forms. The great thing about drilling the form in this way is that it illustrates that power can be of no consequence whatsoever and that the techniques themselves are the crucial aspect of the martial art.

I would like more feedback through the blog from you all about how you feel training is going and any questions that you may have. I can only blog from my perspective and need feedback to make sure that I am not misinterpreting what I am seeing on the mat. The blog is not intended to be a way to massage my ego about the club but an opportunity for you to go away from training, reflect on what has happened and make a comment that can assist and what we train. I really need you both read and comment on the postings on the blog or it serves no purpose.

Training at Crombie this Sunday is 4pm – bring water as usual.

Sean, Eddie and I left for our grading first thing on Friday morning and, using a relay driving system, managed to make the 425 mile journey in just over 7 hours. We arrived in Weybridge, Surrey, mid afternoon and after settling into the hotel, and having something to eat, met Soke Dossett, Master Jim Cockram and grading officer Sensei Peter Jones at the grading hall. Soke was delighted that we had come down and it was great to spend some time with him. I can assure you that during this time Weybridge met the representatives/comedy ambassadors that are Spirit Combat Scotland.

We arrived at the grading hall whilst the juniors were grading and I was honoured to be invited on to the mat to teach a technique to the kids. I showed them a combination that we had drilled recently with our own juniors and it was very well received by the kids that were grading. Later Sensei Sean assisted me to work with the older juniors and we showed some cool form work with takedown techniques.

I was asked to start the adult grading by warming up the students and I gave them a little taste of what you are used to with a rapid session that left everyone with a bit of a sweat on. We then split into our respective groups to grade and, with my grading having a bit more emphasis on teaching, I was able to catch some of both Sean and Eddie grading. I can assure you that they were both on fire on the mat and showed their counterparts the high standard that we train to here in Scotland.

The grading finished with all the instructors present teaching signature techniques and I was able to showcase the blind randori that I had been preparing. We clearly made a big impression on the audience as a number came to speak to me after the grading and expressed an interest in both our club and our training methods. When closing the grading Soke Dossett paid tribute to our dedication in making the journey to grade with the other SCI clubs and asked the assembled students to applaud our efforts.

The return journey went without a hitch and we managed to get home faster than our outward journey (I can assure you no speed limits were broken in the making of this grading.)

I am very proud of our attendance at this grading; I am also very proud of the fact that we showed the standard of Spirit Combat in Scotland when we were on the mat and have no hesitation in saying that I feel that we all deserved the grades that we earned. Sensei Sean now holds the rank of Shodan black belt, Eddie is a brown belt and I now hold the rank of 2nd Dan.

There will be future trips south to take part in gradings and other events, and I hope you all take the opportunity to join us in what is just a great time all round.

The junior class was again very well attended and you all tried really hard throughout the class. We did our rolls and forms before looking at a couple of escape techniques that made you think about your martial art in a real life situation. It is a martial art that you are learning and the techniques that you practice are very practical for self defence: it might not seem it sometimes when you are learning your form but they have exactly the same foundation. I really enjoyed the energy and enthusiasm that you all showed and the way that you got your heads down and concentrated.

Adult class was a little quieter with a couple of sick notes passed in. The class warmed up with some kicking drills before practicing a really cool aki-jitsu technique that really showed the circular nature and contrasting movements of that martial art. It was a powerful example of how body mechanics work for you and against your opponent as strength was not required at any level to execute these techniques. We also had a real look at the third floor drill and the feedback from those on the mat was that this was a great drill to train with the gator roll being a particular favourite.

Sensei Sean, Eddie and I are going down south to Spirit Combat headquarters to grade on Saturday. I will let you know how it all went after the event and will blog the trip on the website.

Training at Crombie will go ahead on Sunday at 4pm. Bring your water as usual.

The junior class was a great session with loads of energy and enthusiasm from you all. It was great to see all the effort that you put in when you practiced your forms, drills and the kata – the level of concentration and co-operation showed me you were all really trying hard to get on. This is just the effort that you need to take the next step and if you keep up this level of commitment I think you will all be more that ready for your grading early next year. My favourite part of the evening was the grappling because there was just such a buzz going on. It is great to teach a class when it is so obvious that you are all enjoying yourselves. A great training session kids, keep it up.

Adult class was similar high energy and the pace of the training was pretty hectic all night. The forms, drills and grappling were executed with energy and vigour and it was easy to see the effort being put in considering the sweat that some of you were throwing off. It’s great to see a class train so well together with everyone contributing to a really good session. The level of commitment, whether high grade or new start, is plain to see and it shows the spirit and camaraderie that has grown in the club.

It’s training nights like last night that make teaching so rewarding – when you see people, both junior and senior, getting so much out of it you know that you’re doing something right.

Sunday training 4pm – 6pm at Crombie, bring your water.

The junior class was well attended now that the holidays are finished and there was a good buzz on the mat from you all. The forms were performed really well but the kata and kick drills still need some work as they are not up to the standard that I know that you can achieve. With this in mind I have decided not to have a junior grading in December. There are two reasons for this – firstly, December is a very busy month for everyone and it is difficult to concentrate on a grading when there are so many distractions; and secondly, a little extra time is no bad thing when preparing for a grading as it will give you all the opportunity to get everything that needs worked on right. Keep up the hard work and you will get there.

Adult class was very well attended too with fifteen on the mat. Kancho Garry took the class and really mixed it up with boxing drills/takedown combos as well as the practicing the forms and other drills, and there was great energy throughout from all of you. Excellent concentration from everyone coupled with superb mat awareness all round meant that it was an extremely enjoyable session.

There has been a lot of stuff added to the adult syllabus this year and I would appreciate comments and/or from you all as the year draws to a close to review everything that has gone on – you can use the blog for this as this is what it is here for.

A massive thank you to Kancho Garry for taking the training session on Thursday. We are extremely lucky that we can call on a martial artist of such skill and experience to take the class and have someone who gives his time to get up close and personal with us despite his busy schedule. There are not many organisations where this happens and we should consider ourselves very fortunate.

Final reminder – Sensei Alison appears on “Come Dine With Me” on Monday 31st October (Channel 4 @ 5.30pm) with yours truly making a guest appearance on Tuesday 1st November (same time and channel)

Training at Crombie this Sunday is from 4pm to 6pm – bring your water as usual.

I have been on holiday this week and left the training on Thursday night in the very capable hands of Sensei Alison. I have received very good feedback from both the junior and adult classes and understand that you all enjoyed the training sessions that Sensei Alison prepared and led.

Sensei Alison took the juniors through a warm up before giving them a session that included their breakfalls, a blocking drill and forms; before finishing with a wee grappling competition that ended with the winners getting to grapple with Sensei Alison, Sensei Sean and Eddie. I’m sure the kids appreciated the instruction from Sensei Alison and learned a lot from her.

Adult class was varied too with Sensei Alison starting with quite a vigorous warm up before moving on to breakfalls, a drill that blocked various punches, forms and grappling. Sensei Alison then completed the night by asking the two students preparing to grade in London in a few weeks to perform random forms in front of their clubmates to let them experience a bit of pressure. A nice relaxing end to the session for all but two of the class! I’m sure that all the adults enjoyed training with Sensei Alison and learnt from someone with as vast an experience as she.

A massive thank you to Sensei Alison for stepping in and taking the classes so expertly in my absence; it is brilliant to know that if, for any reason, I need to step away from the class for a moment I know that I leave you guys in very capable hands.

I will be back next week as usual but in the meantime Sunday session at Crombie is 4.00pm – bring water.

The junior class was a little quiet what with the October holidays being in full swing. The juniors that did train drilled first form, their own forms and the kata and I saw a lot of good work from you all with good levels of concentration all round. It was nice to see the higher grades assisting the newer juniors with their forms as this develops a good sense of teamwork and an ethos of all working together within the club. We are most successful when we all work to improve each other and it gives you all a sense of achievement too.

Adult class contrasted by being absolutely packed with two old school spirit combat veterans visiting and a couple of new starts trying the mat for the first time. I was really pleased to welcome Senseis John and Simon back as they are old time practitioners of our martial art and thank them both for their input into the training. The session was a nice mix with forms, a stand-up technique and kata as well as drilling a gator roll on the floor. I was really pleased with the mat awareness and control that you all showed ensuring that the session passed smoothly and safely.

There is now a lot of pressure on places within both the junior and adult classes; the adult session last night was full and this was with at least four people missing from the mat. There were new starts in both classes and, on top of this, I have a number of enquiries from people, both junior and adult, wishing to start. What this means in the long run is that if a club member’s attendance is sporadic then I will have to consider offering their place out as I feel that it is unfair to deny someone the opportunity to train when there are places not being fully utilised.

Training at Crombie this Sunday is from 4pm to 6pm – bring your water as usual.

Training was back to normal with both classes resuming after the recent gradings. The junior class started their new forms and a new kata was introduced based on second form. There were a couple of new starts so a part of the training session was a return to first form – this is good practice anyway as it is always good to go back and visit previous learning to make sure that it is still strong. The syllabus is getting really interesting for you all as you move up the grades and you will find that your training becomes more and more varied. We finished with a Viking Combat and nunchaku session that gave all the kids the chance for a wee bit of competition with each other and led to a noisy finish to the class. A couple of the kids were not in class and they missed a really fun night. I’ll see you all next week for more of the same.

Adult class was similar with students learning their new forms and the class also revisited first form. First form is the foundation of all the forms and the reinforcement of the foundation is important whether a new start or a high grade belt as it establishes, and re-establishes, the basic components of the art. However it’s important to remember that basic should not be confused with easy as the correct application of technique within these basic components is as challenging as the more advanced forms. We will continue to drill the new forms over the next few weeks as well as dedicating some time to really concentrate on the kata.

Thanks to the adult class who assisted me with my blindfolded randori as I continue to prepare for my own grading next month – I will call on you to assist some more in the coming weeks in my and the others preparations for this grading. Crombie training this Sunday will be 4pm – bring you water as usual.

For those avid television viewers amongst you Sensei Alison will be appearing on “Come Dine With Me” on Channel 4 week starting Monday October 31st. I make a guest appearance on the Tuesday night when Sensei Alison hosted the evening and there will be card tricks and surprises!

The adult grading took place last night (Thursday) with five students grading for their green belt and one grading for his purple in front of Kancho Garry Wilson. As these students were moving into the intermediate and higher grades expectations were higher and Kancho Garry set the bar high from the outset.

The grading involved forms, kick drills, floor drills, randori, a lung busting cardio session and a teaching component from Bill. Everybody performed superbly well and the standard was very high from the outset. John’s forms were superb; Michael’s randori an absolute masterclass in control and technique, and Vicki’s randori was an triumph of will, determination and spirit (all of which she demonstrated in every aspect of the grading.) Craig dug deep in what was probably one of the hardest gradings he will have had and Bill met the differing challenges head on with courage and conviction - Bill’s grading differed slightly because he had the teaching aspect in his. Scott’s performance throughout his grading was a credit to him and the work and effort that he has put in since his last grading was plain to see as the improvement was immense - Scott took the feedback from Aberfoyle on the chin and dug in deep to improve in the areas identified.

Congratulations to you all in achieving your new grades and I know that you will all wear your new belts with pride. Kancho shared his opinions with you individually and you know where to focus for the next grading.

Thank you to Kancho Garry Wilson for joining us and grading us to his usual high standards. Also, thank you to the ukes who attended the grading - you get the punishment of the grading without the reward and it is testament to the camaraderie within the club that ukes assist and encourage in this way with no motivation other than wishing to see their clubmates succeed. This positive attitude is present within everyone and I feel that there is a real sense of being a team within the club.

Classes are back to normal next week Thursday (6th October) with the juniors training at their usual 7.00pm and adults 8pm. Crombie training this Sunday will be 4.00pm (bring all the water that you will need.)

The junior grading took place last night with 13 grading in front of Kancho Garry Wilson. Kancho Garry spoke to you all before the grading and made sure that you knew that not only would you have to perform well but that you would also have to convince him that you deserved a new belt by showing your grit and determination throughout.

All 13 of the juniors graded well and I am very happy to say that all 13 passed and received their certificates and new belts. During his feedback Kancho Garry said that you all showed a very high standard when grading and that he was pleased with the effort put in by you all; Kancho finished by awarding medals to the four stand out performances of the night. I hope you are all very proud of yourselves and want to say congratulations and very well done to you all.

You are all beginning to move up the belts and we will start training your new forms and techniques when you return – for some of you the training will begin to get more challenging as throws and other techniques are added to the syllabus, so your levels of spirit and determination will need to increase too.

Remember kids, the junior class next week is cancelled as the adults are getting their turn to grade so you will return to training on Thursday 6th October. I look forward to seeing you all on that night with your shiny new belts.

Adults – the training at Crombie on Sunday will be 4pm – 6pm. This will be a final opportunity to polish your forms and drills before the grading so I hope that as many of you as possible take the chance to attend. Make sure that you bring all the water you need.

The seminar with Soke Dossett was a great success with over 60 juniors and adults meeting and training with the grandmaster and his uke Master Jim Cockram. The two seminars were attended by students from martial arts clubs other than Spirit Combat with taekwondo; kickboxing and MMA all in attendance and Soke Dossett took to the mat to share the experience gathered from more than 50 years of martial arts training.

The juniors’ seminar was a session that showed both the serious and fun sides of martial arts and Soke Dossett was in his element with the kids on the mat. Soke Dossett demonstrated a number of techniques before finishing the kids session with stunt training that required adults to assist the kids.

The key word for the adult seminar was “simplicity” and Soke Dossett demonstrated simple yet powerful techniques to the assembled students. Soke also stressed the need for martial artists to remain open minded and experiment with techniques as this is the only way that martial arts can develop and evolve.

The seminar finished with Soke Dossett and Master Jim being presented with engraved quaichs to commemorate their visit and the students receiving certificates of attendance.

A very big thank you to Soke Dossett and Jim Cockram for visiting us and sharing their experience; Kancho Garry Wilson for organising the event, and Senseis Bill McAlonie, Ann McBroom and Allan Cunningham for encouraging their students, both junior and adult, to attend and make the seminars the success that they were.

Thursday was the juniors’ final training session, and the final adult Thursday, before the grading.

Juniors are now ready to grade and will be showing what they can do in front of Kancho Garry next week. I know how hard you have worked but I now need you all to prove this to Kancho by showing him how much you want that new belt. Kancho will be watching and marking your forms and kata but he will also be watching and marking your spirit and determination. I have told you before how important spirit and determination are and how they can make the difference between passing and failing and, because some of you are moving up the grades, it is definitely expected.

Please make sure that you are at the hall for 6.30pm so that we can get all the paperwork done; the grading will start at 7pm. Good luck to all of you and try your best at the grading.

Adult class again concentrated on the forms and I am very impressed with the tightness of technique and the control that you are all showing. I pointed out to some individuals the huge improvement that had taken place since their last grading and how this demonstrates the effort that they had put in to their training. Gradings may be nerve racking affairs but they test your technique, skill and determination, and the feedback you receive gives guidance to where your strengths are and where you need to work to improve. Gradings are there to put you under pressure and you are graded on how you respond to this pressure with your technique, determination, adaptability and spirit. Good luck to all those who are grading and I look forward to you showing Kancho how your martial arts skills have developed since your last grading.

Adults – please remember that next Thursdays training (22nd September) is cancelled due to the juniors grading but the Sunday sessions at Crombie go ahead as usual. This Sunday coming will be 4pm - 6pm (bring your water.)

We welcome Soke Dossett and Master Jim Cockram on Saturday to lead us in a seminar showcasing our martial art. Please make sure that you are all there in good time for the session – juniors 12noon ‘til 1.00pm; adults 1.00pm ‘til 4.00pm – and have brought your sparring gear.

The junior class trained with the grading in mind so we concentrated on forms, kata and breakfalls. The training session was good and I can see how you have all worked to improve your techniques but I still need to see the fire and attitude that shows you really mean what you are doing. I know that you will show this on the night of the grading but would like to see a wee bit more of it during the class. Next week is your last training session before the grading so use it to go through everything you will need.

Remember kids that I am always looking for feedback through the blog and would like to see your comments posted there – if you are not great on the computer get someone to help you.

Adult class concentrated on forms while the cardio aspect was pulled in a bit to keep energy levels high. The concentration and effort were both excellent and the forms really looked the part, so preparations for the grading are going really well. Next week is the last Thursday training session before the adult grading – adult class is cancelled on the night of the juniors grading - but the Sunday sessions will continue for those students preparing to grade. These sessions will be much like the Thursday training as they will concentrate on the forms, kicks and drills rather than the cardio aspect.

Finally, Soke Dossett’s seminar is just around the corner, Saturday 17th August, and I expect everyone, junior and adult, to attend so that Soke can meet as many of his Scottish students as possible. This is a chance to meet and train with the founder and grandmaster of Spirit Combat and is an opportunity not to be missed.

Sunday training at Crombie will be 10.00am – 12 noon. Remember to bring all the water that you will need.

The preparations for the grading continue in both classes and the training remains focused on this.

Junior class are still working hard with their forms and kata and I am impressed with all your effort to get the technique spot on. However, I need you to focus and concentrate on the other aspects of the martial art – spirit and courage – as these are all marked by Kancho Garry. These come from wanting to succeed no matter what and not giving up even when tired. Remember too that courage isn’t just about being brave, it can be when you make a mistake but refuse to give up and keep going until you get it right or when you are so tired that you can hardly hold your hands up but just keep going. As I told you during training, you can get a high score for your techniques at the grading but a low overall score if you do not show these qualities and with a low score you might not pass your belt.

Adult class was very busy with the training mat absolutely full, and it was nice that Kancho Garry could join us as we trained. The pace of the training was intense and we drilled all the different techniques that will be graded; the application and effort was great to see as was the concentration and determination. You should now feel that the techniques and drills are coming together and when you take a step back you will see how varied, interesting and enjoyable the martial art that you are training is. The knock on effect will be that this will translate into a grading that will be as varied and interesting as it is challenging. Excellent training session from all of you.

Training at Crombie this Sunday (4th September) is 4pm - 6pm. As I mentioned at Thursday night training, the Sunday sessions are for those adult students preparing for the grading and I would appreciate that this remain the case until after the grading has taken place. I will review the situation with regard to the direction of the Sunday training after the grading and let you all know in due course.

The junior class was very busy again and the training continues in preparing everyone for the grading. You have all tried hard to learn the techniques within your forms and the new katas that we have drilled, but you need to add that missing something to make it all tick. I have told you this before that you need to add the spirit and fire that turns the form from a set of movements into a martial art to be proud of. Kancho Garry will look for this in your grading and will mark you higher if he sees this as spirit is part of the grading – remember that as you move up the grades the expectations on you are greater and you need to show your desire.

Adult class had a real mix of training within it as we drill all the elements that will be graded. We drilled forms, kicks and floor drills but the standout was the randori session. Randori is particularly useful as a training tool as it offers the opportunity to train familiar techniques whilst pressure is applied and gauges your response - other methods cannot replicate this pressure and it teaches you to react instinctively when confronted. You will all have felt this too with the wrestling at the end of the class; you are aware of the floor drills and have practiced the techniques often enough, but the pressure of an opponent who is both non-compliant and counter-offensive makes for a demanding mix. Great effort guys and nice to see a couple of old faces returning to the mat tonight.

I announced the grading dates and gave out fliers at training. Juniors will grade on Thursday 22nd September and all you kids are asked to be at the hall for 6.30pm for the grading to start at 7.00pm. Adult class is cancelled for this night but there is an opportunity for an extended training session at Crombie on Sunday 25th (time TBA)

Adult class will grade on the night of Thursday 29th September with doors opening at 6.30pm and the grading starting at 7.30pm – registration at 6.45pm. Training for the junior class will be cancelled on this night.

Training at Crombie this Sunday (28th) at 5pm - bring your water as usual.

The junior class was very busy and it was good to welcome back some kids that had not trained for a while as well as some new starts. It was just a case of getting right back into the training after our wee holiday and I was very pleased at the effort you all put in. We will be training hard over the next few weeks in preparation for the next grading and I expect the same level of commitment and effort that you showed last night from you all. Great to see you all back.

Adult class resumed with a bit of a sweat session as I wanted to start where we left off – I hope that anyone who thought that we would ease back into it was sorely disappointed! The adult class welcomed a couple of new starts too and I hope they enjoyed their introduction to our martial art.

We introduced a couple of cool moves into the training and drilled some kicks but the session really focused on the forms to be graded. It will be more of the same over the next few weeks and the pace will be ratcheted up a few notches too. As I mentioned at the end the kicks that we drilled will be part of the grading for you all and the kata will be introduced at a later grading for green belts and above (although I expect everyone to learn the kata as a matter of course irrespective of whether you are grading it.) I will post the revised kata on the website as soon as possible to help you practice.

Soke Dossett’s seminar has been finalised for Saturday 17th September - you will find details of venue, times and prices on the main page of the website if you scroll down. Soke Dossett is the founder of Spirit Combat International and this seminar represents an amazing opportunity to train with a living legend of the martial arts world. I expect all club members to attend.

Training at Crombie this Sunday morning at 10am for those that can make it – as usual bring all the water that you will need.

The holidays are now finishing for everyone so I will take this opportunity to remind you all that training will resume this Thursday (18th August) at the usual times. I hope you have all had a great rest and are raring to get back into training because we will have to hit the floor running with the grading just around the corner.

Even though the Thursday class was off for a couple of weeks the Sunday sessions at Crombie continued and I want to congratulate the guys that attended and the effort that they put in. There were some real sweat box sessions and those training really pushed themselves on with their cardio, forms, kata and floor drills – it was brilliant to see such dedication to training and this will be of great benefit to those taking part come grading time.

I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday.

The junior class wound down with their training with a night that mixed training with fun. We drilled our forms before moving on to practicing with the nunchaku and finishing with some games. Although the nunchaku can be difficult to control if you persist with it and keep practicing you will find that your co-ordination really improves. Your forms and break falls looked really good and I can see the improvement that has come with all the effort that you have put in. My advice is to try to keep your hand in and practice over the holiday break to keep your standards up. Have a great holiday kids and I’ll see you all on the 18th of August.

Adult class finished with a good hard session working their forms, kicks, throws and ground drills. There was a great effort from all of you and a great buzz in the class with everyone getting stuck in. Forms are looking good and the ground drills becoming more natural and instinctive so there has been some great progress there. Great work but I would suggest that, even though the club is on holiday, you should work to maintain your cardio as the next grading is not too far away and you don’t want to lose recent good work in the run up to it.

Arrangements are being made for Soke Brian Dossett’s visit in September - venues, prices etc. - and when I know more I will update the “News and Events” section of the website. Remember to keep an eye on the website and the blog throughout the holiday as there will be further updates in both with everything that is going on.

Even though the Thursday class is closed until the 18th there will be training at Crombie this Sunday at 5pm - remember to take all the water you will need.

I was really impressed the junior class as I see a real difference in the techniques that you are practicing - the forms were crisper and the breakfalls beginning to come on. There was some great energy in the class and also some good humour. All you juniors have been putting a lot of work lately and so you will all be glad of the break (see bottom of blog for dates and also the “News” section of the website.) When we return it will be hard going as the grading will only be a short time away so if you want your next belt you will have to work very hard for it and show me that you have what it takes to be put up for it.

Finally, the junior class has not been very busy due to the holidays but even before this some members have not trained for quite some time – some for 4 weeks or more. When we return from the break these places will be offered to and filled by new students should these members not return.

Adult class have been putting in the work too and you can see this evidenced by the standard of performance and level of commitment to the club. I am very impressed with the improvement to your forms, ground drills, kata and cardio. The club’s new crash mat was used to great effect last night as we really drilled shoulder, hip and sacrifice throws; the crash mat meant that we could execute these throws with power and speed but were able to ensure maximum safety whilst doing so. Great effort guys.

We will be working more on the throws, flips and breakfalls to ensure that they are at the same standard as the rest of your techniques as I feel that the spark needs to burst into flame. This will happen when you put all the forms, drills and techniques you practice together and let them run seamlessly from one into another.

**Important news** - grading fees are going up, as is the yearly membership fee, with immediate effect. I have tried to keep them as low as possible for as long as I could but these rises are outwith my control. Juniors will see an increase of £2 on top of their current grading cost and adults will see a £5 increase. Yearly membership will be £30 for juniors and £35 for adults. Class prices are unaffected by these changes and will therefore stay the same.

Right guys, just to remind you that I gave out flyers at training to tell you that the club will be closing its doors for the first two weeks of August with the affected nights being Thursday, August 4th and Thursday, August 11th. Both the adult and junior classes will be closed on these nights. There has been a lot on this last year for the club, inside and outside of both classes, and a wee break will be a great chance for everybody to recharge their batteries.

Adults can train at Crombie this Sunday coming at 10.00am – same deal as before and make sure that you bring all the water that you need.

The kids’ activity day went ahead despite the rotten weather forecast and we had a whale of a time at Fordell Firs today. The first activity was a climbing tower and we were kitted up with harnesses and helmets before heading to the climbing area. A couple of the kids were a bit nervous when they saw the size of the tower that had to be climbed, but everyone tried despite their fears and they really enjoyed the activity by the end.

We moved on to the challenge course, which turned out to be a series of obstacles placed through the woods. The kids had to walk on tree trunks; climb nets and tyres; and swing on monkey bars, but the highlight was the hut obstacle where all the kids (and no less than 3 senseis) managed to squeeze into a 6’x4’ shed. This sounds easy but it was pitch black and there was a maze inside that needed to be negotiated before you could come out the other side.

We were lucky that the only rain of the day was while the barbecue was cooking so the only one to really get wet was me, although Sensei Sean did a good job holding the umbrella over me and the burgers. After eating we made our way up the hill to the grass sledges where it turned out that the rain had been really helpful by making the ground well slippy. There was some good technique on show with most of you avoiding the nettles, but I’m pleased to say that there were some class wipeouts into the nettles by a few of you. There was plenty of competition at the team races with some enthusiastic pushers ending up running down the hill unable to stop.

We finished at the playpark where the kids were given time on the apparatus while we waited for their lifts to arrive. I had hoped to get you all a sweet at the shop but unfortunately it was closed so everyone left with £1 to spend when they got home. Mind and brush your teeth!

A big thank you to the volunteer helpers from the club who came along to assist with the day – I really appreciate you giving your time and effort to help activities like this go ahead. Also, thank you to Fordell Firs for looking after us so well, we hope to return some other time.

The kid’s training was a little different because boxing drills were introduced for the first time to your session; you all tried really hard to co-ordinate the moves and did really well. Boxing is great for training your eye-to-hand co-ordination and teaches you focus and control because you are not randomly hitting out but have a target to aim at. We will drill this some more in your training sessions and you will soon see the benefit.

The activity day for the kids at Fordell Firs is this Saturday (9th July). If you are meeting at the club you must be there for 9.00am as we are leaving at 9.30am sharp; if meeting at Fordell you need to be there for 9.45am. See you all there for a fun time!

Adult training was itself a little different with a grading taking place for three of the class during the session. This meant that there was a slightly different focus to the session and many short sharp exercises – hip throws, floor drills and the now famous plank – thrown in amongst the forms to ensure the test was challenging to both body and mind. This was a good sweat session and those grading were put through their paces, meaning that when they got their belts at the end they deserved them. Well done guys; remember the feedback you were given by Kancho Garry and focus on these areas when you next train.

Also, thank you to all the ukes who assisted those grading by pushing them hard when drilling their forms with them and right through to the boxing at the end; although not grading yourselves it was a great effort from you all.

I really enjoyed training the kid’s class on Thursday as I found all your effort and enthusiasm really catching. When I see you trying hard and concentrating on your training, but having fun at the same time, it makes it really easy to get in there and move it all along. Great effort from you all, you should be proud of yourselves.

School is now finished for you all and I hope you all have a great holiday. The activity day at Fordell is next Saturday (9th July) and I really need you to bring your permission slips in to training on Thursday - I wouldn’t want anybody to miss out on what will be a great day out.

Adult class practiced forms, randori and the kata at their training. The new forms are getting established and the techniques within them are coming along well. Drilling randori adds the aspect of confusion to the training as the pressure exerted on you removes the luxury of thinking about your response – you must react quickly and effectively to the attack to ensure that you counter appropriately. The kata is being introduced slowly and we will drill it over the next few weeks and months. Great effort from all at the class; I’m well impressed.

Some of the adult class will grade next week; keep an eye on the blog to see if this changes for any reason.

Additional training at Crombie on Sunday at 5pm with sensei Sean, if you are going remember to take all the water you will need.

The kids’ class was again very successful with some great technique on show - your effort is paying off and I can quite clearly see the improvement. Try to keep what I said in the blog last week about the complete martial arts package in mind and remember that this “package” means discipline too. Discipline is not about being told what to do all the time it is the whole idea of preparing to learn and making sure that you behave in a way that makes this happen. Really glad to see the effort you are all putting in, keep up the good work.

Adults had last training night before the training camp and there was a real sense of excitement especially when the teams were fixed out – nice to see the competitive edge coming out in you all and the fact that the banter started straight away. It’s going to be a great weekend. As for the training the forms and drills are there and you should all approach the grading with a sense of confidence in your ability – the run up to a grading is always nerve-racking but use your nervous energy to give you that edge and you will see it through.

The kid’s class concentrated on forms and kata again and there is a continued improvement in technique. What I need to see now from you all is a bit more spirit in your training and show the true qualities of the martial artist. A martial art is not just about the moves that your body learns to do – these are very important, but the whole package includes stamina, effort, determination and a will to succeed. To make sure that you achieve this you have to practice every form and technique with all the effort and concentration that you can manage and show your sensei; your classmates and, most importantly, yourself that you have all the qualities to be a great martial artist.

Adult class continue to gear up for the grading by concentrating on the forms that will be examined soon – some nice techniques on show and you should all approach the grading with confidence. Next week will be the last session before the grading so you will have an opportunity to do your final fine tuning. Adults can squeeze in an additional session of training on Sunday at Crombie where forms will be the main focus. Training kicks off at 5pm.

Adults remember that next week will be a no gi training night so you can all pack your stuff for the training camp. Trackies or shorts and t-shirts are the best but remember that they may get pulled about so don’t wear the best stuff from the wardrobe. Also, if you have any questions about departure times and other arrangements for the training camp pass them through the blog and I will answer. The added advantage is that everyone will get the benefit of the answer.

The kid’s class was another chance to look at the forms and the kata - there was good effort all round and you are all still improving with both. A little note for you all to remember about the warm-up…the warm-up is something that you should really concentrate on as it is as important as the rest of your training because it prepares your body so that you can train safely and effectively. You need to take this time to prepare your body for training by warming and stretching your muscles so that when you do practice the techniques you do not strain or pull anything. When your muscles are warmed and prepared you are far less likely to hurt yourself.

Adult class did their sponsored kick-a-thon and were hoping to perform 2000 kicks in 20 minutes - the 10 adults in the class achieved an amazing 3745 kicks in the time and in doing so completely blew away the target!!! The sweat was flying and the concentration intense but effort was all worthwhile. The money raised will assist with all the activities planned for the year so well done to all of you.

Adults finished with some floor drills and were challenged to defend an attack with an off the cuff defence. The latter is all about the practical application of the techniques from forms within an unfamiliar environment and it causes confusion because you are being pressurised to react. Remember…juijitsu was born on the battlefield and was always intended to be both powerful and effective, but its genius lies in its practicality and it is only right that we drill it under these terms.

Once again, brilliant effort during the sponsored kicks from both classes. Well done.

This week the kid’s training was very similar to last weeks with us concentrating on forms and breakfalls. There was definitely a higher standard from you all and some of you were absolutely excellent, particularly with the breakfalls. So well done with all your efforts.

Breakfalls can be tiring to drill because if you do them properly you are hitting the floor safely and getting up quickly all in the one movement. To drill like this means that you have to be both fit and determined because being down on the floor is not a safe place to be so you want to get to your feet quickly - if you are knocked down 10 times you get up 11 times and keep going and going and going. When you drill like this again and again it will become something that you do even without thinking about as it will just come naturally to you.

Adult class started with a fairly vigorous warm-up session before drilling floor exercises and then some form work. The intention of the whole session was to push people on and to take them out of their comfort zones – this is achieved by pushing the body physically harder while putting additional pressure on the mind by introducing unfamiliar and challenging techniques and/or situations. The objective is that you will be prepared to react quickly and instinctively to whatever the situation is that you are presented with.

Remember adults, sponsored kick-a-thon next week so get those sponsor forms filled out…

The kid’s class looked at breakfalls to make sure that the techniques were tip top - it is always good to go back to basics to make sure that we do not forget the techniques that we first learnt so that we started the martial art. This is really important for your safety too because as you begin to train with techniques that mean that you must breakfall correctly when you go down to the floor you must make sure that your breakfall is up to the job - you do not have to fall very far to hurt yourself, you just have to fall in the wrong way.

I am still planning your fun day at Fordell Firs and will be able to tell you more as each part is organised but I can tell you now that it will be really cool!

Adult class trained with the same principle as the kid’s class; we drilled from first form and went through every form that each of you had learned, and previously graded on, to ensure that you were as fresh with them as you are with your newest forms. This is the re-establishment of the foundation of the martial art and will help you have instant recall of each form when you need it. It is worth bearing in mind that you can be asked to do any number within any form that you have done before at your grading, and when you are doing your black belt that can be 8 forms!

Good stuff with the floor drills and we will be looking at number 3 in more detail soon. Remember that you will be graded with at least one of them…

Exciting news for the kid’s about the summer activity day. I have booked activities and a BBQ on Saturday 9th July at Fordell Firs. Click the “News and Events” part of the website and you can follow the links to see the activities that we will be doing. It would be really helpful if a couple of the Mums or Dads could volunteer their services to help on the day – if anyone is interested could they speak to me any night after training.

The kid’s have started learning some of the basics of Juijitsu with the escapes and they all did really well. Escapes are really important as they are the link between the technique of the form and the reality of self defence - we will drill lots more escapes from different grabs and holds over time and you will all get the chance to get more familiar with them. Forms are getting there but you need to keep your concentration and effort up to keep on top of them.

Adults drilled a second ground drill to add the first one that we have learned over the last couple of weeks. As I have said before this will be a part of your grading so I will ensure that you have plenty of opportunity to drill and practice these techniques before they are tested at grading. Also, you will see from my reply to Baz that the sponsored bike ride has been postponed and I will be planning a replacement activity very soon.

There is also a note about training at the Crombie hall at 9am this Sunday (15th May) – this is for adult class only. This training is arranged on an ad hoc basis so keep an eye on the blog for times and dates as they are finalised. This training is not a formal class and is purely for those who want a little additional training – there is no obligation to attend.

Please remember to bring your water with you as there are no facilities at present.

The kids continued with forms and breakfalls when they were training on Thursday. I was impressed with the effort shown on the breakfalls and thought you all did very well; the side breakfalls were particularly good. Remember that the breakfalls are an essential part of the training as they make sure that you stay safe when you practice the techniques you have learned. You can all help to keep yourself and everyone else safe by making sure that you don’t lark about in training and especially that you don’t muck about on the floor when you have been put down during your form. I have mentioned before about keeping the training environment safe and the message stays the same. On the whole a really good effort from you all but keep your eye on your self discipline and dojo conduct.

Adult class again drilled a mixture of forms, kicks and groundwork to make it an all-round training night. The pace was high and you all kept up with it well. Just a wee note about the groundwork – it will be part of the grading for all of you so make sure that you drill it with the same attention to detail that you approach the rest of your training.

Update on the adult training weekend – I’ll tally up the votes for the activities and let you know the final decision on what we’ll be doing through the website.

The kids did brilliantly with their sponsored kicks managing to do 775 in just 15 minutes! You were moving so fast we had to concentrate hard on the counting to make sure we got them all. Just a wee reminder to you all to get your sponsor money in for next week – you’ve earned it so make sure that you collect it.

As for the rest of your training the pattern work shows a big improvement and your postures are getting more consistent with lots of you managing to finish on the correct mark. A very big “well done” for all your effort over the whole night.

Adult class started with a cool MMA style grappling drill; as I explained this will become a frequent part of the training session so that the movements become fluid and natural. In time we will add other drills so that you will become more adept at recognising attacks, defences and counters whilst grappling. Also, I was very impressed with the forms feeling that you have all nailed the techniques – I was particularly impressed to see the positioning, focus, control and posture on display and feel that you have all applied yourself to your training in a thoughtful and thorough way.

Reminder for adults – make sure that if you did not vote for the training camp activities on Thursday night make sure that you bring your sheet in next week.

The kids practiced their kicks and spent time on the pattern at training this week. You are all at the stage where you are polishing techniques to make sure that they are technically correct rather than going through the motions. For the kicks this meant using the hip and knee properly and not just flicking the leg up or around – without the hip or knee a kick lacks power and focus and is therefore more or less useless. The pattern is useful for ensuring that your postures are all the same length – you will know this because if you didn’t finish on the mark that you started on then your postures will have been different sizes. I know that the pattern is difficult to co-ordinate but keep practicing and you will get it.

Adult class was combatjitsu style standup-to-floor and form work and you all jumped in enthusiastically to both. The combatjitsu is great training for thinking attack and defence and really makes you consider your position and posture in relation to your opponents - realistic self defence accepts the reality that the fight can move to the floor and you need to be prepared for this close up and pressurised environment. You all did very well and from the look of you when you finished this part of the session I think you all realised how quickly energy can give out when fighting for position and trying to apply techniques on a resisting opponent.

The kid’s class this week focused on the forms again and after your night’s training you should all now see the importance of breakfalling safely. We have drilled rolls and breakfalls from your very first training session and now you see them being introduced into the form and, after this week, should understand why they are there. The lesson for everyone to take on board is that the uke (person having the technique done to them) must prepare him- or herself and concentrate as fully as the tori (person performing the technique) so that they can execute whatever roll or breakfall is required.

Adult class also worked on forms as well as using the pads for some kicking drills. I was well impressed with the techniques displayed in both but particularly with the forms; my advice stays the same with the forms – keep it simple until you have the form firmly established before dropping the more difficult techniques in. The taekwondo style kicks were a little embellishment on the basic kicks that we are more familiar with and we will come back to them again so don’t worry if there were any timing or co-ordination issues - as with the forms we will concentrate on establishing the basics before upping the difficulty.

Finally, can I remind the adults attending the training weekend in June to bring their next instalment of £25 to training next week.

Kid’s class are back to training after the grading and all the shiny new belts were on show! Training was more of a fun night with some form work before hitting the mat with the swords and shields for a bit of Viking Combat. Everyone did very well with some moves never seen before on display. We will be back to the hard work next week when we really go for the new forms and I want you all to take on board what I was saying about spirit, effort and commitment.

Adult class was very busy and we drilled some combat jujitsu and forms before having some Viking Combat, swords and nunchaku sparring. As with the kids there were a variety of quite astounding styles on show and some “never back down” spirit and competitiveness with everyone really going for it. Adult class continues to show some great spirit and there is a very real sense of camaraderie amongst you all. Next week will be looking at the new forms some more but we will also get Kieran to show us some of the jujitsu from his organisation.

The kids’ grading was a great success and you all passed with flying colours. The students that were grading for the first time did very well and will now have a better understanding of what will be expected next time. Those grading for their yellow belt also did very well with some achieving maximum scores for their performance - congratulations to Rebecca for a maximum score and winning the medal for performance of the night.

As you will have seen from this grading Kancho Garry expected more from you on the mat, and you also had your first taste of a spirit test. This is how your future gradings will be because as you progress through the belts the expectations on you get higher.

Congratulations to you all, I am very proud of all your efforts.Remember that next week we will be having a group photograph so make sure that you wash behind your ears and brush your hair.

Adult class welcomed both a new face and an old face to the training so it was a fairly busy mat. The class was all about MMA style grappling and you all go a hold of the techniques that we were drilling really well. Don’t worry if you didn’t get the complete technique as we will be drilling them some more in the coming weeks.
Normal service will be resumed next week now that the gradings are finished so class times will be back to normal.

You kids are all ready for your grading and I am sure that you will all do your very best. Remember to concentrate on the whole form – keep your posture throughout and always keep your guard up. Remember that you have to show more than just your technique during the grading, you have to show us both your spirit and the fire in your belly to tell Kancho that you really want that new belt.

The grading starts at 7pm so try to be ready for hitting the mat a bit before that. Can you all try to be at the hall for 6.45pm so that we can organise your paperwork and get started on time. Good luck to all of you, I am sure you will do your best.

Adult grading was superb and I was very impressed by the high standards that you all displayed - the techniques on show were executed beautifully and I know that Kancho was very impressed. You all conducted yourself extremely well and showed spirit and tenacity throughout - some of you experienced randori for the first time during the spirit test and all dug deep to show the necessary spirit to succeed. The marks across the board were extremely high with one score just ½ point off perfect (keep that head off the floor John!) I was aware that a number of you were given comments and guidance on what you should work on at your last grading and it was clear that you had taken this on board on the night.

When giving his feedback Kancho again gave you pointers on the areas that you should concentrate on for your next grading; take what he said and make sure that you act upon this during your future training sessions.

Congratulations to you all, I'm really proud of you all.

Remember adult class will start a little later to let the kids grade. We hope to get on the mat and get around ¾ hour – 1 hours training, so can you all be at the hall for around 8.15pm.

Thursday is the last training session for all you kids before the grading so it is your last chance to make those last minute adjustments. You are all doing really well and the goods thing is that you now know what is expected at the grading itself so that is one less thing to worry about.

Remember that the kid's training session this Thursday is at 6pm and not the usual 7pm. That's 6pm. Don't forget.

Adults are grading on Thursday; you are all ready and have shown the necessary commitment to your training to succeed. Nerves before a grading are common and you can use them to your advantage because they can give you clarity and focus on the mat - importantly, they also show that you really care about what you are doing. Good luck to you all and I know that you will achieve the high standards that you are capable of.

It was great to see the kids concentrating so well on their forms. You have definitely taken on board my previous comments about spirit and you are all putting so much more into the techniques. I must really praise the new starts as they have followed everything I have shown them and have really excelled at the training.

The class is busy and there is often a lot going on. When I work with people I cannot see everything that is happening so I need you to follow the safety rules that we have put in place. I know that you all have the student handbook so I would like you to all read the dojo conduct page to see what is expected of you. To help you understand how we follow the dojo conduct rules I have put some details up in the “Dojo Conduct” part of the website (hit the blue “Dojo Conduct” button in the home page of the website to open.)

Adult class, technically speaking, has been excellent. The techniques, posture and throws are crisp and controlled and the whole form looks well executed. I have cranked up the fitness in recent weeks and you have all stepped up to the mark showing neither weakness nor lack of spirit; I have no hesitation in saying that you will all sail through your grading!

Just remember, when you look good at the grading I look good too - the grading is as much about you as a student as it is about me as a sensei. I know I look good so it’s up to you to make me look better. Lol

The forms in the kids’ class were top notch with some really good technique on show. They are in good shape for the grading but I want you to concentrate on the part of the form that gives them the “wow” factor. I want you to put your energy into making the form strong and flowing; to do this you have perform the form like you really mean it. You would not believe the difference when you put your heart and soul into the form compared to going through the motions – remember that the martial art that you are doing is Spirit Combat and that the “spirit” is shown by energy, enthusiasm and force. There is nothing I like seeing more than some fire in the belly, and this is exactly what Kancho will look for in the grading.

Adult class showed some excellent techniques in the forms and I am absolutely sure that the grading will be no problem if this level of commitment is maintained. The kick drills and the floorwork showed that conditioning is a big factor and this was made really clear when we worked with the wrestling. Jostling for position on the mat is energy sapping (hence the need to condition and build stamina) but also shows how crucial breathing is. No matter how fit and conditioned an athlete is it counts for little if the muscles are not oxygenated; stop breathing properly and it all stops (and this includes the number one muscle, the brain.) No oxygen, no thinking, game over. We will work drills on the floor and within this we will practice some relaxation and breathing to ensure that we develop this essential element.

A reminder again to use the blog for what it’s intended to be. It can be for discussion, comment and news but most of all it should be for feedback – I know that I get some at the club but we often have little time as we need to pack up. Feedback is so important as it tells me how you feel your training is going, what works well, what might need some more work and suggestions you may have.

Kid’s class was brilliant and I was very impressed by the effort, concentration and technique that was on display. The behaviour was superb and what made me the happiest was the willingness to learn that was shown by all of you. This was obvious by the fact that the parts of the forms that some of you were struggling with - 8, 9 and 10 in particular – were so much better this week and will only improve further if you keep up your level of concentration. Great stuff, and really good for your upcoming grading.

Adult class was also superb and I was particularly impressed by the forms again this week. I saw confidence coming through from all of you and am absolutely confident in all your abilities for the grading. It was clear that everyone heeded the advice about not over-elaborating and the results were obvious this week with smooth and crisp techniques on show. Throws were spot on but, as I said in the class, will take a little bit of a back seat while we concentrate on forms from now on – we will still drill them to keep our hands in but they will not be the main focus of training at this time.

Overall guys, I’m really impressed with both classes and proud of the progress being made.

Kids class was very good this week with everyone working really hard now - I think you are all beginning to focus a little more now that you know the grading is coming. One thing that is noticeable is that your stances and breakfalls are coming on a treat - keep up the good work. Every one is finding 8, 9 and 10 of the form a bit tricky but you will all get it by the time the grading comes around if you maintain the level of effort and concentration that you are showing now.

Adults forms are really developing and everyone is coming on well. Try to keep your concentration throughout the form and remember to execute the breakfalls and throws within the form with the same diligence as the initial moves. My advice at this point would be to try not to put too much emphasis on introducing new and difficult techniques into your forms just yet - forms will follow a natural path and the techniques will develop within this. You will have plenty time to throw some fancy moves in as you get up the grades!

Overall, two really good classes.

The dates for the spring grading are up on the News and Events section of the site. Please check as soon as you can.

The kids forms are coming together very nicely and I can see you all making the effort to improve. It is really important however that you all concentrate harder as I can see some of you being distracted and missing what I am showing you. You all have to follow my instructions closely so that we can get in everything that I need to show you so that you learn the correct techniques safely. You have learned everything I have thrown at you so keep up your own really high standards.

Adult class concentrated on forms and we drilled hip throws too. I saw you picking up the techniques and there were some really good throws in there. Like everything else throws improve with practice but a really important aspect is confidence. You all know and have practiced the breakfalls necessary but have to get used to the disorientation of being thrown - the tori and uke always work together within the techniques and from this safe, technical throws will result. As you train and drill these techniques you learn to trust your training partners and your confidence will grow.

Forms in the kid's class are coming on and you are getting the slightly harder techniques of 8, 9 and 10. You need to keep your concentration levels up and not let yourself be distracted - if you miss me showing you the technique then you will struggle to keep up. I'm well impressed with your efforts and my advice at the end of training to practice at home will help you learn faster. Keep it up.

Adult class continued with forms and I saw a lot of effort going into them. We will also continue with the combat-jitsu techniques to make sure that you are getting a good mix at training. Remember I am always open to suggestions for training - feel free to request anything that you want to try or anything that you would like to concentrate on and I will hopefully make time for it.

Adults - please remember to bring booking forms and deposits for the training camp asap.

I was well impressed with the kids' class and how quickly you are all picking up the new form. You are all making a big effort and are obviously thinking about the techniques that you are doing.

The same goes for the adult class - you all picked it your new forms up very well and they came on a treat. I was particularly impressed with the forms shown by both Roy and Scott - you guys were spot on.

I am speaking to Kancho at the moment to arrange the next grading for you all. It will be late March / early April so you will need to maintain the level of commitment that you are showing at the moment to be ready in time. I have no doubt that you will all make it.

Finally, a word of welcome to Sean Ellis who has returned to the club after a break in training. Nice to see you back Sean.

Nice to see the kids back all showing off their new belts. We had the chance to look at your new form and had some fun at the end. Next week we will really concentrate on forms and learn the new techniques that you will need.

Adult class was similar as we looked at a jujitsu technique before getting the swords out for some fun. As usual the range of techniques on show from the swordsmen (and women) was staggering. As with the kids class, next week will be all about your new forms.

Adult class please look at the news and events section of the website for news and details of the training camp as they are now posted. Please register you interest with me as quickly as possible.

Hi everyone, Happy New Year and I hope you enjoyed the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Just a quick reminder that classes will resume this Thursday (13th January) at the usual times. I expect that you will be keen top shake off the cobwebs and will need to work to get rid of all the turkey and selection boxes that you have eaten.

I look forward to seeing you all and hope you are ready for another year of hard work.

The adult grading took place last night (Thursday) and all that participated were successful in achieving their new belts. As with the kids the adults performed to a very high standard and are worthy of their new grades. Prior to the grading starting Kancho spoke about how important commitment and determination were and it was clear that you all took that on board as your desire to pass was obvious throughout.

Congratulations to Sean for achieving his shodan ho black belt in what was an intense examination of his skill and commitment by Kancho. It is only right that such an esteemed belt not be given lightly and Sean showed skill, courage, determination and, at times, plain old-fashioned guts to earn his. Sean ends the year with his black belt and the Student of the Year award - both recognise the time, effort and commitment that he shows in both his training and his assistance at the club. Congratulations Sean you deserve everything that you have achieved this year.

A number of you graded for the first time and now know what to expect at a grading night. I was impressed by the way you coped with the nerves and uncertainty of a grading and you all earned your red belts. You all received individual feedback from Kancho and you should take the advice that he offered you as an indicator of where you should concentrate your efforts for your next grading. As Kancho said, the expectations get higher the further up the grades and you only have to look at the gradings that Sean and Eddie experienced to earn their respective belts to see this illustrated. During their gradings you saw that they had to demonstrate not only the technical side of the martial art but the “spirit” aspect too and saw that both had to dig deep and show the necessary skills and commitment to gain what they wanted to achieve.

Well done to all on your achievements and congratulations again.

The grading is the last event of what has been a very busy year. The club has gone from strength to strength with two really good classes taking place, and has celebrated a significant milestone with the 25th anniversary event in November. We have put together a really good, interactive website and shown what we were all about at a really successful demo in Glenrothes. This was all possible with your support and I thank you for all your efforts.

Next year will be just as busy as I look to organise a training camp and activity day (more of which in the new year when I chase you all for a confirmed commitment to attend!)

I hope everyone has a great Christmas and a happy new year when it comes and I will see you all at training next year when the classes start again on Thursday 13th January. Keep in touch on the blog everyone.

Kancho Garry graded the kids’ class on Thursday night and was very impressed by the standard shown by all that took part. The scores that you achieved were amazing and I was very proud of you all in both the way that you behaved and the way that you performed at your grading. Some of you achieved marks of 100% which shows that you really impressed Kancho with the forms and techniques that you showed him - a brilliant achievement of which you should be very proud. As promised I will post all your results on the News / Events section of the website so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Congratulations to Erin for being awarded “Student of the Year” – this recognises all the effort that she has put in, and the spirit that she has shown, in training every week. Runner-up Joshua was just pipped to the post but his hard work and effort are a credit to him and his runner-up medal is well deserved. Well done to both of you.

Kids’ class will start again on January 13th 2011 and I expect to see you all with your shiny new red belts on that night. Have a great Christmas and I hope that Santa brings what you want on the day.

Adults had their final session before the grading next week and I was really pleased to see the hard work and concentration from all of you in the class. As I said in the class it has been a pleasure training you all and I know that you will all do the necessary to achieve your grade next week. I appreciate that there are some nerves around but use that to your advantage (it gives you that “edge”), try to relax, control your breathing and you will succeed.

The grading will start at 7.30pm but I would ask that you try to be at the hall for 7pm if at all possible so that we can get the necessary paperwork done. The hall will be open from 6pm so feel free to drop in a little earlier if you want some time on the mat prior to grading. Best of luck to you all.

The kids' grading will take place this Thursday coming, Thursday 9th December, and the adults the following week on Thursday 16th December.

On the night of the kids' grading I would like all the kids at the hall for 6.30pm - there is some paperwork to be done on the night and this will allow the grading to start at 7pm sharp. The fee for the grading is £15.

Adult class will be on as usual on the night of the 9th but it may start a little later if the kids need a little more time to complete their grading - I am sure you will appreciate this.

The adult grading will be at 7.30pm on the night of Thursday 16th December. I will be opening the hall at 6pm and you are welcome to come in and practice on the mats from that time. It would be really helpful if you could be there for 7pm at the latest as there is paperwork to complete prior to the grading starting. The fee for the adult grading is £23.

I know that some of you are nervous about your grading but relax and enjoy it and I am sure you will perform to the best of your ability. If it gives you any reassurance I get nervous at gradings too because Kancho is grading my teaching as well as your techniques. Good luck everyone.

Due to the really bad weather, and dangerous driving conditions, I have had to cancel tonight's classes. I will speak to Kancho Garry to look at rescheduling the gradings and, hopefully, these will take place as soon as possible. Stay warm everybody.

The club team presented their demonstration at the Rothes Halls, Glenrothes tonight. The demonstration was part of a prize giving event that was honouring volunteers and voluntary organisations in the local area. We had a professional stage and theatre lighting so it gave us a really dramatic backdrop for our performance.

A few wee nerves before the demo started but everyone did their part phenomenally well and the feedback from both the organisers and the audience was amazing. We put out flyers at the end and plenty of people stopped to talk to, and congratulate, us for our efforts.

A really good night where the club showed people the amazing martial art that is Spirit Combat.

Kids did really well at training with their forms really spot on. The kata was perfect too and I am very confident you will all do very well in the grading. Only one more training session left before the grading so use your time well next week.

Adults again concentrated on fine tuning forms as their grading is fast approaching too. It was good to see the effort and co-operation as you worked together on your forms and tweaked where necessary.

The club is putting on a demonstration at a big event in Glenrothes next week and the club members taking part have worked very hard putting together an impressive display that will show people what Spirit Combat is all about. I will take this opportunity to wish them luck with the demo and will let you all know how it all went down next week.

Really enjoyed training on Thursday with both classes. Kids all trained very well and behaved in a very responsible and mature manner all night, I was very impressed by all your efforts.

Adult class had a real buzz about it and it was good to see you all mixing it together in training.

Only a few weeks to the grading so it’s time to polish the techniques within your forms. As you approach the form make sure you are applying technique throughout and not concentrating on just one or two parts of it. For example, the initial control/defence technique, and the diversionary kick, are just as important as both the application of the lock and the takedown and should be approached and applied with equal power and precision. When grading it is this complete form that Kancho is observing and will be marking accordingly.

The gradings have been organised with Kancho and I can now confirm the details for you.

Kids will grade on Thursday 2nd December at 6.30pm. This is slightly earlier than the usual 7pm class training time but it will ensure that the kids all have plenty of time to grade.

Adults will grade the following week, Thursday 9th December, at 7.00pm. This will be quite a lengthy grading therefore I will have to cancel the kids class that night.

Both gradings will take place at the hall.

If you need any further details about arrangements for either night you can talk to me at the club or ask questions through the blog.

You all have the dates now so you can start preparing yourselves for the grading. Everyone keep focused and work as hard as you have been and I am sure that success will follow - try to look on the grading as an opportunity to show off what you have learned and go in there with the attitude that you are going to blow Kancho away with your skill.

A big thank you to Sensei Alison for taking the classes for me on Thursday night

I heard very good reports about your brilliant behaviour and all the effort that you all put in on Thursday, I’m very proud of you all. I hope you all enjoyed training with Sensei Alison and I especially hope that you all enjoyed the Halloween sweets and balloons that I left for you. You can bet that I’ll make you work for them on Thursday!

Same to the adult class, I hope you enjoyed training with Sensei Alison and will catch up with you all on Thursday.

I was very impressed with the training that you kids all put in and your forms are coming on a treat. We trained around “mat awareness” so that you could learn about knowing where you and other people are in your environment. This is very important in martial arts as it means that before you practice a technique you look around to make sure that it is safe to do so. Mat awareness also makes you begin to look about yourself, this is very important not just in the class but when you are outside as you begin to learn about personal safety.

I know that you all enjoyed the new game that we played at the end of the night and there will be opportunities to play again after training in the coming weeks.

Adults again trained on their forms and we also worked on the “sacrifice throw”. This throw is very important in jujitsu as it introduces the techniques where the uke almost throws themselves when they are applied (hence the “sacrifice” aspect of the throw.) You will realise what the drill for rolls and breakfalls that we start your training with were working towards. It is not an easy technique (a lot of which comes down to confidence) and you all applied yourselves very well.

The kids’ class was a little smaller than usual (all those school Halloween parties no doubt) but those that attended the training really put a lot of effort in. I noticed a lot of co-operation going on when you worked with each other - this is a really important part of the training because you will find that working together as a team means that you all learn faster, and all push each other to the next level. I’m really pleased to see this and hope it continues.

Adult class really drilled the forms at training. I realise that the idea of a grading coming up is a bit nerve wracking but I’ve seen all the work that you have been putting in and can really see them coming together. The message to all of you is to relax and let the technique do the work – I know that this sometimes feels easier said than done but it really is an important component. Great effort again.

Remember to pick up your mini flyers with the website address on them at training if you don’t already have one – I want as much feedback through the blog as possible.

Kids forms are looking really good and its very clear that you are practicing. Your teamwork is beginning to shine through as I can see you working together well when you are paired up.

I know that you would be quite good at tug-of-war if only repeated belt failure didn't mean each match ending in a draw (and you lot rolling everywhere.) If nothing else at least you will have plenty of practice for pulling crackers at Christmas time.

Adult class looked at forms and practiced a bit of harmony. Harmony adds another dimension to the form and does take a bit of practice but it is good to start early and try it before you need it for your gradings later on.

I will be handing out the club website address on Thursday as I want you all to give me feedback through the blog of how you feel the training is going. This is one of the best ways for me to receive your comments but it is also an opportunity for you to ask questions or request that we work on something in particular that you feel you need to brush up on.

Please pop into the News and Events part of the site for some exciting future activities being planned through the club.

Kids are all progressing well and there should be further improvement now that some of you have the DVD of first form. Watch the DVD closely and practice at home in your spare time - the DVD will help your Granny to train with you too because she can see what she needs to do now.

Also, when everyone works and trains hard together we will get more time to play together at the end; so, good effort from you all this week and you deserved your fun time.

PS Any ideas that you have for the fun time games will be greatly appreciated.

Great attitude was once again shown by the adults in training and the progress is really obvious. The adult class had the chance to train with some harmony this week - this can be difficult to co-ordinate but it is worth practicing as it can help the forms flow and exemplifies the grace of ju-jitsu. It is something that you need for your later forms but it's never too early to start getting used to the movements.

Kids, we need to make sure that we practice the kata so that we can all do it together in the class. This means practicing your timing as much as you practice the moves, because getting the timing right is just as important when you want to do the perfect kata. So, make sure that you concentrate when doing the kata and don't rush through the moves just to get to the end. Keep up the effort.

Adults, forms are coming on nicely. Make sure that you are comfortable with the core techniques of your form and concentrate on getting them crisp, smooth and tidy. Once the foundation is established you can embellish them with some of the cool techniques we drill in class and begin to make them your own. Good effort and commitment all round.

Forms are just about there although some aspects still need a bit of fine tuning. You need to concentrate on your left from right and make sure that you are doing the form properly, I know that it can seem confusing but the more you practice the more natural it becomes. My advice is to practice any time you have a spare minute and think clearly about the movements that you are doing. Mums, Dads, Grans, Aunties, Uncles, brothers and even sisters can all be used to practice with to polish your technique.

Adults concentrated on forms and breakfalls in preparation for the grading; next week will be more of the same but there will be some additional work on posture as well as some throws.

I remain very impressed by the effort shown in both the kids' and adults' classes; everyone is training really hard and the technical ability is improving markedly week on week.

Right kids...you all need to get your disciplined heads on and really practice as the grading is only 4-5 weeks away. If you want to get that red belt then it's up to you to put the effort in and earn it.

Same message to the adults that are grading soon - get your heads down and practice your forms and make sure that you are thoroughly prepared for the grading. We still have space for a bit of fun but its all about hard work for the next month.

Good bit of fun with the foam bokken at the end of the adults' class the other night - I've seen many different and varied sword techniques in my time but somehow you managed to show me some that I have never seen before. It was an education...

I was unable to take Thursday night’s training as I had work commitments that I could not rearrange. Sensei Alison took the juniors for me and from what I hear she mixed up fun with work. When I see you all on Thursday coming we will concentrate on your forms, kata and rolls to make sure that you are all up to scratch.

Kancho Garry took the adult class and I’m sure that you all enjoyed working with “The Man” I asked Kancho to concentrate on forms and I believe you all got a chance to have him both tweak and offer advice on them. We will be concentrating on forms again next week but we will mix it up a bit as usual.

Finally I received an email from Kancho Nikhil thanking him for his welcome at the club. I have printed it here so that you can all see it.

Dear David,
It was great to receive your note and the picture nicely printed DVD. It was lovely to see all the pictures of Woking and Scotland (my new family). Thank you very much for sending it... It reminded me of those wonderful moments! I thoroughly enjoyed the session at your club. I liked the way you train. You have got very good traditions. Please convey my regards to everyone at your Club. My Oos - Respect - to Kancho Garry. He is an amazing man! You people are lucky to have such a person by your side.
Please keep in touch my friend,
Warm Regards,
Nikhil

Kids; practice, practice, practice is what you need to do as there is a grading coming up soon. All of you that want to take part need to practice your rolls, the kata and the form that you have learned. Everyone that was at the class on Thursday did very well - the progress shows that you are all working hard.

Remember its Sensei Alison that is taking the class next week, I'm sure you will all be in for a treat.

A big thank you to Boo for his input during the adults' class - Boo introduced us to, and worked with, the bokken. The session was very interesting and the feedback from the class was very positive. We will definitely invite Boo to instruct us again in this fascinating martial art.

Adult class next week will be very much about forms. We need to get these nailed for the grading later in the year.

I was very impressed with the effort that everyone put into training on Thursday. The rolls are getting there - some of you have got it and some have to practice a bit harder. The kata is looking good and it will not be long before you all have it in sync. Rebecca, Jordan (the girl one!) and twin Jamie all stood out on a night that everyone made a very big effort. Well done everybody.

Good concentration from the adult class with you all working on your new forms. You also all worked well with the ground techniques that we have drilled the past few weeks and jumped enthusiastically into the grappling. Next week will be concentrating on the forms for the majority of the class but we will also take some time to break down the grappling to give you a chance to think about working openings and counters with each other.

All in all I am really happy with the effort and progress in both classes.

All you kids did very well with the new parts of the form that we did and I was very impressed by the effort put in by the two Bens, Marc and Jamie. Every one of you has made it to number 7 so you just have to learn 8, 9 and 10 to complete your first full form. This is what we will be doing next week and, when you have done this, you should feel very proud of yourself for all your hard work.

The adult class was visited by Kancho Nikhil Trivedi from India. Kancho Nikhil is the Kancho for Spirit Combat in India and has studied Spirit Combat and Karate for many years; Kancho Nikhil is also a yoga master.

Kancho Nikhil observed our training then took the mat to lead us in a yoga, relaxation and stretching session. This was an excellent session and the feedback to Kancho Nikhil was extremely positive. This was a perfect illustration of the diverse nature of our martial art as we had two Kancho's in attendance who have very different, but very complimentary, styles.

The evening was completed with my presenting Kancho Nikhil with a quaich on behalf of the club and an open invitation to join us any time he is in Scotland.

We have a very special visitor coming to the club on Thursday night - please check the News and Events section of the website for more details. The training opportunity offered does not happen very often so I urge you all to make every attempt to attend on Thursday.

All you kids did really well with the second part of your forms and your kicks are getting a lot better. Well done to everyone for all your effort and a special 'well done' to Marc for getting all the way to no.7 in his form after only two training sessions.

Adult class concentrated on the techniques that we use in our first couple of forms and elaborated on them so that we could drill from stand-up to the floor. Some tricky techniques in there but the more we practice the more natural they will become - and it's all good stuff that we can use in our own individual forms.

Remember I'm looking for your comments, questions and feedback...

Well done kids for all the effort that you put into your kicks. I was very impressed with the technical ability shown by you all in this difficult area. The important thing for you to remember is that you have to take your time and not rush your kicks - power comes from technique, speed comes later when the technique is mastered.

The four kicks you've learned make up the next four parts of the first form - front kick, then roundhouse kick, side kick and finally hooking kick.

The adult class had a session training with Kancho Garry who dealt with boxing and kickboxing techniques, combinations and drills. Kancho Garry is a former kickboxing world champion and you can be sure that you are learning from the best.

This is an excellent example of how our martial art welcomes your expertise and experience - please feel that you can share what you know, and have learned elsewhere, as it will be to the benefit of us all.

Right guys this is your blog please use it for questions and feedback!!!!!

Kids
Well done kids, you have got the first half of the first form done - only another five parts left to do. You all need to work on the kata so this should be practiced at home; you can also practice the forward and backward rolls at home too and the better you are with them the more points you will get when it’s time for your grading (that’s when you go from white belt to red belt wooo hooo.)
Aaron was top of the class this week getting all the questions he was asked correct and putting a lot of effort into his techniques.

Adults
It was the grading and you guys did very well as it was a hard one, especially with the heat. I’m sure you were all a bit sore for two or three days afterwards - no pain no gain lol. There were a few comments from Kancho Garry on your grade papers, I do hope you got a chance to see them as this will give you an insight to what he will be looking for at the next grading - Kancho's comments are your first opportunity to start preparing for it. Eddie you had the hardest grading to do but, although you dropped your guard, you never gave up and that’s SPIRIT and I’m well proud of you.

This weekend was the setting for Spirit Combat's 50th Anniversary - to celebrate this huge milestone masters and students from all over the world congregated in Woking, Greater London. Kancho Garry, Sensei Alison and myself went down to represent Spirit Combat Scotland and were joined by Bill and Graham from the club. The first day was all about bringing everyone together so that all the practitioners of Spirit Combat could meet, talk, iron out the wrinkles and ensure that there is a high level of consistency across the art; it was also an opportunity to go over health and safety to ensure that this was kept high on everybody’s agenda.

It wasn’t all work as Saturday evening was the barbeque where everyone took the chance to catch up with old friends and meet some new - after that some of the crowd went back to the hotel where we continued the celebrations. I can report that despite the fact that alcohol was present the Scottish contingent behaved impeccably.

Sunday was all about learning and luminaries such as Grandmaster Soke Brian Dosset (founder and head of Spirit Combat International), Kancho Bill Cox (England), Kancho Garry Wilson (Scotland), Kancho Nikhil Trivedi (India) and Kancho Robin Howard (New Zealand) all took seminars and workshops around their specific specialities. I was greatly honoured to be asked to teach MMA on the day and I offered two workshops that were very well received by those that took part. I was well proud to represent Scotland at this gathering and, with Kancho Garry offering a workshop on stand-up fighting, it was a great indicator for the expertise in Spirit Combat coming out of Scotland.

Kancho Garry Wilson was honoured personally at this event when he received his 8th degree in recognition of all that he has done for Spirit Combat in both Scotland and internationally. Let me, on behalf of the club, be the first to congratulate Kancho Garry on this incredible honour.

Just to let you know that the club got a mention in this weeks Dunfermline Press (June 17th) after the recent presentation to Kancho Garry Wilson. The article is on p19 (inside the back page of the sport section.)

I hope all you juniors enjoyed the chance to try the Sumo and the Viking Combat last night - you can have lots of fun while you learn a martial art like Spirit Combat and there will be lots of chances in the future to try these again.

Aaron and Jay - or it may have been Kyle (I'll definitely learn how to tell you apart soon!) - answered all the questions in class correctly all night, so very well done to you. Every one of you juniors has gone way beyond expectations and done very well so you all deserve a big pat on the back for your efforts.

Adult class went very well and I was very impressed by the new starts hard work and application - we mixed up some ground work with the form and standup stuff and you all coped very well with it.

Finally, some of the adults will be grading next week so I will take this opportunity to wish them luck.

Nice to see all you juniors working hard in the kids' class and following my instructions. Just remember how important it is to listen in class as it is the way that we can all stay safe.

You are all beginning to learn the basics of Spirit Combat and I can promise you that I have plenty of cool things to show you.

Adult class completed another night of forms in preparation for the grading and you've all worked on the necessary tweaks and fine tuning. I'll take this opportunity to remind you that the training session on Thursday coming is the final training session before the grading -

After the grading we'll mix it up again and have a go at other other cool stuff we do like boxing, floor work and throws.

A big thank you to all the students old and new that came along to the presentation last night. During the presentation Kancho Garry Wilson was presented with a samurai sword by myself to mark the 25th Anniversary of Spirit Combat in Scotland. Kancho Garry has been both a massive influence and a huge motivating factor from the very earliest days of Spirit Combat in Scotland and it is only right that the club should acknowledge his contribution on this significant anniversary.

It was also nice to see the old and the new mixing it on the mat afterwards even though it turned into a bit of a sweatbox!

The photos taken during the presentation, and after the training, will be uploaded onto the gallery on this site and also to the "25 Years of Spirit Combat in Scotland" mini site in Facebook (feel free to leave your comments)

It was nice to see many juniors coming back for a second night and applying yourself to the training with so much enthusiasm. You are picking up the forms very quickly and are all beginning to learn how to follow the instructions - it is always good to remember that these instructions are there to keep you safe as well as help you learn

The adult class was very much about forms and you all continue to develop them in your own way. The next grading has been arranged with Kancho and will take place on Thursday 24th June. This grading will be for the adult class only - the next grading will be arranged around September/October and will be open to both juniors and seniors.

Keep applying yourselves at the level you have done already and keep on learning and everyone will have the chance to grade.

A big thank you to all of the new students who started on Thursday night. Thanks for the great turnout, everyone worked really hard and it was a great team spirit. Thursday night was an intoduction to Spirit Combat, more hard work, fun and games to follow!

Welcome back Amy and Conner it shouldn't be long before your back into the swing of your forms.

Looking forward to seeing everyone next week!

A night concentrating on forms shows how you are all continuing to adapt the basic form and place your signature on it. The more you practice the more you will find these adaptations feel increasingly natural and instinctive.

I am looking to organise a grading soon with the likelihood of it being later this month or next month dependent on what I can arrange. Keep up the level of commitment and there will be no worries for anyone.

Sean and I will be leafleting the local area this weekend so hopefully we can stimulate some more interest and get some more bodies into the class.

I would like to take the opportunity to wish Kancho Garry a very happy 50th birthday. Kancho has been the head of Spirit Combat in Scotland for many years and we hope for many years to come.

Good work on the forms again - they are looking more and more polished. We are looking at a grading in June, for which everyone is more than ready, so as long as we maintain the level of concentration and commitment (and continue to work on our fitness)we should be celebrating further success in the club.

The last couple of weeks have seen us introducing floor work and the techniques that were particularly useful when the fight go to the floor. The kimuras, joint locks and chokes that we have been drilling are all difficult techniques to co-ordinate but everyone has done well putting them together - I hope that everyone saw their use when we drilled going from stand-up to the floor last night. Like the forms, the more we drill these techniques the more instinctive and intuitive they will become and the more we will think like floor fighters.

Congratulations to Danny Clarke on his victory at the Art of Combat event in Dunfermline last Saturday. Danny won his pro fight with some excellent stand-up and completely dominated his opponent. Danny trained at the club with Kancho, Sensei Alison and me, it was good to see him fight with such skill.

We focused on floor techniques again and I can really see it all coming together as we add to the basics that we have already covered. Nice to see the floor techniques coming through in the forms again with arm and leg locks in evidence - this shows that you are understanding the techniques learned on the floor and applying them to different situations.
Next week the class will concentrate on form work.

Yet again you guys have put the effort in and it’s paid off.
The ground work on the mat was a bit tricky to start with
but with working together and focusing on technique makes
the learning process a lot easier and it showed on Thursday
night.
The forms are great, everyone is applying their own signature to their forms while keeping the structure of them intact. This is very good to see, so very well done to you all.
Sean, what can I say about you, another double training session in the bag. You are the envy of a few of us veterans. Keep up the good work everyone.

Remember this is your website so any feed back will be taken on board.

Big congratulations to all for a really excellent nights training the other night. Everyone really applied themselves and the enthusiasm was great to see, some good banter too. Kancho showed some sweet moves so we can all see what we're aiming for. Big respect to Sean for his fantastic effort - an hours boxing drill then a full session of Spirit Combat and all with a gum shield.

A big vote of thanks to Sensei Alison for giving us some of her expertise at training. Nice work on the breakfalls and some old school escapes; we can add some of this stuff to our forms. Lots of really positive comments from all the guys so we'll definitely have you back!

Sun 28th February 2010
Congratulations to Sean Pettiglio for competing in the IAKAS Kickboxing open on Sunday and coming home with a 2nd very well done for his first time ever competing. On behalf of Spirit Combat Rosyth I would like to congratulate all the students at Gracemount Kickboxing club for taking part and taking home a great number of trophies very well done.

Good work on the escapes tonight, some pretty cool techniques - might be something in there that you can incorporate into your forms.
Sensei Alison will be taking the class next week - a great chance for her to share her experience with us.
Good luck to the guys representing the club, and Spirit Combat, at the tournament on Sunday. Good luck and I know you'll do us proud.

Nice to have Kancho Garry join us for training - it's always good to have him share his expertise with us. Also nice to have Tony back training and we hope he'll share some tips with us from stuntworld. We'll keep concentrating on forms at training; see you all on Thursday.

Everybody did really well with the harmony last night - I know it's a bit different but you will love it when it all clicks and you'll get plenty of opportunity to practice it. We'll be doing more work on forms for the next couple of weeks so you'll all get the chance to get on top of them. Pyramid press-ups start at 30 next week (joke)

Well it was an other good night some cool locks
and tweeks to parts of the forms. If any one would
like to suggest stuff for the class I will be happy
to accomadate it if it fits in to our Curriculum.
More aikido and harmony for next week to keep you on
your toes, and its back to throws too :-)

Hey guys how cool was the training this week the throws are well coming along the Kancho will be well pleased me thinks. Next week we will put a bit of time into Forms so we can work on floor with holds and locks.

Im so very Pleased to see Sensei Alison back at the club its been a wee while. So hope your feeling like nothing has been lost.

For the first quarter of the year we will be concentrating on throws kicks and ground work