Report – Shikukai summer intensive 2023.

Shikukai Karate-Do International member Dojo, Mushin Jyuku, hosted its first ‘summer intensive’ course held in East Devon. Children, young adults and adults of the Dojo were joined by Shikukai students from Weymouth, Chippenham and Essex for five days of focused training. The course was planned around the club’s normal training on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings – with extra training available in between.

The course was led by Rob Selby 5th Dan Sensei, whose theme was to practice; Kihon (basics), Keri (kicks) and Renketsu-dosa (‘combinations’) from the Shikukai syllabus. The well-planned sessions gave attention to each aspect with Rob Sensei following and tracking the progression from 9th Kyu to Dan grade.

Training in Kihon, Rob Sensei offered a different term to the word ‘basic’ and used the word, ‘foundation’. Kihon practice at 9th Kyu, or beginner level Wado, lays the foundation for the training and development to follow. Students practiced the Tsuki, Uke and Keri movements from the syllabus and experienced how Sugasawa Sensei is progressively challenging and developing body action and dynamics through movement-based principles at each successive grade.

Training in Renketsu-dosa, Rob Sensei offered his own thoughts on what we might be gaining from this practice. It would be easy to assume we are just performing Kihon Waza and Keri Waza together to offer a combination or set sequence of techniques. Yes, in part maybe, but within the Shikukai Renketsu-dosa we can find body movement and mechanics that really challenge our core control and where our centre has been placed, as well as some really credible Taisabaki strategies. Particularly towards the top end of the syllabus, we can see ideas of moving to the Soto and Uchi ranges, Kekaeshi and Kaeshi principles and actions, Nagashi practice as well as the continued development of the Ashi-sabaki that feature throughout the syllabus.

Students were challenged to see if they could reverse the forward momentum of the Renketsu-dosa to move backwards at a given command. Ohtsuka Meijin- founder of the Wado Ryu, said that we should be able to move in any direction from the centre of our bodies. Rob Sensei explained that if we are just thinking about moving forwards to complete the combination for the sake of fulfilling what’s written in the syllabus, maybe we are missing the depth of what Sugasawa Sensei is asking us to explore.

The Saturday session was led by guest instructors Steve and Pam Rawson 7th Dan Sensei’s. The idea of Taisabaki being referred as body evasion was recapped from the Spring course to reinforce a better understanding referred to as body management. This linked into how Rob Sensei presented the last three days of training – using the Shikukai syllabus’s progression to develop body movement and correct body usage, posture and structure to find the underpinning principles of Wado.

Pam Sensei led a dynamic warm up then began training in Kihon, adding extra challenges by using a range of Tsuki techniques, including Kaeshi practice and principles of body shifting (left and right) with Jodan Nagashi-Uke; a familiar feel to Kushanku Kata. An emphasis was given on using the correct koshi movement and the weight transfer to give a strong Tsuki after the Nagashi-Uke. This then led onto students performing Sanmi Ittai Dosa, which further demonstrated the theory of Ten-I, Ten-Tai, Ten-Gi.

Steve Sensei then isolated component parts of Kihon Gumite Ipponme which then led onto students practising this paired Kata. Junior grades practiced their pair work for their respective grade, with seniors moving onto Kihon Gumite Gohonme. The session finished with Steve and Pam Sensei offering a pair work based drill to help explore the theme of Taisabaki.

The practice of pair work flowed nicely into Rob Sensei’s training on Sunday. Students explored the pair works found at 7th and 8th Kyu in a solo format. Students performed the Tsuki and Keri role of Uke, then immediately filled the role of Tori practicing both sides.

The senior session was made up of Kumite Gata practice, Rob Sensei managed to squeeze all twelve of Sugasawa Sensei’s Gonosen variations in. Here we were able to work  together with many other Shikukai students to further develop our understanding of Ma-ai (distance and timing). The way Rob Sensei structured and built upon each session helped us to see how the principles from the Kumite Gata can be abstracted and traced back down through Sugasawa Sensei’s syllabus to arrive back at foundation level Wado (9th Kyu).

Students made use of the village pub in Otterton after training and had time to explore the costal town of Exmouth and enjoy the weekend festival that happens every year. Our thanks to Rob Sensei for organising and leading the training and to Steve and Pam Sensei’s for leading Saturdays session.

Tom Wilkins 1st Dan, Sue Dodd 2nd Dan.

Report – Hungarian Summer Course 2023.

The Dojo in Isaszeg, Hungary is long-established and enthusiastically run by a family team; Attila, Adam and László Jakab. This is the Genki Dojo and for many years has been a part of Shikukai Karate-Do International.

This is their annual summer course.

July in Hungary can get quite hot, but at an average of 33 degrees over the four days training, this was not as extreme as southern Europe has been experiencing over the last few weeks.

Like last years’ course, I was pleased to be joined by Richard Barham Sensei, 6th Dan. Richard was just keen to put in the training and work with the various grades, partnering the senior students, offering direct physical feedback, a crucial part of good collaborative training; everybody benefits.

In preparation, I had spent a long time structuring the course and the planning took into consideration the needs of both the instructors and the students. In addition, I always try to thread in a guiding theme or principle to underpin the course content and this time it was something that Sugasawa Sensei has been emphasising on both his face-to-face training and Zoom sessions. Essentially, it is embodied in the question, ‘So just what exactly does that move/way of doing something give you?’ This is a call to really interrogate your technique; when applied to solo or paired kata it can be a really useful tool.

The two main featured kata across the four days were Kushanku and Naihanchi. These were broken down into parts. For Naihanchi, paired drills were included to explain the potential purposes and utilisation of the various techniques contained within the form.

Across the week we covered a surprisingly large range of paired kata (kumite). The junior grades gaining ample time to work the Ippon and Nihon Gumite, while seniors covered nearly all of the twelve of our Gonosen Kumite Gata series, as well as Kihon Gumite.

Also, during the weeks’ training it was good to be joined by members of the Hungarian Wado Kai.

With the three-hour training happening in the morning, and training finishing at midday, we were able to enjoy a relaxed lunch at a very good local restaurant, easily walkable from the training venue. They had an excellent and very reasonably priced set lunch menu. This arrangement then gave us the rest of the afternoon and evening free.

On the Tuesday Richard and I went into central Budapest with a few of the local instructors and students (a distance of twenty miles). They introduced us to the newly developed parkland area, which seems to be setting itself up as a kind of museum quarter.

We visited the House of Music; only opened in the last two years, an amazing building, the work of award-winning Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto. For anyone interested in music this was a total delight, interactively tracking the history of music from the earliest origins to the present day.

Local knowledge is really handy and we were introduced to an outstanding, lively, open-air restaurant in the park; the Pantlika Bistro. In fact, we were rather spoiled for good food and excellent restaurants – a massive thank you to our Hungarian hosts for that; as without their guidance we wouldn’t have had such a complete experience.

As usual on really successful courses we had built up such a high level of momentum it was a bit of a come-down when we had to finish our last session on the Thursday. But I am assured by the resident instructors that they gained so much information that they can continue to build on the knowledge into the future.

On the back of the success of the course conversations are already happening to plan for 2024; so, watch this space.

On behalf of Richard and myself, I would like to thank Attila, Adam and László Jakab for all the amazing effort they put in to really make this work as an event on both the Hungarian and the Shikukai calendar, and for the unsurpassed hospitality shown by both instructors and students.

For next year and beyond, I would encourage Wado students from the UK and Europe to support these future events in Hungary.

Tim Shaw

Report – Combat Lab July 2023.

A dedicated number of students from Exmouth, Chippenham, Swindon and Weymouth attended part 2 of the Yakusoku Keiko Training run by Steve and Pam Rawson at The Combat Lab’s new premises on Saturday 1st July. The session started with a short warm up, leading into some basic drills which were then used by the students as their foundation for the pair works that followed.

Ohyo Gumite Nanahonme was the main theme, giving students a chance to practice something different. Once they became familiar with the basic moves, they were then shown how techniques from the Shikukai Syllabus could be utilised and incorporated into various adaptations of the Ohyo Gumite. As The Combat Lab is a fully matted venue and a suitable learning environment for such training, students were able to see the techniques right through to the end with a series of throws. It was interesting to see how many ways someone can fall over!

After a short water break, the theme of expansion of Kihon Gumite was carried on from the Spring Course, working on Kuzushi, Kinukuguri and Kotegaeshi. Again, use of the mats was paramount as students were confidently able to test their effectiveness in throwing or sweeping their opponent.

The final part gave students a chance to practice some I-dori pair work; again the nice soft mats were a gift to those with worn out knees.

As always the session was over too quickly and so another training is being planned for later in the year.

Steve Rawson 7th Dan

Shikukai Karate-Do International

Report – Shikukai Spring Course Report 2023 Osprey Leisure Centre Portland.

This annual event is always looked forward to and true to form, it proved to be a
great success.
The course was overseen by Sugasawa Sensei and successfully organised by Steve
Rawson Sensei 7th Dan and Pam Rawson Sensei 7th Dan. Instructors and students
from across England, Brittany and Norway came together to train and work on the
principles of Wado.
The unofficial start of the course was the normal Thursday night club training at the
Ken Bu Jyuku Dojo hosted by Pam and Steve Rawson. “I can highly recommend
making the very most of the course by attending the Thursday night training. It really
set the scene for the weekend and gave students an insight into the themes and
principles that would follow” (Sue Dodd)
Friday morning saw a small group meet up at the beach for a dip in Weymouth Bay.
The water temperature was a balmy 11 degrees with a strong easterly wind that made
for some interesting waves. This led to some challenging swimming, but great fun
was had by all.

Sugasawa Sensei opened the course by welcoming students back to Weymouth.
The timetable ran its usual course over the Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
This year’s theme was Tai Sabaki but as was explained throughout, this was not a
focus on a mere verbal translation but much more a deeper understanding of all
aspects of body management whether performing technique, holding position or,
perhaps especially when transitioning from one technique to another. The warm ups
on each day were both focussed and challenging with each instructor bringing the
benefits of their expertise to the table.

The Rawson Senseis kicked off the training on the Friday evening with a number of
physically demanding basic drills which concentrated the mind and prepared
everyone for what was to come. Students were then put into groups of 5 to practice
the drills in all directions and with different opponents.

Saturday training began with a special ‘Mokuto’ in memory of our dear friend Tim
Dixon.
After the warm up, Tim Shaw Sensei 7th Dan and Steve Chamberlain Sensei
7th Dan took the Black and Brown Belts working on Okuri Ashi, the involvement of
the hip through to Tsugi Ashi and Surikomi Ashi.
Steve and Pam Rawson took the Green and White Belts showing them the importance and correlation between Shiko Dachi and their Junzuki movement.
The Kata session that followed saw the groups sub divided again. 4th Dans and above
were given a detailed break down of Chinto Kata by Sugasawa Sensei and assisted by
Steve Rawson.
The lower Dan Grades were taught by Tim Shaw and covered Naihanchi looking at applied principles (rather than applied techniques).
Steve Chamberlain took the Brown Belts for Pinan Yondan whilst Pam Rawson worked on
Pinan Sandan with the junior grades.
A session on pairwork followed with Steve Chamberlain and Richard Barham Sensei
6th Dan taking 2nd Dan + working on Kihon Gumite Happonme.
Steve & Pam Rawson introduced the Brown Belts to the Uchi variations of Kumite Gata. Sensei once again gave his invaluable expertise on the body movement required for an effective technique.
Tim Shaw took apart some of the Nihon Gumite with the Green Belts, whilst Carol Chatterton Sensei 6th Dan worked with the White Belts.
The formal session closed with the presentation of a 2nd Dan Certificate to Mark
Troman, followed by the usual group photo.
It was then pleasing to see how many students took advantage of the extra hour personal practice offered by the host club in their mirrored upstairs Dojo.

Saturday night was the usual chance for over 40 students and family members to have
a social get together at the Gurkha all you can eat buffet (Frank Parry holds the
current record for the number of plates of food consumed!!!) Afterwards many
students burnt off the calories with a visit to the various live music events being held
in the town.


Sunday saw Sugasawa Sensei lead the training for all with a very informative two
hour session on the importance of using the elbows correctly whilst delivering a
variety of techniques. In particular he scrutinised everyone’s movement on Shuto,
with no escape for senior Dan Grades.
Pairwork practice followed with everyone trying to use their elbows in the correct
manner. Rob Selby Sensei 5th Dan and Bob Wymer Sensei 5th Dan assisted the senior instructors in delivering this session.
The culmination of Sunday’s training was a surprise demonstration of Kata/Dance by
Steve and Pam Rawson showing why Sugasawa Sensei named their club Ken Bu
Jyuku 拳舞塾

A small group of selected seniors were invited by Sensei to join together for a meal at
the Oliveto restaurant to reflect on and celebrate the life of our dear departed friend
Tim Dixon who will be forever in our hearts. Whilst it was an emotional time it was
a chance to support each other and raise a toast.

The Monday session came all too quickly and seemed to be over in a blink, however
all levels enjoyed focussed Kihon Nagasu training “the Norwegians in particular”
(Bob Wymer). Kihon Gumite pair work was looked at, offering/suggesting potential
next steps, whilst emphasising that such things are impossible unless you are in
charge of your body management.
A kyu grading session was held with Joanne Quy from Chelmsford successfully
passing her 7th Kyu grade.
Sensei then closed the course thanking everyone for their continued support.


Report compiled by Pam Rawson Sensei 7th Dan with contributions from Tim Shaw Sensei 7th Dan, Bob Wymer Sensei 5th Dan, Sue Dodd Senpai 2nd Dan.

Report – Robin Eaton’s 80th Birthday Training Theme: Wado Through Time.

On the 15th of April 2023, Sensei Carol Chatterton 6th Dan and Kiku Wa Jyuku hosted a special training session to celebrate the 80th birthday of one of its club members, Robin Eaton. Overseen by Sugasawa Sensei, the training was led by Steve Rawson, Sensei 7th Dan and Pamela Rawson, Sensei 7th Dan. Although the course was only for one afternoon, it was well attended with representatives from Shouwa Jyuku, Ken Bu Jyuku, and Mushin Jyuku alongside those from Chippenham.

The session began with Sugasawa Sensei welcoming everyone and then congratulating Robin on his long serving dedication to the practice of Wado Karate before presenting him with his 4th Dan. After this Sugasawa Sensei handed over to Senseis Pam and Steve Rawson and the training began. As Senseis Pam and Steve Rawson explained, we would be exploring how Wado has developed in the UK over the many years Robin has been training, from the early years of UKKW, through the Wado Academy and then onto Shikukai Karate-do International.

After a quick warm-up, Senseis Pam and Steve took us through how Wado has progressed over the years. This was achieved by focussing first on 5th Kyu, and then on 1st Kyu. Beginning with the UKKW syllabus, it became clear that the focus in the beginning was on learning individual techniques with very little explanation on each element. As Sensei Steve commented, the maxim was ‘Do it, do it again, do it harder!’ As the session continued you could see the variations which were introduced in the Wado Academy syllabus incorporating more lateral movement, and finally Sensei Sugasawa’s influence on the techniques in the current Shikukai syllabus. The session finished with pair work from the three syllabi, with both Senseis encouraging people to practice with students from other clubs. Finally, Sugasawa Sensei thanked everyone for attending.

After the training, the day ended with a meal at a local restaurant. It was a great opportunity for people to catch up and reflect on the day’s experiences. Finally, the evening ended with everyone congratulating Robin and some enthusiastic singing of ‘Happy Birthday’ whilst he blew the candle on his cake out!

Andrew Skelton

2nd Kyu

Report – Netherlands weekend with Tim Shaw Sensei.

Yet again host Martijn Schelen of the Kenkokai Dojo Eemnes in the Netherlands executed a flawless piece of organisational magic for our planned three-day training weekend.

It is always a huge pleasure and privilege for me to be invited to teach in the Netherlands, for so many reasons, not least that the level of enthusiasm and openness is second to none.

This time Martijn was making adjustments to the scheduling to try and get the best out of the available time. For example; on the Saturday training it was planned to create two workshops during the day, with a break in between. From my perspective this seemed to go really well and enabled me to package the training into focussed themes. I always spend a long time in my planning and try to pitch it at all levels so that nobody feels that they are out of their depth.

I had worked my themes out well in advance, with the intention that everyone would come away with something they could really work on to elevate their understanding and crucially their physical and technical skills.

Across the weekend we really worked hard to polish the solo kata, linked to solid kihon, something that Sugasawa Sensei is very insistent on; because without solid foundations nothing meaningful can be built. Repeat, repeat and repeat again, cycling round the featured kata.

We also explored a very focussed selection of paired kata. The chosen pairs followed themes built within the kihon training and time and time again I tried to bring it back to core Wado principles. My intention was to help the students and instructors to appreciate the covert relationships between the various aspects of their training and how these same aspects support and feed off each other.

During the weekend I had the chance to work with some very experienced old-hands who had joined us for the first time, and to welcome them into the Shikukai family, a joy, and an honour for me. Again, credit to Martijn for making this happen.

Seniors in Saturday training.

Inevitably, Saturday night was an evening for catching up over food and drink, and the conversations were not all about karate. Very civilised and convivial.

I have to say that Kenkokai is not a one-man-band. Martijn is very lucky to have a solid support team to ensure that the wheels are oiled and everything runs smooth (a particular shout-out to Astrid de Vries on that one).

Because the training was a balancing act between solid hard work and granular examination of technique and principle, my intention is to write some support notes for those who attended. This post will also be written in a way that may be of interest and value to general Wado practitioners. This may well appear as an additional (free) post on my ongoing Substack project. To see it, opt for the free subscription to www.budojourneyman.substack.com

Keep an eye open for that.

Conversations have already been had for my next visit, probably October November this year.

Remember, these courses are open to all Wado students.

Tim Shaw

Report – Kiku Wa Jyuku training and grading.

On the 18th of March, Carol Chatterton Sensei 6th Dan and Kiku Wa Jyuku hosted a
training and grading with Pam and Steve Senseis (each 7th Dan) at the Olympiad,
Chippenham. This was well attended by 36 students from Weymouth, Chelmsford
and Exmouth joining members of the host club.

The session started with a challenging warm up and stretch lead by Pam Sensei. After
the opening bow the thread throughout the day’s training was the importance of what
can appear to be ‘small details’ to make good Kihon which will improve your Karate.
A key message was knowing when the elimination of tension was required, and when
not. Students practised Kihon Waza as a group for the first half, building up a
substantial sweat. They then separated into two groups where Pam Sensei took the
9th to 4th Kyu grades through Pinan Nidan / Sandan, a selection of combinations and
Pair Work. Steve Sensei took the 3rd Kyu plus group through Kushanku followed by
some select senior Pair Works. In both groups the sweat was maintained.

At the final bow both Senseis thanked the group for their hard work, with the words “Every drop of sweat is worth more than the colour of your belt”. This reminded me of an old
quote, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard”.

Some students then took Kyu Gradings with the following being successful: –
2nd Kyu – Adam Rose, Archie Warren and Lewis Higginson.
7th Kyu – Tess Callahan, Henry Seeman, Pete Mullee and Sarah Ponting.
8th Kyu – Noah Ladd, Scarlet Sweet, Elouise Thake and Rishabh Nair.
9th Kyu – Levi Butler, Louis Sabatier and Pierre Sabatier.

Earle Thomas
2nd Dan

Report – Shikukai Winter Course February 2023.

It’s always a massive challenge to pull together a four-day course in the depths of winter, but it is one that we have always tried to rise to.

This year, of all years, all the pieces seem to fall into place. On attendance alone we broke all previous Winter Course records.

This was the Shikukai Winter Course in Essex.

We are very much aware that people are prepared to travel considerable distances, crossing international boundaries to access what we have to offer in Shikukai Karate-Do International and specifically to be able to tap into the knowledge and experience of our chief instructor, Sugasawa Sensei, 7th Dan Renshi, and the senior Shikukai instructors.

In Essex, we have the advantage of an international travel hub in the form of Stansted airport; although this year some students from Europe decided to explore the option of travelling into the UK by rail, a possibility that actually seemed to work quite well (something to bear in mind for the future) taking the stress out of continental travel, and, a short hop across London to link up with the main rail route into Essex.

This year we had students and instructors from the Netherlands, Norway, Czechia and Hungary.

Sugasawa Sensei was the overseer of the training as it progressed over the weekend. The course instructors (other than myself) were Richard Barham Sensei 6th Dan, Bob Wymer Sensei 5th Dan, Rob Selby Sensei 5th Dan, Steve Thain Sensei 4th Dan and Sue Dodd Sensei 2nd Dan. The comments afterwards suggested that this was very much a top-notch team who, each in their own way, brought something to the table in terms of variety and technical approach; Sugasawa Sensei was impressed by the quality presented.

The unofficial start of the course was the normal Thursday night club night at the Shouwa Jyuku Dojo, the training hall was looking very close to being too small; this was a trend that would continue through the weekend. Friday’s training at the same venue and even more people turned up. In addition to that, Sugasawa Sensei arrived a day early and accompanied us through the session, offering advice to students along the way.

Saturday and Sunday were in the main venue in Danbury, which usually gives us plenty of space… but this time, because of the numbers, adjustments were necessary, and fortunately we had the capacity to make it all work.

On Saturday, the session began with a very brief welcome speech from Sensei, and a special ‘Mokuto’, a silence, in tribute to the memory of Tim Dixon, recently departed and much missed.

As the instruction team kicked into gear, we were eager to engage with the main themes of the weekend. For example, Barham Sensei took on a huge challenge carouselling through the twelve kumite gata of the Shikukai syllabus.

The main kata practice for the seniors was Seishan, which for a long time now has been Sugasawa Sensei’s ‘flavour of the month’ a key feature of his regular Zoom sessions. The key theme of the training was the adherence to good core principle training; something that followed across the weekend and is the background of Shikukai karate as a traditional and pure embodiment of the Wado school.

Across the weekend we covered Wanshu kata and Naihanchi, as well as appropriate Pinan kata. Barham Sensei led an intriguing take on the Kihon Gumite, which reframed the practice in interesting and challenging ways. Selby Sensei’s contributions and ideas are always met with great appreciation and it was no different this time. It was also great to see Thain Sensei sharing his knowledge on Naihanchi kata. Wymer Sensei treated students to his considerable knowledge (and humour). Sue Dodd Sensei did an amazing job corralling twenty very able children into training and grading (assisted by Barham Sensei) as well as workshopping Ippon Gumite from the Shikukai syllabus.

Saturday evening involves a huge get-together in the small town of Maldon on the tidal estuary of the river Thames. A whole clutch of students had taken the opportunity to reside on a specially adapted, permanently moored, restored Thames sailing barge, a wonderful unique experience, but nothing compared to the completely bonkers, very ‘Essex’, glitzy over-the-top restaurant on the Maldon High Street, appropriately called ‘Paparazzi’, that we’d booked for the Saturday evening. The word ‘bling’ comes to mind, but without a hint of irony.

At the end of the course Sugasawa Sensei presented Dan grade certificates and a special award to Selby Sensei for his forty-year dedication to training. Some students took the opportunity for Kyu and Dan gradings, the results were:

  • Andrej Sladky 8th Kyu, Shikukai Praha.
  • Matt Tyler 7th Kyu, Shouwa Jyuku.
  • Will Doble 7th Kyu, Mushin Jyuku.
  • Mark Troman 2nd Dan, Chertsey.

A massive thanks to the Shouwa Jyuku team, who did an amazing job pulling everything together. We are already planning for Winter Course 2024 – watch this space.

Also, a huge thank you to Sugasawa Sensei, who continues to be our source of guidance and inspiration.

Tim Shaw

Report – 50 Years Training Milestone.

Senseis Steve & Pam Rawson 7th Dans were invited to represent Shikukai Karate-do International at Andrew Genery 8th Dan’s 50th Year Anniversary Training in Doncaster on the weekend of 11/12 February 2023. This unfortunately coincided with the Winter Course in Chelmsford, but Sensei Sugasawa felt it important that they should attend. When Sensei first arrived in the UK he was a regular visitor and instructor at the Doncaster Dojo.

Saturday morning started with the reading of a congratulatory message from Sensei Sugasawa to Andrew who had started his Wado Karate journey 50 years ago to that very day. He was also presented with a small gift of an embroidered Ken Bu Jyuku sweat towel.

The training was initially lead by Andrew Sensei, working in groups of three, to increase speed and accuracy when performing gyakuzuki. This got the heart and legs racing. Kihon and Keri followed on. After a short break Ni Sei Shi Kata was practised; particularly noting the slight difference in movements between the two Associations.

Seishan was then covered, with Steve Sensei explaining the nuances of Sugasawa Sensei’s emphasis. The final part of the session concentrated on Kihon Gumite Happonme. Pam Sensei was able to show just how effective Kuzushi could be when it was applied correctly against the largest student in the Dojo. The three hours passed all too quickly. Everyone convened later at Cosmos, a local Buffet Style All You Can Eat restaurant in downtown Doncaster.

Sunday’s training was opened by Andrew Sensei, working on Nagashizuki. This was followed by Steve and Pam Senseis comparing the techniques in the 6th Kyu and 2nd Kyu Kishin and Shikukai Syllabuses. The concept of Nihon Gumite was new to the Kishin students, who were mostly familiar with Sanbon Gumite. The students really enjoyed and appreciated the variations and explanations offered.

Andrew closed the session by thanking everyone for attending and for working so hard over the weekend. In particular Andrew asked Steve & Pam to convey his thanks to Sensei for permitting them to attend and instruct.

Pam Rawson 7th Dan

Shikukai Karate-do International

In Memoriam – Tim Dixon (1956 – 2023).

It is with great sadness that I have to notify the wider Shikukai community of the recent passing of Tim Dixon, 6th Dan, one of our most respected senior instructors.

The loss of Tim has been a huge shock to us all and sent ripples through our organisation and beyond.

This devastating news has reached a far wider circle than Tim’s individual family members, (whose grief can only be imagined), as his influence has commanded a level of respect in the broader martial arts community; specifically with Wado; whether that has been as a competitor at international level or a highly regarded instructor with a wealth of knowledge developed over many decades of dedicated, disciplined training.

But it is his personal qualities that will also be missed. In the Dojo he was the epitome of quiet, soft-spoken confidence, a natural communicator (as you might expect of a career spent as a teacher in English schools), but with Tim these were qualities that were innate and without affectation.

There are many of us who will remember Tim at some of his finest moments. On the technical front, for me, the true measure of the man as a highly skilled fighter was encapsulated in the last formal Dan grading he took in front of the full Shikukai panel. The apex moment being the astounding resilience he demonstrated in the final test set for him, where he faced opponent after opponent with grim determination, implacable and stoic to the last bruising encounter.

At the human level, Tim was always great company and all of us enjoyed his presence at the numerous karate socials; so many ‘finest moments’, too many to tell in such a limited space; but I am thinking of his sing-alongs and the high-speed wisecracks and merciless repartee of the ‘Dixon, Gillis, Cambridge’ trio; in this, he had a profound sharpness of wit and skill with the lightning-fast come-backs, a joy to behold.

In all honesty I cannot count the number of courses and competitions that Tim attended; you can see his image on group photographs from UKKW, Academy and Shikukai events.

From my angle, I first encountered Tim in the Dojo at the regular training sessions with Suzuki Sensei and Sugasawa Sensei at the Sobell centre in London; at that time he was a brown belt; this was in the 1980’s, he has been a constant presence ever since. No event was complete without Tim.

But let’s not forget that Tim was indeed multi-facetted, which is evidenced by his newly found post-retirement career as a film extra, something he clearly enjoyed and, before his illness intervened, he was steadily becoming a minor star in his own right.

It must be said that the whole of Shikukai, from our chief instructor downwards are devastated by the loss of a very dear friend. To say, ‘He will be missed’ would be a huge understatement.

Rest in peace, knowing that so many people had a special place for you in their hearts.

Tim Shaw, January 2023.