Tag: Sensei Neil Jerome

the corona chronicles

the corona chronicles – day 14

we had our first #homedojo online session today and it was AMAZING! obviously going cold turkey for two weeks had something to do with how good it felt to train again, but still it was a great session. sensei neil delivered a lesson that was basic due to the space constraints, but at the same time challenging and insightful.

we used zoom which is very affordable and easy to use. chances are you are already familiar with the technology, but just in case – zoom is a video conferencing service over the internet. you pay a very reasonable monthly fee to be able to host sessions and the app for the users is free meaning that running costs are minimal. it’s an absolute godsend for the particular predicament we find ourselves in. i only wish i has some shares in a company that is undoubtedly doing very well at the moment.

when using zoom you have two views: gallery and speaker. in gallery mode you see all the feeds from all the participants tiled on your screen, whereas in speaker mode you get one main feed (the speaker’s) on most of the screen at the expense of the other feeds which are made smaller. normally the instructor would use “gallery” view, so they can observe all the students, and students would use “speaker” view, so they can see the instructor in more details.

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i started the lesson in “speaker” mode so i could follow neil, but then half way through switched to “gallery” because i’ll be teaching myself the day after tomorrow and i wanted to observe the other students. after a little while i discovered that i preferred that view because it felt more like training in a group rather than a 1-2-1. i had my laptop plugged into a 40″ tv, so even in a smaller tile i could still see neil well to follow him. at the same time i benefited from the energy of all the other people participating in the session. definitely something i would recommend.

another aspect of training online is that you can train from wherever with whomever. we had 15 participants of various grades all the way from 7th kyu up to 4th dan, and from 4 different countries: the UK, Norway, Iceland and Israel.

so, i want to thank zoom for making a fantastic and affordable tool that made this possible, neil for a very enjoyable lesson, and also everybody who participated and made it a success. oss!

the corona chronicles

the corona chronicles – day 8

over the last few days the corona crisis has deepened with many new restrictions imposed. it is a difficult situation for most if not all with some challenges up ahead. still, the only thing to do is to remain positive and make the most out of the situation.

the positives are that everyone is at home and technology is on hand to help. many dojos have already taken to the internet and i was convinced to do the same. we’ll be launching next week with three weekly sessions every monday, wednesday and friday 6pm-7pm.

the situation has also presented a unique opportunity to include instructors (and students) who would otherwise not be able to attend a real dojo. i am very pleased that we will be joined by sensei Neil Jerome, 5th dan, and sensei Rosie Lau, 4th dan.

training in a virtual dojo isn’t ideal, but at the moment it’s the only option. for me it is actually more of a necessity, not just in order to keep our karate form, but also to maintain our mental fortitude, which will be tested no doubt and the weeks and months to come.

 

Special events

This Christmas – a political message

I should probably know better than to mix karate with politics, but something has happened, which is so big and significant in our lives, that I feel it trumps such sensibilities.

Brexit has been a divisive issue in our society, but last night it became an inevitable reality. Both Neil and I have been deeply saddened and angered by the decision of the British people, but most of all I think it’s left us heartbroken.

If the UK had not been a member of the EU I would have never come here. Neil and I would not have met and Kanshin would have never been created. Shotorama and all the other special and wonderful things we dreamt and created would have never come to be. Likewise, many of our members, past and present, would not have come to these Isles, lived and trained amongst us and touched our lives. For Neil and I that is the true meaning of Brexit. We are faced with the loss of something very dear and fundamental in our lives that it is almost like losing a loved one. Simply put, we are in mourning.

All the while we are also acutely aware that our country is in the midst of a social crisis. A crisis of homelessness, of poverty and of children going hungry. This Christmas there will be children going to bed on an empty stomach and young people sleeping out in the freezing cold. This is not happening in some third world failed state, but here, in the world’s fifth richest country.

So here we are, the nightmare of Brexit will now become our reality. It will make things worse not better, especially for those vulnerable communities that voted for it. The forces that conspired to bring it about are too great for us to tackle, but perhaps this Christmas we can make a difference in the lives of just a few people. Perhaps in this very dark hour we can shine a little light of hope even if for a moment.

Neil and I have each given £50 to The Number Five Project, a charity that provides night shelter for homeless people. We have also decided to dedicate all proceeds from Neil’s upcoming session on 28 December to that charity, so participation will be free. If you intend to come and train or just feel sympathetic to our cause please consider giving as well. We hope that with your help we can double our contribution and reach our target of £200. You can donate here.

In any event, we are still all karateka and we hope to see you at the event, which will be free, regardless of your thoughts in the matter.

Special events

upcoming events

i am very excited to announce a number of exciting events planned over the next few weeks:

saturday, 30 june: special seminar
14:00-15:00 – introduction to bojutsu
15:00-16:00 – karate forms: meaning, purpose & application

sunday, 8 july: special training and kyu grading with sensei garry harford, 8th dan
11:00-12:00 – all grades training
12:00-13:30 – kyu grading
13:30-15:30 – black & brown belt training
venue: the rising sun karate academy, winston churchill sports centre, gu21 8tl woking

thursday, 12 july: lesson with sensei neil jerome, 5th dan
20:00-21:30 – neil will be teaching our regular thursday class

sunday, 15 july: special session with sensei neil jerome, 5th dan
14:00-15:30 – all grades
15:30-16:30 – black & brown belts

 

Special events

upcoming special sessions in july

we have two planned sessions with sensei neil jerome at the end of the month:
– thursday 27 july neil will be teaching the regular lesson 8-9:30pm. the final half hour of the lesson will be a “kata clinic” for black belts. neil will be looking at your kata individually to give you some feedback.
– sunday 30 july neil will be teaching an instructors’ class 12-1pm followed by an all grades lesson 1-2:30pm. this time we decided to have the instructors’ class, which will be on construction of combinations, before the general lesson, so you could see how neil uses the principles discussed in an actual lesson. as per usual the first session is intended to anybody who’s teaching or is interested in teaching. the second part of the lesson is for all grades.
SundayMorningKarateFever
Special events

special session, sunday 28 may

i’m very excited to be hosting sensei neil jerome again at the end of may. neil will be making a brief visit to the uk and has very generously offered to teach. we’ll have a general session open to all grades 14:00-15:30 followed by an instructors’ class 15:30 to 16:30. the instructors’ class is aim at instructors, assistants instructors and senior grades involved in teaching or those aspiring to become instructors. fees are £7 per person for the first lesson or £10 for both.

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Special events

karate, karate and more karate

we have some great events coming up in the next few months, so mark your diaries:

  • thursday, 20 april, 8:00-9:30pm – training with sensei laszlo eross, 2nd dan.
  • saturday, 29 april, 15:00-17:00 – kumite workshop with sensei jamie sims, 3rd dan.
  • sunday, 28 may, 14:00-16:30 – special lesson with sensei neil jerome, 5th dan, followed by an seminar for instructors and assistant instructors.
  • saturday, june 3, 12:00-14:00 – sensei greg hegarty, 5th dan, at the rising sun karate academy.
  • sunday, june 25th, 14:00-16:30 – special lesson with sensei john parnell, 6th dan.

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Gradings, Special events

upcoming events in march

we have a number of great events planned for march:
saturday, 11 march – special session with sensei john parnell, 6th dan.
14:00-15:00 – all grades
15:00-16:00 – black & brown belts
free to club members; guests £5.
thursday, 16 march – special session with sensei neil jerome, 5th dan.
20:00-21:30 – black & brown belts only
free to club members; guests £7.
saturday, 25 march – special session and kyu grading with sensei frank brennan, 8th dan.
the rising sun karate academy in woking. see website for details.
return-of-the-sensei
Gradings, Schedule, Special events

october training schedule update

thursday, 13 october – no session due to an event at the spectrum

saturday, 15 october – special session with sensei john parnell, 6th dan, and sensei neil jerome, 5th dan.

sunday, 16 october – technical kata clinic with sensei neil jerome, 5th dan, at wimbledon karate SW19 3TZ, 2-4pm.

tuesday, 18 october – no session due to a blood donation event at the spectrum.

sunday, 23 october – advanced black & brown belt lesson with sessei bob poynton, 8th dan, at kenmei karate, 12:30-2:00pm, £10.

sunday, 23 october – special session and kyu grading with sessei bob poynton, 8th dan, at kenmei karate,  2pm onwards. £5 for lesson only, £20 for lesson and grading.