Judo'nt!

A disappointing non-training day today. I had hoped to attend the Leicester Leys Judo Club at the leisure Centre in Beaumont Leys but it wasn't to be. The website of the leisure centre states the class starts at 9.30am for beginners, but having had some interesting experiences with websites in the past, I decided to give them a ring and double check. "Yes" says assistant David, there is a Judo class, it starts at 10am not 9.30am and it's for beginners of all ages.

With my trusty Martial Arts blog-bag packed (wallet, phone, keys, sat nav, bottle of water, knee bandage) I set off for the Leys and arrive in plenty of time.

I speak to Johnny who like everyone else there is not in a Gi, and he informs me that a class starts at 10am, but it's for juniors so could I come back at 11.30am? Er no, (much as I would like to spend 90 minutes staring at a vending machine and not return home until nearly 2pm...). To their credit they do offer to let me me stay and train with the juniors, and there may be a 13 year old turn up who I could partner with. But this looks more and more unlikely as the clock ticks on. As the oldest judo-ka now appears to be about 10 years old I would be so afraid of snapping him that I wouldn't be able to use any real techniques.

So no account of the training quality of this club today. I think the lack of proper uniform put me off instantly but I may go back at some point. I'm still determined to attend a Judo class and have seen another club at Aylestone Leisure centre which I hope to go to in the next few blogs. As it is I have the excitement of Kuk Sool Won and Old Yang Taijiquan to keep me busy over the next few weeks.

Sayonara.

Anything Taekwon-do I can-do better (or The Anti-Karate lesson)

In my younger, fitter and more arrogant days, we used to sing "Anything Taekwon-do I can-do better" at inter-discipline tournaments to taunt our rivals. Because when you're a fourteen year old brown belt, your Martial Art really is *your* Martial Art, and all of the others feel like pale imitations waiting to be shown up for the imposters they are. Basically it all gets a bit 'Cobra Kai'

As you get older you realise you have so much to learn from other arts and that's partly why I'm on a mission to experience as may as I can. So far, all but one of the sessions I've attended have offered an opportunity for me to learn something new, and having only had one hour of Taekwondo instruction so far, James Freer's Taekwondo Club had been on the radar for a while. As usual I was just waiting for a free Thursday to try it out.

With an informative website they offer TKD as a method of self-defence, discipline and fitness much like many other clubs but as Freer is a 6th degree black belt with the TAGB, I am expecting great things from him.

The class runs 7-8pm (for beginners) at the YMCA sports hall. When I arrive I am welcomed and given a starter pack which details plenty of information about TKD and also about Freer and his club. I'm told I have a month of free lessons to look forward to at any of the clubs in the region before deciding if TKD is for me - which is the most generous offer yet.

The class is made up of several black belts, two greens, a bluey, couple of yellow and some ungraded, the weighting was definitely towards the higher grades so James could use some more beginners which is a difficult ask in the warm summer evenings. Seems to be that it's only the most commited practicioners of any Martial Art that willingly turn up when the alternative is a bbq in the park... I particularly liked the placement of the class, with lower grades at the front and seniors at the back (as the trend is usually high grades left, low grades right). This allowed us newbies to be "spotted" by a senior grade which was really helpful and also prevented copying your neighbour so you had to really focus on what was being taught (great for the kids).

The warm up is effective, well-rounded and lasts about 15 to 20 minutes, it's narrated with short explanations about Taekwondo and the body, all very well covered by Master Freer.

When the class proper starts we are worryingly placed into teams... I'm chosen (eventually, must not look my fittest?) by a smiley 1st degree black belt and there follows what amounts to a beep-test relay up and down the hall with punches and kicks at the end. At this stage the focus is on speed (it's a race) rather than technique, and of course my team wins. I must reassure you that there was at no point anyone over-competitively screaming "RUN!" or any football-goal style celebrations *blush*.

It's a good introduction to the main part of the session and completes the warm-up. It gets the group working together and is fun for the kids so a winner all round. For the rest of the class we work in pairs (senior grade to lower grade) to practice kicks and punches. This is where I find Taekwondo really hard, because my Shotokan deep stances and whole body kicks and punches are not what is required. Nathan (whom I'm paired with) is a good teacher, and friendly and enthusiastic with it, as I fail again to complete another hook punch or a top-of-the-foot snap kick.

"Oh God", I think, "it's like someone invented Anti-Karate"!

The hour passes quickly and I enjoy the work-out, I'd certainly recommend this class to younger beginners as it's interesting, fast-paced and fun but I'm not sure that older dedicated students (let's call ourselves the over 25s) would stick at it. Because despite James reassuring us that the path to black belt is paved with good techniques, there was very little focus on the basics (how to make a fist, stance and posture etc). Also the requirement stated in the manual to do 24 classes before a grading would make the road to black belt a very, very long one for those of us with jobs and kids who can only train once a week at most.

As always it's incredibly difficult to make a judgement on one hour in one class but I think if you are a genuine beginner then this would be a fine starting point for you, and certainly one of the best classes for younger students I've seen so far.

toh poepkeseoyo reader.

Tetsu or not tetsu...do

Despite being full of aches and pains from my first session in months, I was determined to keep up the pace of attending new clubs as often as possible. Before last week I had never heard of Tetsudo, a tibetan martial art, but a quick visit to the website confirms that there are about forty clubs in the UK and at least 10 in Leicestershire and the surrounding area.

Tetsudo is an offshoot of Goyararu, itself a very modern combination of several arts that are tibetan, asian and western.

So is tetsudo just another MMA club?

Nope!

Training in a small primary school hall with just four other students I was welcomed by instructor Bill, who had not been expecting me (I did my usual email and text combo but both went unanswered...) he was very gracious in having to abandon his planned session (as his class are all green belts and above) to accommodate this new beginner.

Bill's teaching is outstanding. Every elements from the bow to the warm up was explained and had a purpose and meaning. His technique is pretty much flawless and his application and explanations are clear and effective. He quickly rumbled me as no beginner, but was not afraid to highlight my strengths and weaknesses politely and firmy as he did with the other students. I've always had a problem with rooting my feet on turning kicks and limiting my range, I hide it well and it's rarely picked up on, but Bill saw it instantly (offering me a bit of a shit-sandwich by complimenting my front kick first). Similarly a lazy knee during a roundhouse kick was gently chastised.

Bill allowed me to join in with the basics, asking me to step aside for the sparring and kata or "keds". I was a bit disappointed not to be allowed a go, but he sensibly explained that I was uninsured. As a teacher Bill is self-efacing, good-natured and jolly without losing etiquette and discipline, his students clearly have the utmost respect for him and he in turn for the art and the association to which he belongs. He talks too much, that's my one tiny negative, but only because I'm struggling to find one.

As an art Tetsudo is not massively different from karate, the stances are low and strong for the most part and the elements of kicking and punching are the same but it's the nuances of technique, the precision which is taught from the very beginning which makes this so intriguing. Perfection is key right from the start, so bad habits (even my 20 year old ones) aren't allowed to sneak past. So if you want a black belt in the next couple of years this is not the association for you. There are only five or six belts before Black but the standards and knowledge required at Blue/ Purple/ Brown are extremely high, and there are no "basic" patterns.

I genuinely want to go back to Tetsudo and I'm torn between doing so and continuing to get a wider picture of martial arts in the county. For me basically 5 stars. If you're looking for a club for all the right reasons join now. Join Wigston Tetsudo, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

It's been a long time coming...

Hello you!

After a hiatus caused by not having a free evening for the last 6 months I'm ready to crank it back up.

Basically we had a break, I missed you and now I'm back, we can make it work this time baby!

On the horizon: Master Sahota's Tae Kwon Do - the first report will be published this week.

Leicester Jiu Jitsu Club

This week: Seishin Mizu Ryu Tatakai Jutsu.

Leicester Jiu Jitsui Club train at the YMCA in Leicester at 7.30 on Thursdays. [http://leicesterjj.co.uk/?page=about_us ] After my exciting and exhausting session of Kung Fu (and my barely fading new "Kung Fruises") last week I wasn't sure what to expect from Jiu Jitsu, I confess to being pretty ignorant about this martial art, believing it to be a bit like Judo and Aikido combined. When I arrive I'm warmly welcomed by Nish, the senpei, who, like most instructors I have met so far, assures me that his style is the one that "draws the best from all of the Martial Arts". We are joined soon after by two chaps, a yellow and a green belt and after the obligatory form-filling, we get out the mats to cover the dance floor and the class begins. Nish, our instructor, doesn't seem too put-out, or surprised that he has only three jitsu-ka in his session.

The warm up is hard and fast, press ups, sits ups, burpees, star jumps and stretching, with lots of running around the mats. This progresses to a few rounds of a warm up sparring game, where we try to tap our opponents without being caught ourselves, this is a free-for-all, one versus many game which gets us thinking about attack and defence before the class-proper begins.

Half of the regular class (the yellow belt) has a grading due on Tuesday so Nish works with me demonstrating basic locks and defences, whilst these are made more complex with finishes and throws for the others. In the 90 minutes that follow I learn effective escapes and defences from wrist and head grabs, some I'm familiar with, and some that are completely new, but they all work and are demonstrated with a good balance of explanation and support. Towards the end of the class I begin to run through some simple break-falls from kneeling. Whilst I'm no stranger to falling over (and have done so quite spectacularly on several occasions) there is something really difficult about falling over on a prescribed side, at a prescribed time. Unfortunately I am still incapable of falling over on request, and completely fail to land as required, although near the end I do manage some quite funky cage rolls.

There was something very comforting about the use of Japanese in the class and being a step ahead in understanding the Dachis, Ukes and Tsukis but the almost exclusive focus on defence is quite a change if you're used to Karate. It was a shame that the class was so small but Nish is a very confident and accomplished teacher, and as a 1st Ryu, more so than many black belts I've seen. From a brief chat about grading syllabus, and from watching what's expected of the yellow and green belts it's obvious that the knowledge and skill required to grade is in excess of that for some Martial Arts clubs, and Nish spoke about a wide range of local and national events for the estyle leaving me with a very positive feeling about the quality of this club, which also trains with the universiaty during term time.

Personally, I don't think Jiu Jitsu is for me; the up close and personal style is great for self-defence but I feel I want more than just throwing and grappling. I would recommend Leicester Jiu Jitsu to anyone looking for self defence or confidence as their motivators for joining a Martial Art, or if they want to avoid training with youngsters, as Leicester JJ has an over 16s only policy. Plus, if Nish is an example of a brown belt, the instruction of the seniors must be excellent.