Beginner's Nights all right for fighting.

Thanks to everyone who turned up for the Beginner's Night. I think there were seven, hopefully we'll see you all back at the club next Wednesday, where it'll only get better and more confusing.
Just a reminder to all that next week will be the first Wednesday of the month, which is 'fees night', £20 for the gainfully employed, £10 concessions. This includes all the Wednesday practices and any kata sessions. There is no kata on Monday though, as it's a Bank Holiday. Details of all practice dates are updated on the calendar so please keep an eye on it or add it to your RSS readers [details on the forum on how to do this, feed link below].
Liverpool Kendo Club Training Calendar RSS Feed

The next kata session will be on Monday 16th May, only one seeion this month, so any beginners wishing to attend note it in your diaries. Some clubs find it can be difficult to grasp kata early on, but Sensei believes there is a lot a beginner can learn which can help with the Wednesday night sessions. So come along to Chesterfield High School in Crosby, details in the Training section.

Anyone who missed Beginner's Night and still wishes to attend, next week is your 'last chance to dance' before our next Beginner's Night. Anyone who wants to try kendo can do so but after next week, for the benefit of all the beginners, you will have to wait till our next Beginner's Night. Thanks for your understanding.

Lastly, Joe mentioned the Japan fun day organised by Etsu Restaurant Liverpool where we had our Christmas Meal. Here are the details -

Japan Fun Day at Etsu Japanese Restaurant – 2 May 2011
Venue: Etsu Restaurant, Beetham Plaza, 25 The Strand, Liverpool L2 0XJ
Date: Bank Holiday Monday 2 May 2011 from 12noon – 18.00
Entry fee: £1

And you can get more information here: http://www.liverpoolforjapan.com/?p=456 hope some of you can make it, we'll try to be there in bogu for a little display.

Beginner's Night 27th April 2011

Just to remind everyone that tonight is Beginner's Night. For current members please try to be on time so we can get ready and please bring any spare shinai you have. I checked mine and found I'd broken one last week so we're another spare one down. Oh, and please check yours, just in case.

Beginners please be in the dojo no later than 7:15pm so we can go through all the Health and Safety aspects. Please remember to wear loose fitting clothes, tracksuit pants or three-quarter shorts are ideal. For more information click the Beginners link on the website. Just a reminder that your first session is free and if you cannot manage it this week then we will only accept new beginners up to May 4th [next week]. If you miss these dates anyone wishing to start kendo will have to wait until the next Beginner's Night in July. The 2011 Beginner's Nights are:

• Wednesday January 26, 2011
• Wednesday April 27, 2011
• Wednesday July 27, 2011
• Wednesday October 26, 2011

BKA Seminar and Kyusha Taikai 2011 - Videos

Finally I've got the videos uploaded to Youtube from the BKA Kyusha Taikai, sponsored by http://www.eurokendo.com/

Knockout 4, Enoch Cheung Vs Alan McCarthy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLBEk5jO6FE
Knockout 5, Philip Law Vs Kimry Coleman - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTX14eNzTH8
Knockout 6, Graham Williams Vs Kenneth Douglas - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy_afcBKfk8
Knockout 7, Andy Checkley Vs John Paul Cain - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgct8hLlDPQ
Knockout 8, Ben Greenhalgh Vs Brenden Roche - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1IkSHcC-YY
Quarter final 1, Richard Crosbie Vs Anthony Francis - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB7uhIUT9a0
Quarter final 2, Tatos Shahbazian Vs Alan McCarthy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ3fJ1Q7Aik
Quarter final 3, Philip Law Vs Kenneth Douglas - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UihU7UXY-8o
Quarter final 4, Andy Checkley Vs Ben Greenhalgh - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZaoz6v3ksw
Semi-final 1, Richard Crosbie Vs Tatos Shabazian - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPOvF8Df0DM
Semi-final 2, Philip Law Vs Ben Greenhalgh - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8u2KGnpOAqs
Final, Tatos Shahbazian Vs Philip Law - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z5z4FHcQhk
Presentation ceremony - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo1jcTDxkOU

Let me know if I've made any mistakes with those titles and links.

BKA Seminar and Kyusha Taikai 2011 - Scorecards

I know it's been a couple of weeks, there's been a lot to get through from the weekend, but finally here's the score sheets from the BKA Kyusha Taikai, sponsored by http://www.eurokendo.com/

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B97Rk-BalgZbZDZiNzg3MzYtYTM3Yi00MzhjLWI4NTAtZGRlMGE2MGIzZTM0&hl=en

I've uploaded all of my videos to youtube but a few still need some descriptions filling in so I'll post links here when they are ready. Thanks again to all those who attended once I get the feedback forms to work correctly I'll send them along, but if anyone wants to leave their thoughts on the forum for everyone to see I'd be more than happy [good or bad].

Statistically speaking

I'm continuing the task of recording all the aspects from last weekend and the task 'du jour' was to prepare some score sheets we can use in the future and also that we can record 2011's results for posterity. 24 people entered the British Kendo Association Kyusha Taikai, of which eight were members of Liverpool Kendo Club. These were:

• Mulyo Rutherford
• Joseph Smith
• Andy Checkley
• Anthony Francis
• John Paul Cain
• Richard Crosbie
• Alan McCarthy, and
• Geoff Cunliffe

Of these eight, five went through to the second round of 16 individuals. Four of the five went through to the final eight (that's half the quarter finals were Liverpool Kendo Club!). By the semis there was only Richard left to uphold the dojo's honour and secured a third place spot.

These results were fantastic for us with the statistics proving we can stand tall amongst the other clubs taking part. There were plenty of achievements for all, from first taikais to third time in armour! We showed what we are made of and will build on this foundation for next year. Thanks for your efforts.

Thinking ahead

I've just added a couple of dates to the Liverpool Calendar that may be of interest to us in the future. Firstly the Bowden Taikai on Saturday the 4th June (with the Premiers Cup on the Sunday). Secondly there is the Stoke Seminar and grading on the 16th and 17th of July. There's a grading in Watchett, Somerset, before then but as Stoke is the nearest grading event to us it's usually the 'grading of choice' for those who have thoroughly got the bug having been 'blooded' in the Kyusha Taikai.

I'll add more dates to the calendar as time goes on but if you want to check in advance what's on the BKA Events Calendar it's here:

http://kendo.org.uk/bka-calendar/

BKA Seminar and Kyusha Taikai 2011 - Liverpool

Well that's it for 2011. Thanks go out to Howell Sensei and Schofield Sensei for their patience, tuition and understanding over the two days. I would like to thank all those that traveled to Liverpool, in particular those that believed 'the North' was another country. I hope they all had a good time and will let everyone in their dojo know if they did. We learned a lot from all our kendoka friends who visited and I'll be sending out feedback forms so we can improve the event for next year and their dojo's beginners who will follow in their footsteps.

I will collate all the photographs and videos I took over the weekend and have them online via youtube and flickr [I hope no one minds] as soon as possible and let everyone know here. I'll also write a report but if anyone wants to share their thoughts about the event to other BKA members I'd love to see it. All that's left is to say thank you once again, give you the result and say we'll see you next year.

BKA Kyusha Taikai 3rd April 2011, Liverpool

First - Tatos Shahbazian, Hizen Dojo
Second - Philip Law, UCL [I think]
Third - Richard Crosbie, Liverpool
Third -Ben Greenhalgh, Doshinkenyukai

And I think Fighting Spirit also went to Philip Law

Well done all!

OH, it's kata on Monday, although I will not be there and it will be practice as normal on Wednesday so please put to good use any knowledge you have gained from this weekend we will be discussing things further the week after next...

BKA Seminar and Kyusha Taikai tomorrow

After months of preparations 'the event', first revealed on the 26th November, is finally upon us. If you haven't registered yet [why not?] you can still pay on the day. For any beginners who wish to come along to watch and help out on Sunday they are more than welcome, you should know the address by now - Hope University Taggart Avenue. For everyone else - see you all tomorrow 9.30am for a prompt 10.00am start. Safe journey and don't forget bogu, shinai, tenegui, BKA book and your fighting spirit!