Katame- and Koshiki-no-Kata seminar with Y. Iura (7. dan Kodokan)

The BJA organizes an interesting kata-seminar in Croydon. More Info:

http://www.sajudo.org.uk/SAJ/events/BJA%20NKC%20BOOKING%20FORM.pdf

Y. Iura is one of the few top-class kata-teachers in Europe. His english is absolutely fluent, his kata and his didactic approach is really great. I would love to be there, but I have to teach myself this weekend.

I second wdax. You can discuss the various aspects of kata with him and he is not bothered to do deep analysis.

Would it be possible for non-BJA members to join?

I would guess so.

cuivien wrote:Would it be possible for non-BJA members to join?

Check with the organiser some are open to your money, some are not, insisting you are BJA licensed even if you belong to an affiliated organisation which should cover the insurance part of attending.

Let's face it, this is a BJA kata course - hardly going to be over-subscribed especially as it clashes with some other BJA competitive events and gradings. I would call Alan Rickard to confirm. iJF affiliated licence should be fine.....

Thanks guys, I'll give this Alan Rickard a call after Easter.
I'm a registered member of NJF (part of the IJF), and have dan credentials from the Kôdôkan, so unless it's "BJA only" I'm guessing it should be all right

Eddie Cassidy and myself attended Iura sensei's Koshiki no kata course in Croydon. As always,his teaching was of the highest level.I have attended three of his kata courses in various locations. He always gives great value for money.I have also socialised with him a few times and he is a very amusing man.I like him a lot.I was speaking to him about the Koshiki no Kata at dinner before the Sunday session and he made me smile when he said to me that he too was still learning this kata. We are all at different stages in our learning of course.

The course was very well attended,with thirty on the mat. The highest grade was 8th dan followed by two 7th dans and a couple of 6th dans and other assorted grades. The course was a great success and everybody was extremely enthusiastic.

Bob Thomas

Iura sensei ended up translating something like 3 days of the Kodokan summer 2014 course; that's a huge amount of work, and he provided the best translation of the course, so putting his own thoughts into English are not nearly as hard as translating others' thoughts.

Many thumbs up for Iura Sensei. If he does not know something he admits it and tries to find the answer.

finarashi wrote:Many thumbs up for Iura Sensei. If he does not know something he admits it and tries to find the answer.  

Finarishi, thanks for those thumbs up. Glad to hear you have positive experiences.

finarashi wrote:Many thumbs up for Iura Sensei. If he does not know something he admits it and tries to find the answer.  

Yes! And BTW he was promoted to 8. dan since the opening of the thread :-)

wdax wrote:
@CK I had very long conversations with Iura-sensei some time ago in Sweden and this year almost daily at the Kodokan. Please take my word, that he is completely different of what you describe.

I deleted my response to avoid the thread becoming personal. I can only say then that we both seem to have completely different experiences as to impression our personal conversations left, but I am always pleased to hear when someone has had an enriching experience. Thanks for sharing.