The weekend 9th and 10th of May Shinkyokushin Norway organised Kata seminar with An Polimeno Sensei and Luigi Polimeno Shihan – in other words, quality was guaranteed!
Oslo Kyokushin Karate is recently open official as a new Dojo, and the same goes for Skjetten Kyokushin Karate – just outside Oslo. Oslo Kyokushin Karate was the organizer, with Dojo operator Liam Jensrud in the lead.
All Pictures by Monica Magnussen / Modum Karateklubb
⇓ From Left: Svein Olaf Bennæs President NKO, Liam Jensrud / Oslo, An Polimeno, Luigi Polimeno BC Switzerland and Ole T Grejs BC Region East, Norway
May is a challenging month to organize events in Norway, due to all the official holidays. But we need a challenge once in a while. Aimed for the upper level and instructors, the seminar was not the same as “Spring camps” organised earlier, when it was “all in” One did hope for 30-35 participants – who would be very good, registration showed just above 40 – and some unregistered on top of that.
An Polimeno and Luigi Polimeno – Tomodachi Dojo
Most of us know them by the great results in Kata competition trough many years. Further on many have visited the Tomodachi Camp August, or/and the Tomodachi Kata Cup. (February) If you haven’t seen these two events, or read about them, you will for sure know that this events are really great and growing – and that is not a coincident.
Friday in Oslo – one session for instructors was held. During two hours of training, the attendees received a good overview of methods and techniques that made training sessions more effectively. At the same time – with this focus, they also received more inputs on how to keep training “alive”. Also input regarding training children, and taking typical “problems” due to the learning less experience Karatekas.
In short: The learning process from Kihon to Kata Ideas on how to teach varied and fun technical classes, body-control, challenges, one technical aspect at a time, Kata combinations
Endless repetitions are not the solution to everything. And if you do endless repetitions with the same mistakes over and over again, you will have a hard time getting results. Even without mistakes, you will hardly make progress – and without progression, motivation will disappear too. But during this weekend, the motivation was not fading away – it was clearly the opposite that happen!
Saturday had three sessions, and these three sessions was masterly connected, and with a safe but sure Throughout the day, the pressure and intensity on the participants increased – with the end of the physical part being small “Kata tournaments” divided into groups – where they received specific guidelines on giving constructive feedback.
The first session brought basic principles of movement, covering the technical and the physical aspect. Rubber-band made the strength and balance training really effective and interesting..-did we mention fun?
A extremely important (and difficult) topic is: Tension ⇔ relaxation (control and awareness). Are you doing a Kata or a “Robot-dance” This is of course not only counting in Kata – but in all aspect of Karate. But for sure, if one manage to aster this – that’s a new level.
Upper and lower body cut – master to lock one of the part, while the other execute a movement. Easier said than done, and this is a lifelong task to conker – but this Saturday participants made steady progress with guidelines from the instructors. Shortest way – making the movements as precis as possible, all unnecessary moves must be pilled off – so the arms and legs moves correct and effective.
Stability – will be on a higher level if one manage to get some of the above topics into a higher level. Stability it self can also be trained, and connected wit the rest of the topics for the session. This was explained by An and Luigi, trough the session and in the closing act. This together with different exercises into each topic made it all very total.
The 2nd session for the day, the seminar was divided into two groups, based on experience. And now it was time to try to implement principles from the 1st session into the Katas. One group did Pinan Katas with Luigi – the other group lead by An, doing the B-Katas (from Pinan and up)
The 3rd session was as mention the last for the day and seminar, and some pressure was added. This session moved the participants towards the pressure when you have to preform your Kata alone in front of the judges, crowd or a grading panel. The “sugar” on top was now to add: Additional performance aspects (power, speed / rhythm / flow, aura into the training. With 15 minutes warm up by one self – it was time for many “mini Kata championships” in the Dojo.
In groups of 4/5 – 1 performs a Kata of choice, the others give feedback related to specific topics:
Lower body
• Stances, feet position
• Shortest way
• Stability, grounding
• Hip rotation
Upper body
• Tension <-> relaxation
• Parasite movements, shortest way
• Focus, eyes
• Straight back, hikite
General impression
• Kiai/Ibuki
• Power
• Mature & natural techniques
• Rhythm, slow-fast
• Aura (face & body language, mindset)
• Dogi, obi, hair
This is maybe something that many do, but the specific feedback makes it even more effective. Feedback can easily tear down instead of building up – and probably many times the feedback will not be accurate enough to make progress.
In the end of the seminar questions and answers was done – and probably a lot of “full heads” had fewer questions than usually! An and Luigi Polimeno share their knowledge with open hearts, and they live for this – Karate. Karate can mean a lot, and it can be defined different depends who you ask. If you want to hear good reasons for doing Karate – visit the Tomodachi Dojo, or train with An Sensei and Luigi Shihan. Look, hear and feel.
Karate is not a sport – it looks like it, but it is not. – Luigi Polimeno
Shinkyokushin Norway NKO can just take off the hat, and hope to see these athletes again. And congratulation with the 23rd wedding anniversary!!