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| Cheque presentation to Aspergillus Centre |
October is a busy month for me, and my family. Not because of Halloween or the build up to Bonfire Night and Christmas; it’s a month when we fund-raise for my late father’s charity: The National Aspergillus Centre in Wythenshawe, Manchester.
I personally ask for all the people that I train with for a donation of £1 and this is supported by many of my friends and family in and out of the arts. I try to train as many times as I can and also try to train with a new dojo, to keep the arts alive for future generations. I teach 3 lessons a week on a normal week in which my pupils also support me in my month of training.
I started the month on Saturday 1st October, training with the Satori Kan Kenjutsu dojo in Sunderland and with a good friend of mine, Sensei John Barrass. We were taught in an extended 4-hour class and were taken through many mutto waza of unarmed battlefield techniques.
The first Thursday of each month the Aspergillus Centre hosts a patients/carers support group in which people get a chance to get together and share ideas and stories but also hear how things are progressing in the treatment and prevention of the disease. This Thursday, 6th October, I made people aware of my intentions and everyone was supportive.
Before my father died he was studying at the Open University and unfortunately never found out his results from finishing his diploma. My mother and I made the trip to collect his certificates in his memory the day after the meeting which was Friday 7th.
Sunday 9th I made the trip up to one of my father’s old friends in the arts, to the Shosha dojo headed by Sensei Adrian Ward to train together in Kobudo. There were members from other dojos as well who joined in and we worked on bo and sai.
On Saturday 15th I trained with the E.S.D.C.S dojo in Warrington where they ran a 6 hour street combat and dan grade course. A great but punishing day was had and I wished I’d had a day off from training after this session, but it was back to the dojo in the morning.
Sunday 16th I was teaching bo at the Ryu Do, Warrington where we practiced contact partner work, going through a short kata and bunkai.
Wednesday 19th was the anniversary and at class we lit a candle and held a moment’s silence in which we were supported by members of the Manchester Martial Arts Academy. We had a very productive class running through Iaido Setei kata and some kama.
Sunday 23rd I was back in Warrington to discuss with other interested members about keeping the old ‘Ippon, Wazari’ style of refereeing, something I remember fighting under in my days of Shukokai Karate.
My final training session was with the TYGA dojo in Garstang with Sensei Mike Dickinson. We had an hour’s ‘introduction’ to Japanese and Okinawan Kobudo before a 2-hour training session on the jo and sai, again a very productive session for keeping the arts alive and another future dojo I shall be keeping in contact with in the future.
I managed to present a cheque at the next Aspergillus patients / carers meeting for £225, not the biggest but I’m sure it will go to good use. I want to thank everyone who helped me in my fundraising and for also supporting me in my martial arts training, the arts have so much to offer many types of people and I know I would not be the person I am today without them.
You can find out more about David's kobudo instruction by visiting: http://www.bukido.yolasite.com
E-mail David at: macca23@sky.com
