Training

The Dojo Diary – A week in training (13/01/19…

This week at the Longbridge dojo on Wednesday Sensei Sue took everyone through their paces teaching what was new kata for some whilst also preparing some students for an upcoming competition. Sensei Richard took the opportunity to continue along the same theme and work on a kata the students were already familiar with, Bassai Dai.

It is always important to revisit and constantly practise everything we have learnt as well as learning new things as we progress along our karate journey. To that end on the advanced class we concentrated on the details of the kata trying to iron out any little mistakes that inevitably creep in to our kata and explain some of the common variations that are prevalent plus examine in detail each technique and possible applications for them.

On Saturday we continued with Nijushiho, going through the kata again several times and letting the students explore some of the bunkai with partner work. We then moved onto Bassai Dai a kata that everyone was familiar with but concentrating on partner work with the pairs trying to explore the bunkai themselves in order to get everyone thinking about why they do each part of the kata and how they interpret it. We finished the session with a look at each individual’s grading kata.

Club Notices

A New Year, a fresh start, Welcome to BWCSK!

The New Year, 2019 has arrived and with the new year comes a fresh start for the club with a new name and new club badge. We will still be teaching and practicing the traditional Shotokan karate that was taught to us by Shihan Cummins but under the new name of Birmingham & Weoley Castle Shotokan Karate (BWCSK).

As many of you may know after the death of Shihan Cyril Cummins 8th dan, his club Birmingham & Halesowen Shotokan Karate Club was reunited with the club that started from it’s lomgest running dojo Weoley Castle Shotokan Karate Club under its new Chief Instructor Sensei Susan Hession. Since then the clubs have run together under a combined badge that maintained elements from both club badges but maintaining both club names.

The club has continued to operate as a single club in all practical terms with BHSKC & WCSKC students continuing to train and grade with each other as indeed they did when Shihan Cummins was alive due to the close links that have always existed between them.

However during that time things have changed. The long standing BHSKC Bartley Green and Halesowen dojos were closed. The latter continued until very recently under another former student of Shihan Cummins Sensei Matt Russell at Birmingham Karate (formally Quinton SKC). New students have joined who never knew the clubs prior to the merger and the details behind the dual identity. Last but not least the current names no longer truly reflect the clubs geography.

As we move into 2019 we are rebranding the club as Birmingham & Weoley Castle Shotokan Karate (abbrieviated to BWCSK), hopefully a bit easier on the tongue and as we no longer have a Halesowen presence more reflective of the clubs geography. With the new name comes a new badge and an updated website.Don’t worry all the old posts you know and love from the old sites still remain on our legacy BHSKC and WCSKC web sites, Going forward the new site will continue under the biminghamshotokan.com address and will be updated with the latest news and information from the club.

The new BWCSK Badge incorporating the fukutsu kanji which can be roughly translated as “Never Give Up” from our club motto “Never Give In, Never Give Up!”

Welcome to Birmingham & Weoley Castle Shotokan Karate

Awards & Presentations

Kyu Gradings and End of Year Awards December 2018

We had the final kyu gradings of the year at the Longbridge dojo on Wednesday 19th December 2018. These were conducted by Sensei Sue Hession and attended by Sensei Dorien Cummins with Sensei Richard Amuzu joining whilst recovering from an eye operation and a special appearance by Sensei Austin Birks 5th dan, who came from a chemotherapy session to be there.

We were all very pleased with the high standard shown by all who graded and by those doing a pre-dan grading check in preparation for taking their black belts grading at the next dan gradings.

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After the gradings it was time for the End Of Year Awards with this years Student of the Year going to Lincoln Boult. He now has his name added to the club shield which he will keep for the year. Shania Hopkins won the award for Best Ateendance and Supportive Student. Ajay Reeves won the award for Most Helpful and Supportive Student

Lincoln Boult and his mum with the Student of the Year Club Shield

Last year’s Student of the Year winner, Elijah Farrell-Reid passed on the club shield to Lincoln Boult receiving his own personal shield to keep in its place.

Elijah Farrell-Reid with Sensei Austin Birks 5th dan receiving his personal shield

“Magic” Mike Paul was presented with his Assistant Instructors license. Mike has been helping out at the club for a while and is also involved with the clubs web site administration and updates. He has worked diligently since starting to achieve his black belt and his calm and patient nature pays dividends when teaching.

Sensei Michael Paul receiving his Assistant Instructors license

In what was an emotional part of the evening Sensei Dorien Cummins gave two momentos which used to belong to our late instructor and BHSKC founder Shihan Cyril Cummins 8th Dan in the form of trophies won by Shihan Cummins to Sensei Austin Birks and Sensei Richard Amuzu for there long service to the club.

Sensei Austin Birks receiving one of the late Shihan Cyril Cummins trophies
Sensei Richard Amuzu receiving one of the late Shihan Cummins trophies
Training

A lot covered tonight at the Weoley Castle Dojo

A good second class tonight at the Weoley Castle dojo with the brown and black belts covering a lot of ground. All the Heian kata were revisted. Bassai Dai, Jion, Hangestu, Enpi and Kanku Dai for the 1st Kyus. For the dan grades Meikyo and Chinte were covered and we started / revisited Unsu for the 1st and 2nd dans.

Competition

Congratulations Jacob at today’s KWON competition

Congratulations to Jacob McBride on his outstanding achievement today at the KWON Competition. The results for today :-

  • Gold in Adult Kumite
  • Silver in Under 17s Kumite
  • Silver in Under 17s Kata
  • Silver in Team Kata (with Harley)
  • Bronze in Adult Kata
Training

Great advanced kata session yesterday at Longbridge Methodist Church…

We had a great advanced session yesterday with the black and brown belts at the Longbridge dojo. Earlier in the session we revisited the Heian kata and later Sensei Sue Hession worked on the Shodan grading kata whilst Sensei Richard Amuzu took an depth look at Nijushiho and its bunkai before finishing off with Meikyo.

Competition

Well done at the AKA Invitational Championships

Well done to the students from BHSKC / WCSKC who competed today. Kyree got bronze in adaptive kata , Chelsea got bronze in under 10 yrs novice kata, Archie, Shania and Elijah were unplaced but did very very well at their very first competition, Jacob Mcbride, Jack Wheeley and Alex got bronze in rotational Kumite .

Competition

Jacob McBride has today become a World Champion!

On 29th October 2018 at the WKU International Championships in Athens, Greece, Jacob McBride with his England squad team mates became a world champion. Winning gold in two events and bronze in another we cannot tell you how proud we are of this young mans achievements.

Jacob McBride with Matthew Hyndman and his kumite team mates taking the world title by besting the Germans and Italians in Athens at the WKU International Championship
Jacob and the mens kumite team on the podium with the German and Italian teams
Jacob on his return to the club

Awards & Presentations

Black Belt Certificate Presentation and Awards Ceremony October 2018

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On the 17th October 2018 the ceremony for the formal award and presentation in recognition of the students Dan grade achievements was held at the Longbridge dojo. The grading was held at the dojo on Wednesday September 13th 2018.

The ceremony was attended by sensei Susan Hession (4th Dan), sensei Dorien Cummins , Carol Richards, Faye Tonkinson (2nd Dan) and Richard Amuzu (4th Dan).

The ceremony is a moment to recognise the progression of the students which included one student Bethany Bird achieving Nidan plus three other students in attendance achieving Shodan.

Students were also awarded special mementos from the late Shihan Cyril Cummins collection to acknowledge their outstanding contributions to the club presented by Sensei Dorien Cummins, a former BHSKC instructor & club secretary and widow of the late Shihan Cyril Cummins 8th Dan. Shihan Cummins was the founder of BHSKC and started the Weoley Castle dojo that became Weoley Castle Shotokan Karate Club and instructor to Sensei Susan Hession the current Chief instructor of both clubs.

The certificates and awards were presented to:

  • Bethany Bird – 2nd Dan (Nidan)
  • Michael Paul – 1st Dan (Shodan)
  • Daniel Ray – 1st Dan (Shodan)
  • Jacob McBride – 1st Dan (Shodan)
  • Daniel Ray – Shihan Cummins Katana Set
  • Michael Paul – Shihan Cummins Wakizashi
  • Faye Tonkinson – Shihan Cummins Competition Statuette
Waiting for the presentations to start …
The awards table with Sensei Dorien Cummins in attendance …
Bethany Bird (the club’s youngest Nidan)

Jacob McBride
Daniel Ray
Michael Paul (With Sensei Dorien Cummins and Sensei Sue Hession)
Remember Don’t break the ceiling tiles!
Dorien Cummins presenting a katana to Daniel Ray which belonged to the late Shihan Cyril Cummins
Dorien Cummins presenting a katana to Mike Paul which belonged to the late Shihan Cyril Cummins
Dorien Cummins presenting a statuette to Faye Tonkinson which belonged to the late Shihan Cyril Cummins
Competition

Well done Mike at the AKA Open Kata Championship

“Magic” Mike Paul today was our sole competitor in the All Styles Karate Alliance Open Kata Championship and managed to gain a bronze medal.