The atmosphere at the Campal Indoor Stadium in Goa was electrifying as it is always a fantastic feeling meeting anyone after a long time. Friends, colleagues, juniors, seniors, instructors and students from branches all over India met each other with great bonhomie and camaraderie after a gap of 3 years because of the prevention of mass gatherings due to the Covid19 pandemic.
JKA India, the original JKA body in India founded nearly 5 decades ago, held it’s the 40th Annual National Program in the exotic international resort city of Goa. The program included a training camp, the 15th Kyu Level Championship & the 40th National JKA India Championship had participants from all over India, Sri Lanka and PIOs from the UK & US.
Amongst the oldest JKA organizations in the Asian Region, it was both a privilege and an honour to host the Chief Instructor of the Japan Karate Association‐ Ueki Masaaki Shuseki Shihan along with another amazing Instructor of the JKA, Taniyama Takuya Shihan. Both these legendary Instructors have been Grand Champions of the JKA many times and their instruction in the camp was a vindication of their expertise in teaching.
Prior to the National Program, Anand Ratna Sensei, Chief Instructor of JKA India had organized a 10 day Preparatory Training Camp with Taniyama Takuya Shihan at the JKA India Headquarters dojo in Mumbai. It was exclusively meant for those JKA India Instructors who were going for higher Dan grades. The Camp was rigorous as the group was made to undergo strenuous Kihon, Kata and Kumite training to prepare themselves for the Dan Grading. Taniyama Shihan ensured that each participant clearly understood the level and standard that was expected from each one and made everyone physically strive to attain this goal. Each day they were pushed beyond their limits as he made sure that all the participants implemented the small details in the stances and the techniques that are so necessary in making the difference between an average and a good karate performance. Apart from a couple of participants most of the trainees were not young, however they enthusiastically endured the grueling 3 hour session every day. This was the first time that such a kind of training camp meant exclusively for the higher dan grades has been held in India and at
the end of the 10 days, an exhausted but vastly changed group, both technically improved and mentally confident, left for Goa for the National Program.
Shuseki Shihan Ueki arrived in Mumbai on the night of 26th of January. He was received by both Taniyama Shihan and Anand Ratna Sensei. For Ueki Shuseki Shihan this was his second trip to India, the first being in 2011 January a few months after he became the Chief Instructor of the JKA. All the three Instructors left for Goa the next morning.
The first days training was in the afternoon. Ueki Shuseki Shihan inaugurated the event with the traditional lighting of the lamp and released the commemorative souvenir. In his impeccable manner, he conducted the first session of basic fundamentals for a combined class of juniors and seniors, ranging from beginners to Rokudan. He began the training by making everyone execute the various techniques while standing in the natural stance and then made the participants execute the same techniques while moving in different stances. All the while he was constantly explaining to the participants the important points of JKA fundamentals and where they needed to focus on in order to improve their karate techniques.
On the second day, the first part of the days training was spent on various keris. Ueki Shuseki Shihan is famous for his keris and he amply demonstrated his skill to the participants. Here again, the focus of his teaching was showing the trainees the important points to focus on while executing the movements. All the trainees were astonished at his speed of execution of the front kick. Partner drills were used to emphasize the implementation of various points that he had shown the participants to practice.
For the second part of the days training, the participants were bifurcated into 2 groups with Ueki Shuseki Shihan instructing the Senior Dan level trainees and Taniyama Shihan instructing the others. Kata Training was taken by Ueki Shuseki Shihan and the second group did various Kihon and Kumite partner drills with Taniyama Shihan.
The Third and Final Day’s training was again divided into two groups. Kata Souchin and Hangetsu were taught for a better understanding of the two stances involved. The various applications of the Kata were also taught.
Dan Examinations were conducted later in the day for grades up to the level of Rokudan and Technical Licence Examinations upto the level of B kyu. The credit for the results can only be attributed to Taniyama Shihan for the
great care and hard work put in by him for the preparatory camp.
All the events of the 15th JKA India Kyu level Tournament were conducted by the JKA Licenced Judges in India while all the Finals of the Individual Kata and Kumite Events for the 40th JKA All India Tournament were conducted by the JKA India Chief Instructor Anand Ratna with senior judges. The event ended with a farewell party for the two Guest Instructors and the various branch chiefs.
Ueki Shuseki Shihan, Taniyama Shihan And Anand Ratna Sensei left for Mumbai the next day. In Mumbai, prior to the departure of the two Guest Instructors, an official meeting was held between the Chief Instructor of the JKA, Ueki Shuseki Shihan, Taniyama Shihan and the two National Representatives of JKA in India ‐ Mr. Milan Trivedi and Mr. Anand Ratna. During the meeting, various suggestions were given by the Chief Instructor for the growth of the JKA in India and the future of the region.
A few photographs of both the preparatory camp held in Mumbai and the National Program held in Goa are attached.
JKA India is extremely grateful to the JKA Headquarters for it’s continued support and the great cooperation extended by the Chairman Katsuhide Kusahara Shihan, Chief Instructor Ueki Shuseki Shihan, Managing Director Seizo Izumiya Shihan and the JKA Headquarters Office staff without whose help, this event could not have been held. Thank you very much.