Author: Ash Prime

Hi everyone. All classes are on this week and we have only three weeks left of term 1.

This week I will bring the mats to practice falling safely and takedowns.

See you soon.

Leif.

Hi everyone.

I hope you are all safe and not overly affected by the cyclone and floods.

Wednesday class is on this week for those who can make it.

For any cancelled classes or if you can’t get to class because of flooding, credit will be given for next term.

See you soon,

Leif

Hi all. Due to the current weather conditions and chance of flooding, I am unable to come out to Harrisville on Monday so there will be no class this week (10/03/25). Hopefully we can resume the following week.

At this stage, Wednesday class will go ahead for those who can attend.

Credit will be given for next term for any classes I have to cancel.

Hi everyone.

A few things to cover in this newsletter. Please share with your kids. 

I hope everyone is enjoying Karate so far this year. We have new members joining us at both Ipswich and Harrisville dojos this term. Welcome to you all. 

PRACTICE.

I’d like to present this translation of a quote from Gichin Funakoshi, often referred to as the father of modern Karate. 

“Karate is like boiling water, if you do not heat it constantly, it will cool.”

What does this mean? Basically, if we do not train regularly and with intensity, our gained abilities will decrease. It is common for students to train hard and work on their skills leading up to a grading and then when they get their new belt, they ease off and before long they are back where they started. It takes so much effort to improve but these skills are not permanent. They require constant effort to maintain and even more effort to continue improving. Take kata for example. How long does it take to learn a new kata? If you then don’t practice it for a week or two you will start to forget parts. Now you have to start again just to remember the sequence. Instead you should be practicing it regularly and improving what you already know. Keep the water boiling. Keep your skills sharp. It takes discipline to build a habit of practice but if you can spare a few minutes every day you will benefit. There are many ways to practice at home but kata is specifically designed for solo practice so it’s a great option. Refer to our website for all kata videos to help with home practice. Younger kids may need some encouragement from parents. A good way to get them practicing is to ask them to show you something they did in class. 

GRADING. 

As always, grading is optional. It can be motivating to have a specific goal to work towards but some may prefer to come to training just for fun and that’s fine. They will still make progress and may choose to grade at a later time. 

Those who would like to grade will need to see me in class to register their intention to grade. This will be recorded in a book. This does not guarantee grading. I will give them notes on what is required for their next belt. It is up to the student to ensure they make progress towards these requirements with constant effort in class and practice at home. Once they have shown appropriate progress, they will receive an invitation to the next grading. Not everyone will grade at every grading. The time between gradings will vary depending on individual effort. Practice lots and you will progress faster. Don’t practice and you will be waiting a while. I will be accepting grading registrations from next week. 

Black belt is often see as the ultimate goal in Karate and while it is a significant accomplishment, taking many years, there is far more to learn beyond this point. Shodan (the first level of black belt) means first step or beginner level… it is far from mastery. 

MOUTH GUARDS. 

All brown belts should now have a mouth guard. Please get comfortable wearing these (they feel a bit weird to begin with) and bring them with you to class so we can increase the intensity of your training to get you where you need to be in preparation for black belt. 

CYCLONE!

I hope everyone is prepared and stays safe in the upcoming weather. Hopefully classes can continue next week but we will have to wait and see. Access to Harrisville may be difficult for me if flooding occurs. Stay tuned for updates.  

Finally, please enjoy the Karate Curlews (bush stone-curlews) who live behind the Ipswich Girl Guides hut. Keep an eye out for them next time you’re there but please give them space. 

All the best,

Leif Prime

Just letting everyone know that Wednesday class will be going ahead as usual this week despite the approaching weather. Understandable if some people can’t make it. Stay safe everyone.

Hello all Enso Karate members. Please be advised that our Wednesday 10-11am class will be moving back to our original location at the Ipswich Girl Guides Hut, 2B Griffith Rd Ipswich (blue building with black fence, photo attached) as of this week, Wednesday 19.02.25. Please let me know if you need any further information.

Email:

karate.ipswich@gmail.com

Hi all. just a few things to point out this week.

Gear Order.

Please see me in class this coming week if you need any gear such as uniforms, gloves etc. Order will be placed on Friday 14.

Fees.

Please make sure fees are up to date for this term. Please let me know if you need time to pay.

Seiza. Mokuso and Dojo Kun.

For those who are new to Enso Karate, you may have wondered about the words spoken at the beginning of class. Firstly is Seiza. This simply means kneeling position. Next is Mokuso. This means silent thoughts. With this brief meditation, we aim to clear our mind and prepare for focused training. Yame, stop, is said to end the meditation.

Next is Dojo Kun

Respect. Effort. Courage. Kindness.

Dojo Kun means Training Hall Rules. These four words should be thought on and used as a guide for behavior and attitude during training as well as in daily life.

This sequence is repeated at the end of class and the meditation should be used to bring the mind and body to a relaxed state after the high energy training.

That’s all for now. Have a great weekend.

Welcome back everyone. A great first week of classes. Good to see so many continuing their Karate journey.

VIDEOS

I have added a videos page to the website which you can find in the menu. This page contains kata videos which you can watch on the website or open on YouTube. Videos range from the new Kihon Kata for all to learn up to Kusanku and Kobudo weapon katas.

Link: https://ensokarate.net/videos/

UPDATES

All updates will be via this news page/email newsletter. If you need to contact me directly please see details at the end of this post.

GEAR ORDER

I will place a gear order at the end of week 3, Feb 14 for items such as uniforms, gloves etc. If you would like to order anything please see me in class before then.

Leif Prime

email: karate.ipswich@gmail.com

FB: facebook.com/ensokarateipswich

Kihon Kata is a simple sequence for practicing basic techniques with various applications for self defence. Here is a side view video.

Welcome to Enso Karate 2025.

Term 1 starts today.

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