KARATE ACADEMY LIVES UP TO NAME
Ten students from the AKA Karate Black Belt Academy attained black belts on Saturday last week.
Eight were graded to 1st Dan and two to 2nd Dan Black Belt by British Karate Association Chairman, Sensei Brian Seabright, who came down from Manchester.
After training in the morning, the grading began with a run from the AKA Dojo in Earl Street around Alexandra Park. Upon returning, the grading proper started with line work, including traditional Karate techniques followed by advanced combinations of punching and kicking.
Next up was kata; a series of moves performed individually. The shortest kata has 18 moves, the longest 63. Each of the new black belts had to carry out 10 kata, the 2nd Dans 12.
The next part of the grading saw the students perform kihon, 2 and 4 respectively (mini kata performed in pairs) before showing their expertise in self-defence, including against grabs, punches, kicks and knife attacks.
Next came the bag work where each student had to punch and kick a heavy bag for three minutes (there were five rounds of this), and the final part of the grading was free sparring.
As well as fighting each other, all the students had to fight existing Black Belts of the academy. The sparring lasted more than an hour and the grading finished nearly four hours after it started. The students were exhausted but delighted to pass.
Before presenting each student with their Black Belt, Sensei Brian Seabright praised them on the high standard they had shown.
Pictured- back row from left: Benjamin Bogdan-Hodgson, Nikki Payne (2nd Dan), Nathan Hyland (2nd Dan), Stuart Stevens. Seated: Sensei Paul Banbury (AKA Chief Instructor), Sensei Brian Seabright, Sensei Bryan Dumbrell (Senior Instructor). Front row: Laurie Robertson, Benjamin Starnes, Ashley Payne, Danny Conetta, Jessica Bartlett, Thomas Bartlett.
Sensei Paul Banbury has trained more than 40 Black Belts. Anybody wishing to join them should call 07973 149519 and arranger a free lesson.
This article appeared in the Observer 26th June 2009.
