Bristol Karate Academy

“The best seminar ever”, according to one attendee!

Academy members and visitors alike were treated to 3.5 hours of the highest quality karate on Saturday as 2x WKF Premier League Kumite Champion, Daisuke Watanabe Sensei, came to the South West of England.

Watanabe Sensei – who won his second JKS World Individual Kumite title in July – was on top form. While famous for his kumite skills, Sensei’s fundamentals and kata were clean, clear and precise, as you might expect of someone who teaches at the headquarters of the world famous Japan Karate Shoto Federation. His kumite though? This is where he came alive!

When you try to explain the speed of Watanabe Sensei’s movement as he attacks, you can’t do it justice. But when you stand in front of him you can see why over the course of the entire JKS World Championships earlier this year he dropped just a single point. On top of Watanabe Sensei’s fast hands and legs, his efficiency and ease of movement makes spotting his attacks even harder. Just ask some of his partners from the day!

We asked Watanabe Sensei to teach a Kumite Masterclass, and he certainly did. Sensei took everyone through the kind of movement that gives the best possible chance of scoring, by setting up initial attacks and being in the right place to follow them up. This was on top of clever tactics for punching, kicking and sweeping, which everyone will take away to work on. In fact, we already know one attendee that’s scored using a newfound approach to kicking at the East Midlands Open on Sunday! Great job, Kate!

Sensei taught with a smile and an infectious love of karate that soon spread across the whole dojo. A room filled with karateka representing eight different clubs and six federations.

Watanabe Sensei has now officially retired from competitive karate. After the event, we asked him what his future goals and aspirations were in the martial art:

“To coach my Teikyo University Kumite team to be their absolute best and to help support karate-ka to keep improving and to enjoy the martial art that I love.”

We have no doubt at all that you’ll do this and wish you and your team every success at the All-Japan University Championships in November!

A huge thank you to Watanabe Sensei for visiting us, to JKS England for giving us the opportunity to host him and to everyone who supported the event. It’s only with your support that we can continue to bring the absolute best karate-ka to the South West of England.

Next up, Sensei Matt Price in November!

LATEST NEWS