Mats up for school contractor clean

Holy Name Catholic Primary School has scheduled its pre-term clean of the MEAC for Wednesday this week. As a result we will have to put away the tatami tomorrow night (Tuesday). This will align with the new arrangements to shift the Jujutsu class to a Tuesday night on an as-needed basis so that we are maximising the benefit of using the MEAC for multiple disciplines.

I am aware that there are few people available for training, but it would be most appreciated if we could get one or two of you in for 6 pm to assist me. I shall be there from around 5 pm to do a small audit of the Club’s first aid kit and equipment, and if we have some interest in a Jujutsu class, we can run one before we pack things away.

QKR Winter Seminar arrangements

We are now less than a week out from the winter seminar, and this year it is shaping up to be a big event.

We will be sharing accomodation with folk from the Kenshinkai (Brisbane) dojo and former Toowooomba member Sean Mc, and feeding a multitude on Friday night, including members from our sister dojo Ken Jin Kan (Gin Gin) in what is shaping up to be fun night in with plenty of paella and polish pickles on offer.

I want to wish all the best to everyone who will be grading this weekend, especially for Tamara and Ivan who will be grading for the first time. Also to Kateena and Sean T who are challenging for 1KYU., and Sean Mc for a (very long overdue) tilt at kendo shodan. Gambatte!

We will be finalising transport (and food shopping) arrangements over the next couple of days, so I will direct message those details as they become solid.

Just a reminder that there will be no training on offer this weekend coming as a result of us being down the Coast. We will be back to our new regular schedule from next week.

QKR: 2 weeks out

Hi Guys,

I just wanted to say that we’ve done awesome this year so far with our numbers growing and a real effort put in to improving everyone’s kendo. I want to touch base on a few things, First the deadline for QKR Membership application/renewal has passed and the same goes for grading application. As it has been stated many times if you haven’t lodged these by now you will lot be elegable to participate in the seminar or challenge for a new grade. Now that i have the administrative stuff out of the way i am excited to say that according to Auspost our Tozando shipment should be delivered today. i will be making another order after the seminar for anything people may have missed with the first one.

Participants at the SEQ June Mini seminar

Participants at the SEQ June Mini seminar

Finally a bit of old news. Last Sunday saw the Second QKR SEQ monthly mini seminar, this time at the Logan metro sports center. I must say it really improved on the first one stayed on track and covered a lot. There was a good turnout (although a little smaller than the first) it have been green lit for this series of seminars to continue into the future. Kateena , Michael B and Myself were all set to head down but unfortunately illness scratched Kateena and Michael B out. unfortunately the QKR has decided not to continue with the program but will be offered by Kenshinkan at a club level with an open invite to those from other clubs who wish to receive extra practice.

I think that is all i have so have a great week and hope to see everyone in the Dojo.

Sean T

Kendo Coordinator

QKR deadlines for this week

The end of this week coincides with both the end of the Financial Year and the end of the QKR membership year. It is also going to be two weeks before the grading opportunity that will be held on Sunday 14 July. 

As a matter of urgency, if you have not made your renewal for the 2019-2020 year, please ensure you do this before Friday. Likewise, if you intend to grade, then you need to get me to electronically sign off on your grading form (Kendo and Iaido) before Friday so that they can be lodged with Tom sensei and properly processed.  

If you are not a financial member, you cannot participate at the QKR seminar. If your paperwork is not lodged two weeks prior to the grading, you will not be allowed to sit for examination.  

Tom sensei has been utterly consistent with both points over the years, something I fully support. If you have any questions about your membership status, please contact me today so that I can clarify with Tom sensei and we can make sure that everything is sorted before Friday’s deadline. 

End of semester/term, training this week (and for the next few months).

I just wanted to congratulate everyone currently studying for having made it through your respective exam periods, and hope that your results reflect the work you have put into things over the past few months.  

I have a little more clarity around what my timetable will look like for the next few months. For me personally, I will be in Toowoomba for this week, then back in Bundaberg the week after, then a further week in Toowoomba leading up to the QKR seminar, and then will be commencing a university class for the coming Term that starts 9 am Monday, and where the last class finishes at 3 pm Thursday. This means leaving Sunday afternoons for the next few months. 

Most immediately, when in Toowoomba for this week and the week starting 8 July, I will be offering both Jujutsu (6 pm) and Kendo (7.40 pm) classes on Monday and Thursday. It would be great to see folk there for both sessions, especially given the proximity of the QKR seminar. 

Moving on from that, we will have to make some changes to the training offerings through the week. Currently, there are insufficient numbers to make up a Monday evening jujutsu class and make it viable, and we may look to run it parallel to Fencing on a Tuesday so that the few who would like to train can do so. Second, I cannot guarantee getting back to Toowoomba in time for a 6 pm start of a Thursday, so we may look to change the order of training to start with Kendo and finish with Jujutsu on alternating weeks so that I can provide some input across both of those classes. 

The other unfortunate casualty will be lunchtime Go sessions at USQ, unless someone else wishes to take on the mantle of coordinating those session. I will be taking a board up with me to Bundaberg and see if we can get some regular interest up there this term thought!  

For Gin Giners, we will be shifting Jujutsu to a Tuesday night after Judo, and staying with Kendo and Iaido on Wednesdays for the weeks that I am in the district. Beyond that, we will discuss the best training schedule going forward.  

So have fun everyone, and I’ll hope to see you soon at the respective dojo! 

Training this week

After a very intense week of assessment commitments last week, I have the relief of a week at home where I will be preparing for three end-of-Term examinations next week. It will allow me to catch up on a few bits and pieces here as well as give me the extra time/headspace to focus on my studies. 

While this means Gin Gin classes are on hiatus this week, I am planning to run both Jujutsu and Kendo classes tonight in the MEAC to make up for Saturday’s cancellation. It will be good to get some kendo training under our belts in preparation for the SEQ regional training session on the 23rd and the upcoming seminar in July, and to have a late kick off to our monthly focus on ne wasa in Jujutsu. 

Hope to see you in the dojo this evening, and later this week! 

Michael B

Jujutsu news

Things have been ticking along well in both Toowoomba and Gin Gin with steady numbers in all classes save Monday nights. This week is the last for our monthly focus on nage wasa though as I have mentioned in both locations, we will continue to use what we have learned this month as transition into our ne wasa focus for June. 

We appear to not have been able to generate sufficient interest for Monday nights in Toowoomba. Unfortunately, we will have to pull the pin on a longer term basis unless we are in a position to run a class either this week or next. If Brady does not get sufficient interest in either of these sessions, we will take a hiatus for classes till the first week of July, when we shall then re-evaluate the times. 

We will be doing a further review of training times based on my availability due to study commitments in early July, so your input will be critical. At present the only time I can commit to are Saturday sessions, so we will have to play things by ear once my timetable is set. 

As mentioned in Sean’s post, we will be putting together a Club Tozando order in the next week or so to time with the upcoming QKR seminar. For those of you interested in a Grapplingstore order for knee pads etc. compression shorts or other equipment/uniforms they supply, please let me know in the next fortnight as I will be putting in an order with them as well. Grapplingstore have changed their terms of service, so while we still receive a discount, they have asked that we do a minimum $100 order before they ship. 

As always will look forward to seeing you in the dojo! 

Michael B
Head Instructor

Kendo news and Tozando order

Hi Everyone.

With the QKR seminar grading fast approaching, all of us who look to challenge are steaming ahead on target. This brings into question whether or not you have all of the equipment you may need. If the answer for you is no, I have some good news! I have been pushing for a few months and now am getting enough interest to be able to put together an order from Tozando. So if you think if there is anything you may want or need please put in your request.

We have a great relationship with the Kyoto-based company and get a Club discount off their already very affordable pricing.  Have a look at their website and let me know by week’s end what you are interested in. Once all the potential orders are in, we will be able to calculate shipping cost and you can then transfer monies into the Club account. We want to ensure that the order is sent off no later than Thursday next week to try and ensure that it arrives before the seminar.Pplease try to be fast with decision making as shipping can take some time. If Tozando do not have an item in stock.

In other news every one is progressing well, Welcome to Jones Wong, and thanks for the fun practice. I also attended the first of the QKR monthly mini seminars on Saturday and had a blast. I’m looking forward to the next scheduled one in June, and it will be great to see more of the Toowoomba-based kendoka there.

Sean T. 
Kendo Coordinator

Gin Gin class on tonight

While it is Labor Day in Queensland today, I still have to head up to Bundaberg tonight to present myself for 9 am Physio classes tomorrow. Therefore, I will be making my usual stop in Gin Gin this evening to run a Jujutsu class. 

We have ticked over to a new month, and so our emphasis will be changing for the next few weeks. However, tonight we will still be doing a capstone review of our kansetsu wasa before examining more of the nage wasa.  

Hope to see folk there tonight!