Wantage Karate Club

Harry Cook Seminar, Jan 2007 Print E-mail
Baz, Brenda, Mad Dog, Wee Dave, Ian J, Rich, Jonathan and Paul attended an opportune mid-week course with Sensei Harry Cook 7th Dan on 22nd January 2007. Sensei Cook holds senior grades in both Shotokan and Goju-Ryu and has published many books and articles on a broad range of martial art subjects. The course was hosted by Sensei Andi Kidd of Genjitsu Karate Kai, Swindon.

The majority of the course was focused on partner work with bunkai applications from various Shotokan and Goju kata. Chinte and Nijushiho being the most notable examples. The opening moves of Chinte featured a wrist lock within the cup and saucer hand position leading to a very painful clockwise rotation. From Nijushiho an attack from behind was initially blocked with a high level shuto and counter with a jodan haito uchi. The opponent’s head was then grabbed and rotated until their back was facing the defender prior to vertically dropping and executing a neck brake.

Sensei Cook puts a lot of onus on the use of hand pad and kicking shield drills. He went on to explain that within his syllabus for senior grades he abdicates this kind of training to supersede basic kihon techniques in thin air. The theory being if karate-ka keep doing the same basic linework that it is a process of diminishing returns and that rather than training as a black belt you are training as a very polished white belt. That is the difference between twenty years of basic/beginners training rather than twenty years of progressive training. However the initial Kihon learning process for beginners and lower grades shouldn’t be neglected. A sequence of cross jabs and punches, with upper cuts and hooking punches, backfists, front and roundhouse kicks were practised with emphasis being on power rather than speed.

Unfortunately, time limited the course contents but Sensei Cook gave the participants an example of an in-line bunkai drill from Heian Shodan where the role of Tzuki-te (attacker) and Uke-te (defender) continually changed with age-uke, gedan-bari and shuto uke defences against oi tzuki, tetsu uchi and gyaku tzuki attacks. Sensei Cook explained that this was the most basic bunkai drill within his syllabus. It was very reminiscent of the in-line bunkai patterns associated with Kase Ryu Shotokan.

The course concluded in a drill to sharpen up footwork and hand co-ordination. Random directions were called out where students moved quickly and punched with the opposite arm. Forward, back, left, right and turn instructions were continually shouted out to disorientate and confuse participants. Sensei Cook will be returning to the Swindon Dojo in May.

Paul Edwards

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