Kazoku Kai International
Visit to Canada 2008
Kazoku Kai trip to Canada 2008
On Saturday May 24th Sensei Derek Ridgway and Sensei Peter Collins set off from Manchester England for their 7th trip to Vancouver in British Columbia Canada. It is a long flight from the UK but all went well and we arrived on schedule at our destination Vancouver.
We were met by Sensei Mike Scales Chief instructor for Kazokukai Canada and driven back to his home in the Coquitlam area of Vancouver, this is where we were to be based for the next 2 weeks. Mike and his wife Liz have looked after us many times before and they are fine hosts and their hospitality is much appreciated. It was now mid afternoon Vancouver time but fast approaching midnight in UK time so it was a battle to keep awake until evening. This we did manage just about and retired very tired to bed around 10pm. Sunday was to be a rest day to allow us to acclimatise to the different time zone and generally just have an easy day.
Monday 26th was to be our first clinic with sensei Ridgway teaching for Sensei Akiro Sato 8th Dan Shito-Ryu. His hombu dojo is in Vancouver and Sensei Ridgway has a regular booking to instruct there. Sensei Sato had asked for the kata Heiku to be taught by Sensei Ridgway. This kata is from the Ryue-Ryu style of Karate and although not too long is quite complex. Sure enough Sensei Ridgway came up trumps and got everyone even kyu grades doing the kata by the end of the clinic. After training Sensei Sato invited us to a Chinese meal where we were looked after in fine style. As always Sato Sensei was a fine host and looked after us very well. We thank him for a fine evening.
Tuesday 27th was to be our first of four visits to Mike Scales’s hombu dojo in Coquitlam. This year Mike had asked Sensei Ridgway to teach the long and difficult kata called “Chatan-Yara Kushanku” it is an old version of Kanku-Dai kata. There was an excellent turnout of students at Mike’s dojo and they were not to be disappointed. Assisted by Sensei Collins Sensei Ridgway taught the order to approximately half way through the kata. He said that in the next class he would teach the bunkai corresponding to tonight’s class and asked the students to practice what they had learnt so that they could get straight into bunkai at the next class.
Wednesday 28th was to see us visit the dojo of Sensei Andy Pruim in New Westminster. His dojo is called Tashu Shotowa and he teaches traditional Shotokan to his students. This was our first time to the Shotowa dojo and we were well impressed with the facilities which Sensei Pruim had at his dojo and the keenness of both himself and his students. The subject of the class was for Sensei Ridgway to teach the continuous bunkai to kata Heian Sandan. Great fun was had by all especially sensei Pruim who really got stuck in and enjoyed himself. After training we were taken to a local pub where we were fed and watered in traditional style with nachos and beer. Once more we had been looked after very well and we thank sensei Andy Pruim and his students for a fine night and look forward to seeing them again soon.
Thursday 29th was to be our second visit to Sensei Mike Scales hombu dojo to carry on with our work on Chatanyara Kushanku. This was where Sensei Collins was to earn his keep as Sensei Ridgway threw him from pillar to post as the bunkai was explained and demonstrated. As is normal in these bunkai sessions everyone had great fun learning the meaning of the techniques and how to apply them with their partner. After the training all the seniors went to the St James’s Well Irish pub where food was ate beer drank and bunkai discussed at length.
Friday 30th was to see us head off for Vancouver Island where we had a clinic at Roy Tippenhauer’s dojo at Campbell River. The plan was to get the ferry over to the island then meet up with Roy at his home for a barbecue and get together. We arrived at Roy’s early evening and he invited us onto his back terrace which had fine views of the ocean. He then proceeded to barbecue us some salmon and prawns which he had caught himself locally. The food was superb as was Roy’s hospitality throughout the night. At the end of the evening we were all invited into the hot tub from where we could see the cruise ships sail by on their way to Alaska. Next morning after breakfast we headed off to Roy’s dojo where Sensei Ridgway was booked to do a session for the juniors on Pinan Shodan bunkai. The class coped well with the lesson and Sensei Tippenhaur should be congratulated on his high standard of junior members. The main class in the afternoon was to be spent learning the kata Anan. Firstly Sensei Ridgway taught the order and everyone did really well to keep up and learn what is quite a long and difficult kata. In the second part of the clinic we did the bunkai to Anan again all had great fun applying the movements of the kata with their partner. It had been a great clinic and much enjoyed by all. We would like to sincerely thank Sensei Roy Tippenhaur for the exceptional way he looked after us and made us feel most welcome both at his home and in his dojo. We look forward to seeing him and his students again in the future.
We arrived back at Mike’s house late on Saturday night. Sunday was to be a rest day we had been very busy the last few days and it was nice to take things easy for a day and plan the following week.
On Monday 2nd of June we were booked to do a session at Andy Holmes’s dojo. Andy who was originally from Southport in the UK has been a resident in Vancouver for many years and works closely with Mike over the years. His choice of subject was for sensei Ridgway to teach bunkai from kata Gankaku (Chinto) This was a very enjoyable lesson with Mike and Andy really enjoying training together and making it altogether an enjoyable time for all who attended. After training we all went to the local pub and were treated by Andy to some food and drink.We thank Andy for his hospitality and look forward to teaching again at his dojo.
Tuesday 3rd saw us back at Mike’s dojo to teach the second half of ChatanYara Kushanku. As was normal with sensei Ridgway’s approach to learning kata each section was put together until everyone could complete the whole kata even lower grades could get through the order. Then it was repeat and repeat which pushed the class quite hard especially the seniors who worked especially hard during this session.
Sensei explained that the last class on Thursday was to teach the final bunkai to the kata and to re-cap what we had done. Wednesday was a shopping day and Peter and Derek went later to downtown Vancouver to visit the famous Yale Blues club for a little bit of live music.
Thursday the 5th was our last session at Mikes dojo with the final bunkai and re-cap of ChatanYara Kushanku. As the session drew to a close Sensei Ridgway showed all the bunkai to help the class remember and finally he insisted on a few repetitions of the form to check that everyone could remember. After training as it was our final evening in Canada we all went again to the Irish pub near Mike and Liz for a get together and to say our goodbyes to all who had given us their support. It was a great night with most of the seniors from the dojo coming later to the pub to see us off before we left for our long trip back to UK.
Friday 6th was our day to catch our flight back to England it had been again a great trip we had seen some old friends and made some new and hopefully spread the
art of traditional karate into the hearts of all those who attended. We thank them all and look forward to seeing them all again soon.
MESSAGE FROM SENSEI DEREK RIDGWAY
I would personally like to thank all the students who trained on the various clinics during my stay. I would like to thank all the Sensei’s who made my visit possible by booking me at their dojo’s I hope I gave them something to think about and that they enjoyed my training. My special thanks goes to my assistant Peter Collins who tirelessly assists in the teaching and sometimes gets thrown about during the demonstrations. My sincere thanks to him for all his help.
Finally a big thank you to Sensei Mike Scales and his wife Liz who always look after me so well and organise everything. From the moment I get off the plane to the moment I leave. All I have to do is teach. It is due to their hard work that the trips to Canada are such a success and I know that without them I would not have the renown and popularity that I now have in B.C and the Vancouver area. So my heartfelt thanks to them both and I will see you both soon.
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