International Japan Karate Association Ireland is establishing
an Instructors Course for it's members. The course, which is modelled
on
the Japan Karate Shotokai Instructors Class will offer Yudanshu (Black
Belts) the opportunity to train under rigorous conditions which
incorporate modern sports science. The syllabus and overall monitoring
of the course will be carried out by European Chief Instructor Shihan
Kato. Sensei Brian Toomey who has organised the course explains "some
Dan Grade Instructors can often fall into the trap of instructing and
not training. This lack of training often results in Instructors not
progressing in their Karate and also being unable to pass on
effectively new techniques or developments in the art. The result is
that standards are affected and this sets a bad example to students who
are eager to learn". Sensei Toomey adds- "the IJKA Instructors Course
is going to be a very big challenge for all those who participate. I
know this personally from my own training in the JKS Honbu Dojo in
Tokyo last September. Participants on the Irish Course will receive
Certification after their first year of attendance on the course. I
hope also that this course will be an incentive to all Karate-ka to
train harder, so that they can eventually secure a place on this
course. Rank or competition achievements will not automatically gain a
Black Belt a place on the Instructors Course".
This is the first Instructors Class to be established in
Ireland by an International Karate Association and it is attempting to
fill a very
apparent vacuum within Irish Karate Black Belt training. Sensei Scott
Langley and Sensei Inada will also be holding an Open Karate Seminar as
well as instructing in the Instructors Class in April 2002.
