Student of the Month

Well done to Jack Haughey and Ciara Murray from our Little Wolves Classes who received their Student of the Month Awards on Tuesday. Also Aodhan Mc Carthy and Aaron Quinn who where the senior students recipients (no photo available, sorry). Keep up the good work!

Combat Class Summer Break

The combat students had their last class on Tuesday, most of whom train regularily in the karate classes so we'll not miss you too long! Well done to all our guys who have been training hard this year, keep practising over the s.ummer holidays.

Training times for Sensei Dermott O Keeffe

Sensei Dermott O Keeffe will be taking classes on kata in Kiltimagh Community Centre Kiltimagh, County Mayo on Sunday the 10th of July.
Junior class is for children who are under 10 years of age
10.30am - Registration for junior class
11.00am - 12.15pm - junior class.
12.45pm - Registration for senior class
1.00pm - 2.15pm senior class followed by a break
2.30pm - 3.45pm senior class.
Cost - Juniors €8- Seniors €10

Faolchú Inhouse Competition

On the 30th of July Faolchú will have our annual competition, this is a friendly event designed just for Faolchú students. The purpose of the competition is to introduce everyone to what competition is like with no need for nervousness or pressure. All competitors will receive a competition medal per event and there are trophies for 1st, 2nd and joint 3rd. No experiance is necessary as the whole idea of the event is to learn by experiance.
8 of our club members will be selected on the day as "Club Champion" in various divisions to go forward and represent Faolchú in the JKS Club Championships.
Catagories are as follows:
Ages 4 & 5, Kata - mixed,
Kumite- boys,
Kumite - girls.
Ages 6 & 7, Kata - mixed,
Kumite - boys,
Kumite _ girls.
Ages 8 - 10,Kata - mixed,
Kumite - boys,
Kumite - girls.
Age 11+ Kata - mixed,
Kumite - boys,
Kumite - girls.
Adults, Kata - mixed,
Kumite - men
Kumite - women.

Sensei Dermott O Keeffe

Sensei Dermott O Keeffe will be teaching a course on shotokan kata on the 10th of July in Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo, at the invitation of JKS Mayo.

Sensei O’Keeffe has been studying Shotokan Karate-Do since 1979, just two months before his sixteenth birthday, and it was then that he saw the man that would impress on him the true secrets of success and achievement in Shotokan Karate… Good attitude and hard work. This man is Sensei Andy Sherry, 8th Dan. Sensei O’Keeffe started training in Shotokan in 1979 under KUGB, graded to 1st Kyu under various KUGB Instructors including Sensei Eneoda.
Teaching from 1982 until 1993 and then again in 1997 to present. Sensei’s career to date has brought him to train with some of the worlds best Instructors and has gained great experience from them. Sensei O’Keeffe has been described as having a unique method of teaching, using traditional training methods as well as modern, to ensure that everyone who trains with him gets the best of old and new. Sensei is a qualified fitness instructor/Personal trainer (NCEHS) and Neuromuscular therapist (NMT). He is also a certified Level 2 Coach with the NCTC. With this experience and knowledge of anatomy and physiology, it means those who train with him learn how to practice karate techniques properly, thus reducing the risk of injury due to bad practice. His only regret is that all too often, politics in Karate prevent Shotokan Karateka from training together as friends,regardless of affiliation. If this was possible we could improve the development of Shotokan Karate in Ireland make us one of the best nations competing on the International stage.
Bio:
1982
My instructor broke away from the KUI. Took over as Chief Instructor of the Red Dragon Karate Club.
1982-87
Trained and competed with various instructors from different styles, Wado, Goju Ryu, Tae Kwon Do, Kick-boxing. During this time won many All Styles tournaments.
1987
Won the WAKO World All Styles and Kickboxing Championships.
1988
Approached Sensei Tommy McGrane with the view to returning to a recognised Shotokan Karate Organisation JKA.
1990
Received Shodan under Sensei Andy Sherry.
1990
Competed in the World Shoto Cup in Sunderland. Also competed in the ESKA Europeans Championships in Italy.
1992
Graded Nidan under Sensei Andy Sherry.
1993, August
Tore medial collateral and damaged Anterior cruciate knee ligaments.
1994
Returned training and ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.
1997
Returned training. At this time there had been a split in the KUI.
1999
Graded Sandan under Sensei Andy Sherry.
2001
Re-opened the Red Dragon Shotokan Karate Club.
2004
Graded Yondan under KUGB panel: Sensei Sherry, Sensei Poynton & Sensei Naylor.
2006
Joined Japan Karate Shotorenmei.
2007
Won JKS World Kata Championships.
2008
Graded Godan under JKS panel: Masao Kagawa Sensei JKS World Technical Director
2009
Won Veteran Kata in 10th All-Japan National Championships
Over the years Sensei O’Keeffe has trained with visiting instructors like Enoeda Sensei (Chief instructor for JKA Europe), Ohta Sensei, Kawasoe Sensei, Kagawa Sensei, Kanazawa Sensei and Sensei Andy Sherry and Sensei Frank Brennan and many more. He travels regularly to Japan, to train in the JKS Hombu dojo under Sensei's Kagawa, Yamaguchi,Kanyama,Ishimine & Inada to name a few.Sensei O’Keeffe hopes to pass on as much of this experience to his students for many years to come.

This is a fantastic opportunity for all Faolchú Students and they should make every effort to attend.

Club Grading

On Saturday 18th June 54 members of Faolchú Martial Arts Club travelled to Kilconly Community Center to attend a seminar and grading hosted by Sensei Scott Langley 5th Dan JKS. Everyone had a great day and all were successful in attaining their next grades. Here are a few photos from the event.

MVF Awards Night

MVF where very kind to invite us to their annual awards night last Saturday in Ballina. It was great to get together with all the MVF guys and was a real all round family event. A huge thanks to Master Harry Thompson (and his support crew). I have never previously had the experience of being amongst such a close knit and welcoming school of Martial Arts, until I met up with MVF and can only hope that we will grew to become as strong a group as we develop.

JKS Summer Seminar

On Saturday Faolchú members travelled up to the JKS summer seminar with Paul Giannandrea, Ronnie Forbes, Flavio Lötscher & Scott Langley. The JKS host several international instructors every year, which is a fantastic opportunity for karateka to see a variety of styles and opinions within the karate world.
Unfortunately on this occasion we only where able to stay for the first half of the session which was with Paul Giannandrea and Flavio Lötscher. The seminars were both physical and educational, based on kumite and educating on the aspects of competition scoring and development drills for our kumite.

Tuesday Classes Student of the Month

Well done to Little Wolves Student of the Month Dmitrijs Cigulovs and Combat Class student Regan Warde.

Grading and course with Sensei Scott Langley

Grading day is fast approaching. So make sure to keep up your practising outside of classes and stay focused on your own personal goal.
Sensei Scott will be holding training classes before each grading which is open to all to train and all Faolchú students should attend training even if they are not grading on this occasion.
Make sure to arrive in good time and have a clean ironed dogi on the day, any questions about the day can be answered by your sensei.
All karateka are welcome to attend, this is an open event.
Time table is:
09:00 Registration for Little Wolves
09:30 Class commences
10:30 Grading for Little Wolves Commences
11:30 Registration for Senior Class
11:45 Class Commences
13:00 Grading for Senior Class