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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.

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.

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Christmas Message 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.

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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 katas. From midday on we took in the sights, and took advantage of our surroundings by practising blocks on the wide variety of trees 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.

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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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 BBQ. 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
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TOGKA 2006 DANSHA Grading
By Sensei Graham Ravey

A Dansha grading was conducted on the 22nd April 2006 by Sensei Graham Ravey.

The participants were David Martin going for 3nd Dan, Brad Groves and Ashley Stevenson for 2nd Dan,  Brad Doust and Jacinda Wilson for 1st Dan, Mac Hadziosmanovic for 1st Kyu, Tom Mayfield (IOGKF) for 3rd Kyu.

Congratulations to all my students who graded this day, I felt very proud of you all. Some of you have waited years since your last grading, but this can only benefit you in the long run.

Jacinda Wilson  and Brad Doust did the 16 man fight, which is compulsory as part of the TOGKA shodan test. (I bet you both ached the next day).
All fights were conducted with good control shown from all Karate-ka involved, only bruises and aching muscles were sustained (as it should be).
Mac Hadziosmanovic and Tom Mayfield did well in their 8 man fight for brown belt, with Mac showing some great Samurai spirit when he came under the barrage of blows showered on him by Helmut Leitner's powerful arms and legs in his 6th fight. Helmut (59) is the oldest man in the TOGKA and if you read his profile will find since 1966 he has been taught by legends as James Rousseau, Steve Arneil, Dave Mass, Ian Harris, Takeji Ogawa, all very had man, he is also the oldest man to undergo the 16 man fight at 56 years of age. These fights are strenuous enough for 26 year old Karate-ka let alone 56. So Mac did very well against his formidable opponent.
Dave Martin took his 3rd Dan with good effort shown throughout the grading and was disappointed that he could not take another 16 man fight, he has already done it for his 1st and 2nd Dan, but still wanted to test his spirit again.
We did not have sufficient fighters on the day to do this, so I promised Dave he could whip a Shodan after the grading, and this seemed to cheer him up a little.
Brad Groves and Ashley Stevenson did a good grading, showing 100% black belt standard required for 2nd Dan rank.

Keep it up guys while I am away in England promoting Karate.
I leave Australia on the 3th of May 2006 and hope to stay several years, long enough to train beginners to black belt (5 years). I am sorry you don't get a black belt so quickly in the TOGKA system, but this too can only benefit you personally in the long run.

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TOGKA 2003 DANSHA Grading
By Sensei Graham Ravey

A Dansha grading was conducted on the 8th November 2003 by Sensei Graham Ravey.
The two participants were Helmut Leitner attempting 3rd Dan and David Martin going for 2nd Dan. Both students were expected to maintain a good Black Belt standard (which they did) throughout the grading. The grading was held in open air with uneven ground under foot.

They started out with 2 hours of various combinations, blocks, kicks, strikes and punches, gradually  getting more complicated as time passed by. Following that was a theory test and Kata. The students had to individually perform these and show two "Bunkai" (applications) for each Kata. Next came the part that keeps every promising Black Belt up the night before the test, at least dwelling on it for a while, The sixteen man kumite. Both men after about two and half hours of Dansha test are required to fight 16 individuals one and half minute  rounds with 8 Black Belts fighting twice. This totals 24 minutes of continuous sparring (semi contact).

Not only is a standard of fitness important for this but also a strong mental condition (spirit). Irrespective how fit a participant is, he or she, if they put 100% effort into it will be worn out at the end of 24 minutes. I have seen people take this test and try to conserve energy for the last few fights, this is not what I am looking for. A good 16 man fight (When I say man, I of course mean mankind, both man and woman) is when a students give their all physically and the spirit then carries them onto the end. When we are tired and feeling sick in the stomach, a little bruised, it is all to easy to give up, in fact the body sends messages to the brain for this to happen. Unless the spirit can override this request we will feel like giving up throughout the sparring and it will be noticeable to the examiner.

I was very please with both Davids and Helmuts "Za Shin" (fighting spirit), it is also I think important to mention Helmuts age at this point, he is so far at 56 the oldest person to take the 16 man fight. Helmut has been training now for 40 years and has trained under Sensei James Rousseau in South Africa in the 1960's. In the Toshi James was noted for his "Hardness" especially in Kumite. I personally met Sensei James back around 1976 on one of his trip from S.A. to Japan Yoyogi Dojo and can verify what Helmut says is true.

After accomplishment of the 16 man fight my black belts are allowed to wear a "Black Gi" whenever they want to during training unless otherwise stated to wear the white one. The black Gi to us in the TOGKA is a symbol of the 16 man fight.

I know by now some of you out there are saying 16 man fight that's nothing, Kyokushinkai style does 100 man kumite. I had the of honour of meeting one of the first few "Gaijin" (None Japanese) to have taken such a test, Sensei John Jarvis of New Zealand who in his wisdom reduced this ritual from 100 man to a 40 man fight for his Shodan gradings.  I was in New Zealand on the invitation of Sensei Jarvis teaching at one of his Gasshukus (Training Camps) when a Shodan test was taken. I always remember counting to myself how many fights passed before the student in my estimation was at the mercy of his attackers, it was 16. For the next 24 fights the poor man did not know if he was coming.  He eventually lost a couple of teeth to an over enthusiastic black belt (Nidan) as he inadvertently walked into a"pulled" Jodan Kizame-tsuki, and that was "only" a 40 man fight. I vowed to myself that day none of my students would lose their teeth or any other body parts in such a way.

I did like the idea of some kind of endurance test for the spirit and hardiness of body, so I included the 16 man fight and like all good teachers should, teach by example I under went the 16 man fight too. I will not give my students tasks to do, that I can not do myself, being satisfied that the 16 man fight can bring even the mighty to their knees. I have kept it at that number ever since.