We are happy to re-open our ‘JKAWF INDIA Kolkata Honbu Dojo’ last Monday 11th January after 9 months of closer due to Covid-19 restrictions with Somnath Palchowdhury Sensei and Dr. Pradeep Sharma Sensei teaching the first class to the Shidoin (association instructors). There were 11 Shidoin that could attend the class, some even travelled from 100 kms to Kolkata to train in person while 37 Shidoin that live far away in other states (Kerala, Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, and West Bengal) attended the class live online on Zoom.

The class was for two hours from 3:30 to 5:30 pm on Monday based on the theme – Kanku-Dai. We have chosen this kata in particular keeping in mind that this is a special kata as it was the favourite kata of O’ Sensei Funakoshi Gichin. Pradeep Sensei started the class with limbering up exercises slowly as it is winter in India and gradually entered in the Kihon-Waza related to the kata Kanku-Dai. His focus was on the general stances involved in the kata – Kokutsu-Dachi, Zenkutsu-Dachi, Renoji-Dachi, Kosa-Dachi, Kaeshi-Kokutsu-Dachi, Kiba-Dachi with special attention on Zenkutsu-Ashi-Dachi, Hizakutsu and Ashi-Dachi that are involved in the kata. Pradeep Sensei then emphasised on foot position for correct turning. Somnath Sensei took over the later half of the session concentrating on correct form and count of the kata. He said, “As instructor, we are ambassadors of JKA in our own town and village. Our students follow what we do and often compare with each other. We must therefore be very careful in doing things correctly and everyone within the association must do things as similarly as possible; that’s called ‘standardisation’. We are the creator of future generation to preserve JKA Karate-do in our country. Therefore, we must practice regularly and meet often to check each other.”

The teachings were well accepted and the shidoin were overjoyed to meet each other and more particularly train together after a long interval.

This “Instructor’s Class” will continue to be held every Monday at the same time in ‘JKAWF INDIA Kolkata Honbu Dojo’ and the classes will be streamed live online on Zoom for our association instructors in all over India.

Chairman  Somnath Palchowdhury
JKAWF INDIA Kolkata