TAIJI SEMINAR TO BE HELD IN COUNTY DURHAM

(Caption): Taiji students practising pushing hands

By Donald Robinson
don.robinson@martialnews.co.uk

A TAIJi seminar is being held in County Durham at the end of the month.

The open course is being held Heighington Village Hall, East Green, Heighington, Newton Aycliffe, Co Durham, on Saturday, March 27^th March.

It is being run by Sifu Joe Harte, a student of Patrick Kelly, and starts at 9.45am to 5pm. 

Attendance is by prior booking.

Joe said: "Within Taiji there lies a genuine depth of practise that seeks to look behind the veil of what is often sadly just slow outer movement.

"The hidden depths of genuine Taiji seeks to go well beyond speed and external strength – the very area that most martial artists spend years working on – and looks towards finding the connections and forces used to initiate those very movements as way of beginning the internal practice."

Joe's school of Taiji the aim is to quieten the so called  'superficial mind' or 'daily thinking mind' and awaken a deeper mind state, thus over time becoming increasingly aware of five inner senses.

Joe said: "Of course any movement of the body is preceded by a movement of the mind – or (Yi) Intention, even if it’s an unconscious one – so the question becomes how to train it? 

"This link between mind and body is so often referred to in the martial arts and yet so rarely taught in anything other than the grossest of terms."

According to The Taiji classics the Yi or intention, leads the Chi or energy and then, say the classics, the body movement follows.

Joe added: "With Taiji the ideal is that after the initial period of learning to release the 'held' or contracted states of the muscles and bring the body somewhat under control, with the seeds having already been sewn, the practice deepens to that of the body becoming the vehicle with which to train the mind.

"Of course like any school we have our own particular outer framework in which we teach, explore, and attempt to realise these ideals.

"These methods were devised by our founder Huang Sheng Shyan, his teacher Cheng Man-Ching, and his teacher before that Yang Cheng Fu.

"I teach under the guidance of my long time teacher the highly respected Patrick A Kelly, himself long time inner student of Master Huang.

"I understand that others will inevitably have their own clear and dedicated path with methods to suits – and no doubt I could learn much from those!

"But in the interests sharing, whatever the outer practise I believe any serious and intelligent martial artist will be able to see the underlying principles and understand the profound implications that they have starting with movement – whether practising martial arts or living in daily life.

5 Loosening Exercises

Cheng Man-Ch’ing 37 Form

Set Pattern Pushing Hands

Applications

8 Paths Meditation

£25 members. £35 others. Booking Essential with £10 deposit

Suitable for ALL of enquiring mind. Bring Lunch.

Phone Joe: 01740 629 452 

Email: joetaiji@gmail.com

www.communigate.co.uk/ne/taijiquan or Google: harte taiji

MARTIAL ARTS EXPERTS APPEAR AT SEMINARS


(Caption): Hanshi Tino Ceberano - the father of martial arts in Australia

A SERIES of seminars across the region featuring Hanshi Terry Wingrove, Tino Ceberano and Alan Ruddock are being held.

The courses are being held in Leeds, Hull and Lancaster and other parts of the UK to raise money for the Richard House Hospice charity.

The seminars kick off at the Red Rose Jujitsu's dojo at Central High School, Lancaster, Lancashire, on Sunday February 7th, from 4pm with Sensei Wingrove, 9th Dan Jujitsu.

After that the team then will appear at Kaizen Martial Arts Academy, Swinnow Grange Mills, Stanningley Road, Leeds, where Terry will be joined by Sensei Alan Ruddock, 6th Dan who will teach Aikido.

Then Cavendish Bujutsu are hosting another seminar with Terry and Alan where they will be joined by Hanshi Tino Ceberano, 9th Dan Goju Ryu.

The Hull course is being held on Sunday, March 21st, at the Club House, Elm Avenue, Kingston-upon-Hull.

Other courses include Corringham, Dunoon, Kings Lynn, Great Yarmouth and High Wycombe.

The courses are being coordinated by the Cyberbudo website.

Adam Hosie, whose club is hosting one of the seminars, said: "Wingrove Sensei's unique knowledge of JUTSU keeps him extremely effective even at his age of 68 years, he truly is a inspiration for anyone wanting to continue their life in the martial arts who now require more efficient and effective abilities due to their continuing loss of physical power and speed

"He trained in Karate with the great Vernon Bell at the first Karate class in the UK and then moved to Japan where he became the foreign representative for the All Japan Karate Organisation and World Karate Organisation. He then returned to the UK have been graded by true experts in their fields.

"Hanshi Tino Ceberano is warmly known as the Father of Martial Arts in Australia and was a top disciple of Gogen Yamaguchi, known as The Cat.

"While Alan Ruddock Sensei is the only Irish masn to train under Aikido's O'Sensei at the Tokyo Hombu dojo and is now the last European alive to have done so.

"He teaches Aikido in a very simple way which is deceptively effective and a real pleasure to practice."

The seminars range in price from £10 to £15 and a place can be booked on the contacts below or by visiting the Cyberbudo website at www.cyberbudo.com

SEMINAR DATES

Lancaster, Sunday February 7th, with Wingrove sensei
 
Leeds, Sunday February 21st with Wingrove & Ruddock sensei
 
Corringham, Essex Thursday March 11th with Wingrove sensei
 
Dunoon, Sunday February 14th with Wingrove sensei
 
Hull Sunday March 21st with Wingrove, Ruddoick and Ceberano Senseis

Kings lynn Saturday March 27th

Great Yarmouth Sunday March 28th

JANUARY EDITION - ADVERTISE ON SITE

FIRE CREW GET READY FOR THE FIGHT OF THEIR LIVES

By the Evening Chronicle

A KARATE team based in fire station gym are competing in the World Firefighter Games.

The Hung Sao Do club, who train at a gym at the West Denton Fire station, Newcastle, are competing in the Karate/Kickboxing semi-contact event in Daegu, South Korea, in August.

Firefighters from across the world will be competing at the event, which was last held in Liverpool in 2008. It was the England team which dominated that competition.

The Hung Sao Do club - which started in January last year - is taught by Gary Scorer and is open to fire personnel and their families.

The fighting team is made up of Sensei Scorer, a crew manager at the station, Paul Tait, station manager, and Richard Hannant-Thompson, a stores manager at the station, and Tony Scott, a watch manager for Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service.

All costs are going to be raised by the team for the event, which lasts nine days.

They will be hoping to be successful under the coaching of Giuseppi Bivona, a founding member of Hung Sao Do karate.

FIRST AID and CRT COURSES FOR MARTIAL ARTS

(Caption): DFM Instructor Phil Doherty covers and elbows...

By Darren Currah

THE Directional Fighting Method club is moving to a new venue.

The club, part of DFM Martial Arts, is moving to Willowburn Sports Centre, from its current class at St Michael’s Church Hall, Cannongate.

The new beginner class starts on Friday, November 27^th and Friday, December 4^th from 7.30pm.

DFM instructor Don Robinson said: "The DFM system is an all rounded modern street self-defence method that uses body language and conflict resolution training to avoid violence.

"The syllabus covers all areas of self-protection and students learn how to defend themselves on the ground as well as standing up and against weapons.

"It is a modern martial art and students take belt gradings and exams in CRT, First Aid and self-protection as well as grades in weapon defence. Students also learn Kali double sticks, hanbo, sword and staff."

The system is ideal for women as well as men as it doesn’t rely on strength, instead it uses evasion and redirection to put the defender into the best position to defend themselves.

It has roots in Ninjutsu, Kali, Kung Fu, Jujutsu, Karate and Kickboxing. 

The class starts at 7.30pm.

Anyone interested in joining should turn up on the night wearing loose sports clothing, trainers and bring water.

DFM Martial Arts has handed over a cheque for £220 to Cancer Research UK raised from a raffle at the Caged Fight Night, The Alnwick Gardens, last month.

DFM also teaches kickboxing at Willowburn Sport Centre on Wednesdays from 7.30pm and MMA at New Life Gym, Rennington on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The DFM Reiver MMA club will be fighting at the Northern Fight League, Newcastle, on Saturday, December 12^th when Dave Brown, Liam Holborn and Ryan Copland take to the cage.

For more information visit 

www.dfmmartialarts.co.uk

Email phil.doherty@hotmail.co.uk

By Martial News Reporter

A class room assistant and kickboxer broke down in court when cleared of assaulting a pupil at the school he worked at.

Mark Ellwood, 43, suffered a nine-month long ordeal which he was banned from living with his own two teenage daughters over accusations he had thrown an unruly pupil to the floor.

Not only was he fingerprinted and held in a cell he lost his job at the Hull school he taught at.

Now he has said he felt he had been "hung out to dry" by the authorities, adding there was a climate of fear running through the education system because teachers were too scared to challenge bad behaviour. 

He said: "Any confidence a teacher may have will have been sapped out of them after what has happened to me.

"On a daily basis, staff are threatened with being stabbed.

"Swearing is endemic; the respect is simply not there and if you pick a pupil up on their language they tell you where to get off. The teachers are scared of the pupils anyway and they know it.

"I lost my job, was removed from my family and faced a criminal conviction, only to be found not guilty. If the power is in favour of the pupil you have not got a hope in hell."

Mr Ellwood had been working for three months at the David Lister School, Hull, Humberside, when he tackled a youth who was swearing.

The youth called the police claming Me Ellwood had been thrown to the floor.

Mr Ellwood added: "This did not happen at all. The teacher was in the classroom at the time and he denied seeing anything untoward. 

"He landed with his back on the floor. It was done gently and he suffered no injury."

He was forced to sleep for two months on his Gym's floor after social services ordered him out of the married man's own home.After an appeal against the draconian decision a court allowed him back with his family.

After the verdict was announced, magistrates chairman Christopher Buren told Mr Ellwood to "forget about this and restart your life".

The classroom assistant said he is considering his career options.

Stuart Todd, David Lister School's new headmaster, said that Mr Ellwood would be "welcome back" at the school. 

FEMALE DEFENDO INSTRUCTOR ASSAULTED SOLDIERS


(Caption): Ashley Wolfe who knocked out a Coldstream Guard with one punch...

By Martial News Reporter

Wolfe, who only stands 5ft 3", is alleged to have flown into a rage at the Woolwich Barracks after the soldiers pretended they were gay and began kissing and dancing with each other.

When Sgt Holland's wife tried to intervene she was hit in the face.

She told the court: "I asked he what was wrong. She said, 'Don't mess with me — I'm a Canadian boxer'. Then she just hit me on the right side of my face. The bruising went all the way down my cheek.

"Everything went very blurry and dark and I felt incredible pain in my cheek bone."

The court heard that a brawl then erupted, during which Wolfe knocked Sgt Fallows unconscious with a single punch.

Wolfe had told police she had acted in self-defence but the court rejected her claims, saying her actions were unprovoked. Her husband was attacked and had the tip of his nose bitten off during the fight.

Their organisation's motto is: "It's deeds not words that count."