Latest Events and Messages from Sensei
Photos of Sensei Ravey at the IOGKF Sheffield Dojo
Message
from Sensei Ravey - March 2007
Message from Sensei Ravey - December 2006
Message from Sensei Ravey - August 2006
Message
from Sensei Ravey - July 2006
Photos of Sensei Ravey at the IOGKF Sheffield Dojo
Photos of the March 2007 training session at the IOGKF Sheffield dojo with Sensei Graham Ravey
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Message from Sensei Ravey - March 2007
Hi everybody,
Not long to go now, only a matter of a few more days and I’ll be
on the big bird back to Oz,
I was sat last night thinking about my year (11 months really)
spent in England, about the old Friends I’ve been rubbing
shoulders with, and the new Friends I’ve made, my students old
and new and trying to pick out some of the more memorable times.
I suppose really, me, being me, it’s the fun times that stick out the most, One of the first fun bit’s was visiting my Friend John disguised as a French Police officer which sent his Grand children into hysterics, and later that day at the Barbeque, “Them” getting their own back, when joined by Daniella, Georgia and Cian attacked me with water guns, Daniella’s dad (Martyn Mulvey) hid behind the garden building with Julie his Wife and “Vicki” John’s Wife, I thought at the time that the adults were there to stay dry, when in fact they were coupling up the high-pressure hosepipe, “Thanks guys”
Another incident springs to mind, I was visiting my old Friend’s Brian and Jan, for the life of me I cannot remember what started it but I ended up on a skate board, I think to be more accurate “Off” a skate board would be more fitting,
Brian and Jan have a very large home with a long sweeping driveway, which is down hill all the way, You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to realise what happened next, I just had to have a go, The first time saw me on my backside, The second time I did much better, With bumps and bruises in place I went for it, third time lucky etc, straight down the drive, across the road, over a wall and through a prickly hedge, it’s easy to get the things going but when you want to stop!!!!!!!. Brian promptly confiscated the skateboard.
I could very easily, at this moment go on and on about the fun I’ve had here, but then again, thinking back, I’ve had fun everywhere I’ve been, Ok, hands up, I’ll admit to having sad times, we’ve all had them, but I truly believe if you can have a laugh and really enjoy yourself, life take’s on a whole new meaning, I’ve met some people in the Martial Arts who are so stiff in their ways that if they so much as bent one inch, their spine’s would snap.
Last night I was grading at my Brimington
Dojo, I enclose a picture of the successful students, click to enlarge image
I look forward to meeting up with Friends both old and new, see you in Oz in a few days (Arriving in Australia on the 28th March 2007
Osu
Sensei
Graham Ravey.
Christmas Message from Sensei Ravey - December 2006
Grasp the Moment
As Christmas approaches and our thoughts turn to the Fun part of the Festive Holiday, we tend to think about where we will be going and the Friends and Family who we will bump into and wish A Very Merry Christmas to.
Is this enough I wonder, are we really being so thoughtful?
Lets step back for a moment and study our selves,
Take me for example, here
I am back in England for a few years, things are going well, the
students at my Dojo’s are increasing, and with the exception of
the weather being a little warmer, it couldn’t be better.
And then BANG, out of the blue my old Friend John knocks on the door, he was on his way out with his Wife to see their Grand children, I see John on a regular basis and we either jam on different musical instruments, or practice sticky hands, whatever takes our fancy, basically we have a really good time, and let off some steam.
This day was different, John who is one of the happiest men I’ve
ever known was looking a little off colour, when asked he told
me that a Friend of his, who he looked upon as a Father figure
had died suddenly,
Death is always a sad event, but it was not the Death that had
upset him as much as every time he meant to call in to see this
man, something cropped up, and he let himself be side tracked.
It was while we were talking that he made a fist and said,
“Grasp it” grasp every moment while it is there because if you
don’t it may never return.
I thought about this, and about how right he was, how many of us have a spare twenty minutes that we can use in any way we wish, but sloth creeps in and we decide to watch the television or something along these lines, how many of us have missed a training session, in favour of a trip to the beach, c’mon be honest, we’ve all done it at one time or another, but only when something as final as Death happens do we start regretting the phone call we could have made, and didn’t.
I know what my New Years Resolution is going to be!
Until next time I wish you all out there, a very Merry Christmas
and a prosperous New Year 2007.
Train hard and keep your intention true.
Sensei Graham Ravey.
Message from Sensei Ravey - August 2006
Fun Training.Hi everyone, I thought that I would bring
you all up to date with what has been happening in the short
time that I have been back here in England.
Last Monday (the 7th August 06) my good Friend Helmut
Leitner arrived here in Chesterfield, from Australia via Canada
to do some serious training with me, and also to see the sights
around the beautiful Derbyshire Peak district, It was also a good
opportunity to keep each other up to date with the latest
gossip,
I decided to take advantage
of the nice weather by training out doors, in the morning we
ran, cycled, and practised kata’s, From midday on we took in the
sights, and took advantage of our surroundings by practising
blocks on the wide variety of tree’s in the Forrest, In the
evening we went to Brearley Park, which is in my village of Old
Whittington, and as you would imagine, we drew quite a few
spectators as we worked out,
I found training in the Park were I grew to be a very spiritual
experience, as a boy I played here, now as a man I trained here,
Helmut joined me by enjoying the feeling of being “one” with
your surroundings,
While training in the Park one of the spectators came forward
and joined in the training, This was a really nice as this
spectator was my old Friend from back in the days when I lived
in Japan, Nigel Addams, Nigel had come up from Bristol to visit
his Family in Chesterfield and train with Helmut and me.
We trained outside until it went dark, rained, and grew cold and
windy (English weather is very changeable) but we never seemed
to notice it because of the intensity and concentration of the
training, then we headed back to the Home of another Friend of
mine living in the village and talked while drinking tea until
the early hours, we talked about the old days as hungry Karate
students thirsting for knowledge, and to more immediate topics
like the opening of my new Dojo’s, which if the number of
telephone enquiries I am receiving is anything to go by, will be
very lively indeed.
The Dojo’s are situated at
the Eagle Club, St Johns Road, Newbold Chesterfield,
Telephone, 07999-885169.
And also, The Inkersall social club, Dade Avenue, Inkersall,
Chesterfield.
I’ll update you all again soon, but in the meantime, Train Hard, and keep your intention True.
Best Regards
Osu!Sensei Graham Ravey.
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Message from Sensei Ravey - July 2006
Hi everybody,
let me start off by apologising for my silence, as a lot of you know I am in England now, and have been for the last couple of months, and what a couple of months it has been for me,
So many old Friends to see, so many things to talk about, New people to discuss things with, and on top of all of that, TRAINING, can't let that slip,
In a nutshell I have rarely had a moment to catch my breath,
So with all the above in mind, I will kick off with a little true story that I think you will like,
A couple of weeks ago I was invited to my Friends (John & Vicki) for a Bar-B-Q,
It was a normal kind of a get together, Old Friends, New Friends, a few Karate guy's, all very good fun,
John & Vicki mentioned that their Grand Daughter's Jade (who's 14) and Georgia (who's 8) would like to meet me, and as they are both Karate students, do a little training session with me.
I have always admired the spontaneous way that youngsters react to any given situation, and I mentioned this to John while he was burning, "Whoops", sorry John, Turning the sausages,
The training was going well until I was hit at the back of the neck, Turning, I was met by Georgia's younger Brother Cian, who held a large water gun, I had to laugh because he said "If you're so fast, Dodge this" and promptly shot at me again,
He Missed, (Just)
There and then we made up some rules, The Kid's would take turns at shooting at me, but I could only evade the water by taking one step in any direction,
This sounds easy, but believe me, to win this game if you are the target, you must remain dry, to win for the shooter you have to soak the target,
Water doesn't leave the guns in a straight line, if the shooter moves while pulling the trigger the jet of water is coming at you sideways, to evade one child is hard enough, two is nigh on impossible, three needs inspiration, and kids being kids wouldn't take turns, they all wanted to shoot me,
But when Martyn, (The Sensei from the local Dojo) and his Wife and Daughter turned up, and she joined in the fun, it was incredible, not only was I having to move like lightening, the grass was getting wetter and more slippery, which called for a higher level of balance,
The whole thing was fun, great for timing, coordination, fitness, perception,
Try this for ten minutes, it will soon show up your level of fitness, it's also good for the shooter as they have to learn to predict which way the target will move,
I look forward to teaching Jade, Georgia, and soon Cian (He wants to be a student) and also Martyn's Daughter, at my own Dojo which will be opening in August 06,
I will write more about the Dojo and many other things shortly, but in the meantime,
Stay well, Train Hard, and always keep your intention True.
Best Wishes
Sensei Graham Ravey.
Below are a few photos of Sensei Ravey teaching Sanchin kata at the Sheffield Shotokan Karate Dojo
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