Mark Thomas Sensei
December 2007
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Bushey Dojo Infant & Junior classes Monday and Friday We finished the year in all the classes with the usual games and sweets extravaganza, All the kids enjoyed team games and races as well as some competitive basketball and finally "Sumo Sumo", "Spider Sumo" and "Tug of War". It was great fun watching the kids scramble for the cascade of sweets as Renshi Mark, myself and Matthew kept a constant barrage of sweets thrown onto the tatami, we even had some of the parents asking for the much sought after Black Jack penny chews.
Before we could finish off the year with the senior fun night there was a small matter of the national gradings, this time held at the B'wood dojo. After the inspection held in the main hall everyone changed into their dogi's for the Ishin Ryu run which went out from the dojo along the main road down to the “Venue” leisure centre. The day got off to a spectacular start with the novice grading to white belt where everyone was successful, well done Mark Collins and Chris Elsen who are both now proud owners of a white belt. Next up was Mark Bloom going for a double, Yellow and Orange grading and after a bit of a shaky start with his Yellow belt moved on to Orange belt along with John France, Jason Crouch, Daman Wadhwa and Thomas Garvin who all successfully passed their gradings and it will be a great pleasure to see them all in the new year sporting their new colours. James Pankiewicz made a gallant effort on a mammoth double Purple and Brown belt grading but unfortunately it was not to be on this occasion, commiserations James this time but I know you will bounce back stronger than ever. On a happier note I am please to say that Eugene successfully passed his Brown / Black belt and now faces the long path towards Shodan-Ho, well done Eugene. Well after a great effort on everyone's part on their grading they all earned a well deserved games session to end the year, the intermediates joined the seniors in antics such as Horseback Jutsu, Dodge Ball (Which was more like Murder Ball), Spider Sumo and Jousting. We all said a fond farewell to the intermediates and wished them all a Merry Christmas and then made a hasty retreat to the Toby Jug for a round of refreshments to finish off the evening.
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Borehamwood Dojo Infant & Junior Classes Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday The last week at Borehamwood is always manic as there are hundreds of kids wanting to finish the year with a fun and games session and of course collect as many sweets as they can possibly carry. This year the last sessions started with the Saturday class the very same day as the Senior gradings, it would appear to anyone watching that the Hartswood centre had been overcome by Ishin Ryu Ju-Jitsu for the day. The rest of the week was guided by Saturday's class as this set the standard or the rest of the classes. All the Infant and Juniors were treated to Team games, Combat basketball and Sumo Sumo, Spider Sumo and Tug of war all interspersed with lashings of sweets, this year we saw the seasoned participates arrive with carrier bags and boxes to carry off their collected hoard of sweets home.
The intermediates democratically decided to round of their year with Dodge Ball, which was absolutely mayhem and then Jousting, winner stayed on the beam and they all lined up in turn to try and knock each other off, well done Hannah who was determined to win at least one match. The adults had a small matter of getting through their grading before they could enjoy such antics on their last night. How nice it was for all the students from B’wood dojo to be grading on home turf, I bet they'll never look at the Venue Leisure Centre the same again after their jaunt down there for the Ishin Ryu run. Well done to all the novice students who graded to White Belt, Oliver Cleghorn, David Rendall, Mark Couch and finally Kevin Tutt. Congratulations to Gabriel John on passing his Yellow Belt and well done to Mike Touhy on successfully grading to Green belt and also to Mike Lee, James Kingston and Harvey Cousins on all moving up to Blue Belt. This will make a great line up in the new year. We ended the grading day with a revisit to an old haunt, the Mezze Taverna in Potters Bar for the traditional end of grading meal and Christmas Party, that brought back some fond memories, myself and Sensei Andy Tierney spent the night saying "Do you remember this and do you remember that?" etc etc.
Finally we finished the year with a fun session, so anyway Sensei Andy's idea of a fun session included Dodge ball with some very dodgy balls indeed, I'm sure Oliver to a smack to the chops with one of them, then it was onto the bench for combat jousting and this was followed by a buffet in the bar courtesy of Renshi Mark (very nice it was to!) oh yes must remember to say thank you to Hannah, Gabriel’s better half, for supplying the Vol-o-vonts, Vol au vaunts oh you know the little puff pastry things with mushroom fillings jobbie (Home made apparently!)
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Potters Bar Dojo Infant, Juniors and Intermediate Classes With only one lesson a week here at the moment there were plenty of sweets for everyone to go around, so much so that they couldn't carry them all. We finished the year with lots of team games, Sumo Sumo, Spider Sumo and tug of war. However with still only 6 intermediates in the class we finished of their year with some "Sensei Magic" Techniques which sent them home amazed and ready with some new party tricks.
It just leaves me to say a Very Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year to everyone, see you in 2008. Best wishes Sensei Mark |
