Martial art styles from around the county and further afield came together on Sunday last to practice and better understand the one original common principle that unites them all, self-defence. Monaghan KU karate club who organised the event were delighted at the turn out and support shown from different styles including Shotokan, Wado, Kyusho Jitsu and Muay ken san. Participants travelled from Cork, Galway, Dublin, Wicklow, Belfast and Newcastle including people involved with security, personal safety and the fighting arts.
As part of his six month world tour full time professional, martial arts writer, researcher and practitioner Hanshi Patrick Mc Carthy started the seminar by explaining the origins of the traditional fighting arts before the advent of rule bound sport karate and the growing and separation of different styles. Once finished explaining the history the practical action got underway. This included two person Tegumi drills with one person attacking and the other defending. The templates to which these drills work from are based around the documented habitual acts of physical violence (HAPV). Being grabbed or pushed, impacted, joint locked, from front or back in stand up or on the ground. The seminar also covered some of the lost traditional Karate practices including escape and counters if having to defend on the ground. As being attacked can happen to anybody juniors and seniors were allowed to participate in the action in separate groups.
After six hours of self defence separated by lunch, Mc Carthy then explained the different aerobic and anaerobic energy systems used by the body in training, the function of original cool down and stretching drills put together to help the body to recover adding to better health both mentally and physically.
A special thanks to Seamus Brady for hosting Hanshi, Damien Walker, Damien Costello, Damien Murphy, Eric Forsythe, Paul Allen, Troy Reneker and Joe Galvin. Our club also wishes to thank everyone who supported and helped in any way.
If anyone is interested in learning applied and pragmatic karate you can contact Eric on 90 604769 or visit our website at www.mushinkarate.com. Alternatively, you can come to our classes, which are on Monday nights from 7 p.m to 8.30 p.m in St Lukes School, Twinbrook for adults and advanced juniors and a Wednesday night from 7 p.m to 8 p.m for all others. Everyone welcome.