Cambridge Open Course

This is one of those times that I reminiscence about training in Cambridge University, Keble College to be precise in 1970, at that time I travelled up to Cambridge with a friend and quite well known music producer who trained in Karate at that time, Tony Visconti has worked with David Bowie for many years, other famous people he produce includes, T. Rex, Mary Hopkins and ...Tom Paxton and today, after four decades, is still going strong.

The course was over two days; the venue was the Cambridge University Press which is respected worldwide for its commitment to advancing knowledge, education, learning and research. Founded on a royal charter granted to the University by King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest Press in the world and has been operating continuously as a printer and publisher since the first Press book was printed in 1584.

I was invited by Sensei’s Martin and Louise Stockley who are resident instructors in Cambridge, on Saturday training would start at 2.30 – 5.30pm. Training began with the traditional warm up and then moving basics in the form of San Dan Gi, from one to eight.

Then Kakie would dominate the next hour and to finish impact work for 35 minutes non stop, at the end everyone was fatigued but completely satisfied. On Sunday training started at 10am with Black Belts, Kata and Bunkai would dominate the first hour, and then it was all grades for the next 3 hours, but it was not all about Karate – Do. I was on Saturday evening invited to dinner in a Japanese Restaurant in the centre of Cambridge, Sushi and Fish Soup was my choice, it was delicious.

My Special thanks to Sensei Tony Green, Chief Instructor of Jundokan UK, for his support and Sensei’s Martin and Louise Stockley for taking care of me.

George Andrews