Tokon News

03.09.08 - Junior Assistant Instructors (Sept 08)

Congratulations to the following juniors who, as a result of their continued hard work have been made up to Junior Assitant Instructors on the Tokon Academy Karate-do and Submission wrestling programme(s).

-Adam Weeks
-Thomas Dedman
-Ieuan Evans

03.09.08 - Student(s) of the month presentations

Congratulations must be sent out to the following students who have become the 'Student of the month' at their respective dojo and captured the coveted yellow & black belt: Click here for all the past 'Student's of the month' at each Dojo.

>Archie Strath
>Gabriella Brooks
>Adam Weeks
>Tyler Jones
>Thomas Dedman
>Joshua Sellicks

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29.08.08 - New term starts

Make sure you are all ready to start the new term of training at the academy from Tuesday 2nd September. Also please take time to understand the new venues that have been opened and times that may have changed since your last session. All the info needed can be found at here (schedule).

Finally, all squad members should aware that Wednesday 3rd September sees our next squad session at Sandye Place Middle School. 7.15pm-8.15pm. Make sure you are there!

22.08.08 - One week off!

All, please be aware that all classes at the Tokon Academy are postponed until week beginning Monday 1st September 08 when all classes resume as normal. For further confirmations on classes and venues from September 08 check out the schedule.

Dave

13.08.08 - October half-term Karate-do course

With the impending Dan grading examination set for December our October 2008 course will now be focused on learning and developing the five Kata essential for all Brown and Black belts at the Tokon Academy:

When: Monday 27th Oct - Friday 31st Oct 2008
Where: Sandy Sports Centre, Engayne Av., Sandy, Bedfordshire (dance studio)
Time: 10am - 11.30am (each day)
Cost: £50.00 per junior
Content: Bassai Dai, Kanku Dai, Enpi, Jion, Hangetsu (plus Oyo/Bunkai)
More info: click here

06.08.08 - Summer Bo Jitsu Camp review

I am currently in the process of writing up the review of our Bo Jitsu Camp and will post it online ASAP. Congratulations to the following juniors who are now graded on the Tokon Academy Bo Jitsu programme to the following grades:

Novice: Level One	Novice: Level Two
Joshua Sellicks	Thomas Dedman
Ryan Penney	George Costin
Amy Brain
Charlie Shiers
Adam Weeks
James Bridgeman
Rian Smeaton
Russ Smeaton
Jack Banks
Gabriella Brooks

Here are the Kata practiced so far on our Bo Jitsu camps:

For more instructional videos click on the iGym Logo on the right or visit/subscribe at: http://www.youtube.com/tokonacademy

05.08.08 - Seipai Kata (Shito Ryu Karate-do version)

Below is a clip of the Shito-Ryu version of the Kata Seipai taught to instructors at the Tokon Academy during 2001 whilst travelling across Europe with Shihan Akio Minakami, 8th Dan.

Meaning 18 hands, Seipai was the main part of study on this years Tokon Academy Summer Camp. A full report of the week long Summer Camp will be online very soon but for those of you that want to pick up the Kata Seipai before we begin learning it during class check out below:

02.08.08 - Brand new beginner courses from September

The Tokon Academy is pleased to announce its next set of brand new senior & junior beginner Karate-do, Submission Wrestling, Judo and Natural Athetix courses start from 15th September 08 at the following locations and times:

Junior Karate-do courses
Monday 15th September @ Mill Lane Pavilion, Potton, 5pm-6pm
Tuesday 16th September @ Potton Lower School, Potton, Bedfordshire, 3.30pm-4.45pm
Wednesday 17th September @ St. Andrews Lower School, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, 3.30pm-4.45pm
Wednesday 17th September @ Sandye Place Middle School, Sandy, Bedfordshire, 5.15pm-6.15pm
Thursday 18th September @ Laburnum Lower School, Sandy, Bedfordshire, 3.15pm-4.30pm
Friday 19th September @ Robert Peel Lower School, Sandy, Bedfordshire, 3.30pm-4.45pm

Senior Karate-do courses
Wednesday 17th September @ Sandye Place Middle School, Sandy, Bedfordshire, 7.15pm-8.15pm

Senior Judo courses
Wednesday 17th September @ Sandye Place Middle School, Sandy, Bedfordshire, 8.15pm-9.45pm

Junior Submission Wrestling courses
Tuesday 6th September @ Robert Peel Lower School, Sandy, Bedfordshire, 6pm-7pm
Thursday 18th September @ Caldecote Church rooms, Upper Caldecote, Bedfordshire, 6pm-7pm

30.07.08 - Website updates

Please be aware that over the next few weeks the Tokon Academy website will be going through a few changes, partially due to the fact that our last site was not compatible with most browsers and also as much of the information online is not needed anymore due to changes in various programmes.

As a result of the ongoing changes some of the links that normally function fine will be down for a short while until all are changed accordingly. At present most of the important links are 'live' and the rest should follow suit ASAP.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

14.07.08 - Summer vacation training times

As we move ever closer to school summer vacations below are the times and venues that classes will ONLY be operational:

Wednesday evenings, Sandy village hall:
5pm-6pm: Junior Karate-do (Beginner to red belt)
6pm-7pm: Junior Karate-do (Yellow to Purple & White)
7pm-8pm: Junior Karate-do (Brown belt & above only)
8pm-9.30pm: Adult MMA

Thursday evenings, Caldecote hall:
5pm-6pm: Junior Karate-do (all grades) remember hall is extremely small
6pm-7pm: Junior Submission Wrestling

There will be no classes between Saturday 23rd August & Saturday 30th August 2008, all classes resume to normal times and normal venues week beginning Monday 1st September 2008.
Please check the schedule for information.

12.07.08 - Open Judo seminar with Ray Stevens

The Tokon Academy is delighted to announce its next open seminar will be with the ex Team GB, 1992 Olympic Judo silver medallist and Roger Gracie Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black belt Ray Stevens. The seminar will take place on Wednesday 8th October 2008 and will cost £25.00 per person (adults only).

All attendees are advised to pre-book places by sending a £10.00 (non-refundable) deposit to ensure you get a place and aren't disappointed. This seminar will be conducted in Judo/BJJ Gi and Obi. Click here for more details.

 

 

10.07.08 - Summer demonstrations

A big thank you and well done to all the juniors enrolled onto the various Karate programmes at the academy who helped out at the various summer demonstrations last weekend. Special thank you to the four juniors from St Andrews Lower School (George Woodward, Nathan Tatlock, Henry Woodward and Ben Hughes) who demonstrated various skills on their own as I was unable to make the demo. Well done!

10.07.08 - Competition successes

As well as congratulating our Karate junior squad on their recent successes at the KombatClinic.com Kata championships we must not forget the juniors who entered the championships off of their own backs and came away with a 1st, 2nd or 3rd. Well done to Jake Simons (2nd place), George Woodward (3rd place) and Joshua Sellicks (1st place and KombatClinic.com 2008 Kata Champion). Well done!

10.07.08 - July student of the month presentations

03.07.08 - 2008 Tokon Academy Summer Camp(s)

Due to the success of last years Tokon Academy summer camp we have decided to repeat the camp in a similar vein, please see below for details:

Intensive Karate Camp: Mon 21st July - Fri 25th July Sandy Sports Centre	Summer Bo Jitsu Camp: Mon 4th Aug - Wed 6th Aug Sandy Sports Centre

For more information and to book places email ASAP

02.07.08 - KombatClinic.com Kata Champions

Congratulations to the following juniors from the Tokon Academy who placed in the top three of their respective Kata categories at Sundays inaugural KombatClinic.com junior Karate Kata championships:

Tokon Academy's Junior Karate squad with their medals and trophies

Beginner - 6th Kyu category:
1st place: Joshua Sellicks
2nd place: Jake Simons
3rd place: George Woodward

4th - 5th Kyu category:
1st place: Jack Banks
2nd place: Charlie Shiers
3rd place: James Bridgeman

3rd Kyu category:
1st place: Noah Humphreys (KombatClinic.com sponsored athlete)
2nd place: Rian Smeaton

2nd Kyu category:
1st place: Adam Weeks (KombatClinic.com sponsored athlete)
2nd place: Ben Tuck
3rd place: Georgia DeBranco-Chessum

The hard work seems to be paying off!

30.06.08 - KombatClinic.com Open Kata Championships results

Click here for a list of the winners from yesterday's junior Kata Championships held in Bedford (images to follow).

30.06.08 - Grading day report

Sunday 22nd June 2008 proved to be a great day out for most of the juniors enrolled onto the Tokon Academy junior Karate programme. Over the course of this week 100+ junior Karateka will have attempted their next grade and hopefully succeeded in obtaining the all important next belt.

The first of the days grading examinations took place between 10am and 11.15am at Sandy village hall and as soon as the doors opened the juniors literally 'flooded in'. Beginners were up first in attempting their belts which saw the white to 8th Kyu (Red belts) pushed through Kihon waza (basic techniques), Kata (forms/patterns) and Kumite (pre-arranged sparring).

All seemed more than capable and the results were far greater than first anticipated. Read more...

29.05.08 - Bo Jitsu programme: Nidan-no-Kon video online

For those juniors who took part in the half-term Bo Jitsu camp I have just uploaded the second Bo Kata from the Kenshin Ryu system, Nidan-no-Kon. As you know this Kata forms part of the grading examination for Novice: Level Two that will be graded on the Summer Bo Jitsu camp between Monday 2nd August and Wednesday 4th August. For more instructional videos check out the 'iGym' section.

Bo Jitsu programme, Novice: Level Two. Nidan-No-Kon

28.05.08 - May Bo Jitsu Camp promotions

Congratulations to the following juniors who, during our latest Kenshin Ryu Bo Jitsu camp successfully passed:
Novice: Level one in Bo Jitsu

T. Dedman, A. Weeks, G. Costin, J. Bridgeman, R. Penney, Rian Smeaton, Russ Smeaton & J. Banks. Each junior has in turn earned a point for their respective TEAM. Well done!

24.05.08 - No training Bank holiday Monday and Tuesday evening

Due to Bank holiday Monday and the fact that schools are on vacation the following week, both our Monday night Potton class and Tuesday evening at Robert Peel Dojo are postponed for one week. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

24.05.08 - New stretching video online

For the full article check out: http://www.kombatclinic.com/article_guard_stretches.htm