Karate club makes worldwide impact
IT'S difficult to imagine that a small sports hall at Whitcliffe Mount Sports Centre is playing a role in the worldwide development of the sport of Karate.
Two members of the Cleckheaton Shotokan Karate Club (CSKC), Mike Cooper and Ashley Cowburn, have been selected from a worldwide membership of 35,000 to join an elite squad of 20 people.
Their role over a number of years will be to study with the sports' most experienced coaches so that they can pass on their skills to a new generation, preserving the traditions of the sport and helping to develop it in the future.
Only three people from England have been selected for this honour and two of them are from Cleckheaton which says much for the quality which is generated twice a week at Whitcliffe Mount which becomes the Dojo or training hall for their sessions.
CSKC Sensei and chief instructor Mike Cowburn explains that everyone in the sport is always a student.
"I have been doing this sport for over 30 years and I am still learning."
Somehow that makes joining a training session a little easier knowing that everyone is somewhere on a path whether at the beginning or lot further along.
A vigorous warm up and stretch starts the session which is attended by about 30 people of all ages and sizes. There is a healthy mix of boys and girls, men and women. Mike Cowburn explains: "We have members aged from eight to 67 and I hope I am as fit as them when I reach that age."
Many of the members are families who have taken up the sport together or introduced each other to it over the years. Mike Cowburn's wife Anita has also played a key role in the club since they started in 1972 and of course they are extremely proud of their son Ashley's progress in the sport. There are also plenty of friends who encourage and support each other throughout the session.
It also emphasises that the sport is for anyone, the smallest competitor can use their skills in different ways to outwit an opponent
Looking around it is evident that there is a friendly but keen atmosphere in the room along with a sense of complete concentration.
The Sensei explains that the sport encompasses respect and restraint throughout and that is shown in a bow at the beginning of each part of the session.
Shadowed by Mike Cooper and Ashley Cowburn it's time to start with the basics attacking and defending with the arms and hands.
"I call a fist a club, but an open hand is a surgical instrument," explains the Sensei. The name karate comes from the term for open hand.
A little later it's time to add in the leg movements and finally the basics of a kick. It's harder than it looks but is still manageable and there is a real sense of achievement for any praise and encouragement from the experts.
There is a real tingle down the spine though at the Kiai - the shout of the spirit that comes at the end of the move.
Each motion is precise and has a target and a purpose and as the members progress are able to apply their knowledge more fully while developing an attitude and spirit that embodies the principles of the sport.
When the Sensei gives instructions he does so in a quiet voice but there is also authority in the tone.
A chance for a breather comes as each category of student demonstrates Katas or set movements, there are 35 in all and each member must eventually master them all. From the lowest dan to the highest, one thing is so clear, the level of concentration that is required, its quite unnerving.
In competitions and grading the members are judged on the quality of their performance.
The other aspect of karate competition is Kumite or sparring and again there is an intensity among the members as they test their skills on each other, always showing respect and restraint but balanced with an element of danger.
Finally there is a demonstration by three of the club's young members who show a team Kata. The two girls and a boy move as one through the sequence of moves, each one is controlled and precise and perfectly synchronised. It is an awesome display and one for which they have won prizes.
The whole evening was a real eye opener and enjoyable. The session ends with the students thanking the instructors in the formal way, but it is not a one-way street, the instructors thank the students for their attention throughout the class.
After the session you can still feel the adrenaline pumping and as the members break up to practice on their own you can see that its more than just the classes. Mike Cowburn confirms that karate becomes a way of life, its attributes help to develop discipline, self confidence, leadership and respect which are skills that will serve anyone well.
The CSKC meet at Whitcliffe Mount Sports Centre on Monday and Wednesday from 7.15pm to 8.30pm.
There is more information by visiting www.cleckheaton karate.co.uk. The club is also affiliated to the English Shotokan Academy and their website is www.english Shotokan.net.
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Weather for Cleckheaton
Friday 10 February 2012
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