No training at the MEAC this week

I have spoken with a number of you over the past week, but just to let you know that we will not have access to the MEAC this week as Holy Name Primary School will have it set up for their annual Art Show.  

This Sunday, as part of the festivities related to the Arts Show Carnival, the Club has been asked to do some formal demonstrations over the lunch period. We are scheduled to do a 15 minute slot at just before 12 pm and another around 2 pm, though we will have the marquee set up on the oval and conduct some free-form practice from 11 am. This is an excellent opportunity for the Club to formally engage with the school community, so they can get a little more accurate idea of what the "karate guys" do in their school hall of an evening!

There are still some details to be nailed down, and I will put out a separate "Special" Budo Bulletin with an update mid-week. 

We will do our usual spread of disciplines based on the availability of members to lend a hand, and what the weather has in store for us on the weekend. 

In memorium

I would like to again express condolences to Sian and Mark Carlyon on the passing of Sian's mother Jean. Jean passed on Wednesday in peace, after a short decline that saw her receive hospice care for a brief period.  

The funeral service will be at 10 am Thursday at St James Anglican Church, corner of Mort and Russell Streets.  

I know I speak on behalf of the membership when expressing sympathy for Sian, Mark and their extended family, and to say that we are eager to do what we can in the coming days and weeks ahead to do what we can to practically assist them.  

AUG Kendo and Judo — That's a wrap

Just a quick update post on the weekend just past. I'm still feeling the effects of a long and involved weekend of providing support to the AUG Kendo competition, and am looking forward to getting a little more rest in the coming week.  

This year was the first time that the three martial art competitions were held in the one venue. The newly built Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre was a fantastic venue to hold the event in, and we might be down there again in December for the QKR seminar if Tamura sensei gets his preference. 

I wanted to thank all the folk who came down and did the Club proud with the assistance they provided on the weekend — Jack, Kateena, Matt G, Sian, and Tracy. These weekend away are always a great opportunity to spend time with wonderful folk, and I do very much look forward to them as opportunities. 

I also wanted to thank David Fitzgibbon, the event manager, for his excellent organizing of the weekend. Many hours and late nights went into ensuring that the competition ran as well as it did, and it was an absolute pleasure to contribute to.  

It was wonderful to be able to spend some down time with friends from Kenshinkai, including Isaacs sensei, Shigeoka sensei, who is visiting from Japan, and it was really good to catch up with Randy Le-Bherz and Ryo Atsumi (we miss your presence at Toowoomba training sessions!)

Congratulations to Jack who fought well in the Judo. Making weight was a significant task successfully accomplished by an intense cardio session after spending a day on his feet helping with the Kendo. Congrats to friend of the Club John Taylor who took home Bronze in the Judo for USQ, to Anna Opertowski-Marshall from the Kenshinkai for her Bronze in the Women's Kendo Dan competition, and to all the competitors in the martial arts competitions held on he weekend. Whether achieving a place or not, there was an enormous amount of good will, respect and learning had by all!

And so we will start planning for next year's event, which will again be held on the Gold Coast. With 12 months of preparation, I'm sure that we can build o this year's achievements and field more USQ athletes, as well as provide support for the events. 

Australian University Games this weekend

AUG is here! This year, we have one Club member competing in Judo, and a swag of us going down to support the running of the Kendo competition. As a result there will be no Jujutsu or Kendo training this weekend.  

I want to wish Jack the best of luck in what will be his second ever Judo competition, and for the rest of his week where he will be lending a spare arm to round out the USQ lawn bowls team.  

No FlexiFit this Wednesday

I've always loved the etherial sounds of Tuvan throat singing, so I'll be taking the opportunity to go and see the by Equus at Artsworx this Wednesday. 

As a result, we shall cancel this week's FlexiFit class. However, I hope to see you there next week!

Change of Go time

Starting this week, the Club's regular Go session in the Refectory will be changed to 12.30 pm of a Tuesday. This will hopefully make it a little easier for some folk to make the session an place a few stones.  

I have also recently been contacted by Horatio Davis, who is the President of the Queensland Go Society (of which BBRD is a Chapter member). Horatio has indicated that he is keen to take a trip up the Hill before December to run a Go tutorial and meet the local players.  

I will pass on more details as they firm up, but it will be great to have some input from a Dan-level player to help sharpen our own strategy! 

Lunchtime training today (Monday 18 September)

If anyone is interested in getting in an extra session of jujutsu today, Matt G and I will be training at the MEAC from around 12.00–1.30 pm today. 

I will be there from around 11.00 am to do a small tidy of the dojo space to set it up for the school holiday period, so anyone who is free is welcome to join me in exchange for some Dojo Dollars. 

PunchFit & Jodo cancelled Mon. 18 Sept

Hello All,

Due to some back problems, I have to cancel PunchFit and Jodo for this Monday.  With any luck the old back will be up to some proper use next week.  Wednesday's Jodo training is still planned to happen (given back problems have alleviated).

Eric

Go news

It has been good to see some of the faces pop in of a Tuesday lunchtime this semester to play a game of Go. In particular, I've personally benefited from Wooram's patience and insight to help improve my own strategic focus in the past weeks. 

I'd love to see more of you of a Tuesday lunch time (1 pm in the Refectory — look for the banner), or indeed another time that we can carve off to have a game. If you are interested in dipping your toes in the water, and learn a little more about how to play, point your browser to https://online-go.com/puzzles, where you can start to learn about how to think in terms of tactical and strategic play within the game. 

If there is a little interest, I will restart the Club's on-line group where we can play some correspondence games. You will need to create an account and then join up to https://online-go.com/group/792 in order to play.  

And I'm making a promise to myself to finally finish off some of those wooden boards so that we are not playing on "shopping bags"! 

Finally, while the Brisbane Spring tournament was held this weekend past, the next opportunity for interacting and playing with the SEQ Go community will be the Seventh Gold Coast Classic  on Sunday 29th October - Links Hope Island clubhouse, Hope Island, Gold Coast. Five rounds of go (45 minutes + byoyomi) at the home of the Gold Coast Go Club (8am for 9am first round). Open and kyu (handicap) division. If you are interested, you can directly contact tournament director Horatio Davis (horatio@go.org.au) to RSVP, and if sufficient folk are wanting to make the trip, we can bundle ourselves into a car, as we often do, and go as a group.