Sensei Ohta Visits Colchester

We welcomed our Chief Instructor Sensei Y.Ohta (6th Dan JKA) for the very first time at the beginning of the month.

Sensei Ohta is a graduate of Takushoku University, he has also attended the famous JKA Instructors Classes. Between 1982 and 2003 he was the official assistant to Sensei K. Enoeda 9th Dan (deceased). During this time Ohta Sensei built up an international reputation and is now considered as one of the most popular and technically skilled Shotokan Instructors in the world today.

Brown and black belts had the privilege of training with Sensei, working on distance basics and the kata Enpi.

The all grades session afterwards was very popular and included all the Heian katas, Tekki-Shodan and Bassai-Dai.

The grading followed, a big congratulations to the following:

Will Stone – 1st Kyu – Brown + 2 white
Jason Lepley - 2nd Kyu – Brown + 1 white
Pravesh Cahoolessur – 3rd Kyu – Brown
Janet Smith  - 3rd Kyu – Brown
Sue Brown  - 3rd Kyu – Brown
Callum Lepley  - 4th Kyu – Purple + white
Sam Heap – 5th Kyu – Purple
Rhys Barber - 5th Kyu – Purple
Molly Fraser - 6th Kyu – Green
Joe Battersby - 6th Kyu – Green
Euan Piper - 6th Kyu – Green
Simon Duan - 6th Kyu – Green
Shaun Thomas - 7th Kyu – Yellow
Tom Cassford - 7th Kyu – Yellow
John Wheal - 7th Kyu – Yellow
Lu Duan - 7th Kyu – Yellow
Linda Duan - 7th Kyu – Yellow
Connor Danylenko - 7th Kyu – Yellow
Brigit Andrews - 8th Kyu – Red
Paul Andrews - 8th Kyu – Red
Mary Bollan - 8th Kyu – Red
Sophie Bickmore - 8th Kyu – Red
Sunny Duan - 8th Kyu – Red
Gareth Evans - 8th Kyu – Red
Steve Danylenko - 8th Kyu – Red (Double Graded)
Kat Crosthwaite - 9th Kyu – Orange
Phoebe Hennessy - 9th Kyu – Orange
Oliver Licence - 9th Kyu – Orange
Vivien Peng - 9th Kyu – Orange

The next Colchester grading will be in March 2010.