September 2007
Sheila Eglen Sempai and Andrew Herbert Sensei
Infants The infants are starting to get their heads around the latest techniques as the gradings race toward us, this month sees the farewell of Holly and Isobel but only for a couple of days as they have moved onwards and upwards to the junior classes. Juniors The junior classes continue to expand with movements up from the infant classes and also welcoming Grady (whose dad has also just joined the adults) after a lengthy summer holiday, with everyone going away - including me-, all the students have settled well and are back into training with a vengeance. A special mention to one of the juniors, Carl Smith, who has offered his services to assist me with the infant class (no doubt just an excuse to keep an eye on his little sister!!) Thank you Carl, and also thanks to Carls dad Paul (Yes Paul Smith the broken one) who has also helped me with the children's classes whilst he is unable to train himself due to a football injury. To show how grateful I am I have even promised not to tell his wife that he is doing a few exercises in the corner where she can't see him - one handed though obviously. Thank you Paul. Student of the Month Student of the Month, for the month of September, goes to my very own little boy - Thomas, OK, not quite so little as he nearly as tall as me and still only 10 ! Thomas has never received Student of the Month before despite doing Ju Jitsu for 5 years, partly because as my son I have high expectations of him anyway, however it's been impossible to overlook just how well he has been doing in recent months and so at long last some recognition. Well Done Thomas. Intermediates The intermediates are progressing well toward their next belt and Renshei Trev is working hard at encouraging their fitness, so they should all put in a good performance at the next intermediate grading. Sheila Eglen Sempai
Adults
I will start September's news report with a quick news flash. Our very own Sempai Sheila Eglen has sat down with Soke and requested another date for her Shodan. As some of you may know Sempai Sheila had been scheduled to take her grading in the summer of 2006 but unfortunately decided to injure herself instead (easy way out ;-). Now just over a year and a half since the injury she now feels confident enough to give it another shot and is already working hard in and out of the dojo to get herself in shape for the two day marathon!! Soke has in turn started to turn the heat up on us as only he can which we are both thoroughly enjoying [sigh].
Paul has done the complete opposite and I can honestly say I have probably seen him down the dojo more with an injury than when he was healthy! He appears to be chomping at the bit to back into training and has taken up the next best thing, teaching the kids! Sempai Sheila and I both appreciate Pauls help in this as it can be quite "draining." Thanks very much Paul for your help and I look forward to getting you back onto the mat so I can hurt your other shoulder :) I would like to welcome Will to the dojo! He is one of those sick individuals who want to train twice a week and appears to be enjoying the Ishin Ryu way of doing things ("sicko"). Will picks up the techniques very naturally but is struggling to add that little Ishin Ryu aggression, but that will come in time! I hope he will have a bright future.
The Blackwells are still continuing their family dominance in the dojo. Simon and Caroline have given up working on the doors on a Friday night for a much rougher evening in the dojo. I have always said that training twice a week is really the only way to go and they have finally listened! I think they will both see vast improvements in their training from the added session. Both Simon and Caroline have also stepped up their cardio vascular training outside the dojo in the hope of becoming more efficient killing machines?. What can you say about a couple whose three year old is already doing 10 press ups and counting them out in Japanese. Scary!
Andrew Herbert Sensei |
