Luton Higash Karate Kai

Ogwen Bank, Wales - 6th-10th May

It seemed like only yesterday that the Luton Lunatics were organising their previous journey to North Wales, and yet here we were again getting ready again to travel to the Ogwen 30th Anniversary. This year we were a 13 strong band, 4 up from the previous year. With 5 seasoned Ogwen veterans and 8 very nervous and apprehensive Ogwen virgins.

The Luton Lunatics - from left to right - Kevin, Little Lee, Alex, Sam, John, Chris C, Steve, Cherise, Lurch, Catherine, Micky Mack, Chris B and Becky

This year our group was arriving over a period of two days, 7 of us on the Saturday and the other 6 on the Sunday. Once the rest of our merry band had arrived and settled in, the tension started to mount with the virgins. This wasn't helped by the veterans of the course doing their level best at winding them up.

The alarm went off at 6.15am signifying the start of Monday morning. Miraculously it wasn't raining which is always a good start. We padded up and got ready for the first session of the course, you could almost smell the tension and adrenaline in the air of caravan 45. At 7.20am we made our way to the bridge, meeting up with the rest of the course attendees. We assembled on what would be our Dojo for the morning sessions - a large grass verge overlooking a river. Sensei Spanton asked for a show of hands, first showing who were which grades and then who had been coming for over 10 years, 15 years, 20 years and over 20 years. Only one man put his hand up to this - Brian McDowell who had attended for the last 27 years.

The session kicked off, for want of a better word with some hard exercising and stretching to which everyone gave their all. We the partnered up for the first of many sparring matches to come. This literally knocked the nerves from most of the Ogwen virgins.

Morning Sparring - Sam getting feisty!

Once the first session was completed the Luton Lunatics were raring to get to the next session and were hyperactive, however it was the veterans who were conserving their energy for the next session and the week ahead. That is all but one Luton Virgin who ended up withthe nick-name Bag Puss Boy - Lee Goodman (who spent 90% of the time between the sessions sleeping and for that matter spent most of his non-training time asleep). This would prove to be to his detriment (explained later in my report).

10.30am arrived and we were all in the car park clad in our warriors robes ready to start the 2nd session of the course. Sensei Spanton announced that there were going to be a few awards given at the end of the week, one being the 'Press Up Pratt' of the week award. The first technique kicked off and so did the first press up (Catherine Hyde from Luton leading the way). This session consisted of 2 hours of good hard basics and nearing the end of the session most of us were beginning to wilt. Sensei Spanton called Yamme and asked everyone to be back for 2.30 for the final session of the day. This was mainly Kata and Bunkai. Yamme was called signifying the end of that day's final session. Most of the Luton Lunatics retired at this time to the club house for several pints of anesthetic. I say most, as Luton caravan 38 with Bag Puss Boy, Lurch and Passenger 54 retired to bed, whilst the rest of the club discussed how they thought the day had gone and what their general first impression was.

Lunatics at rest - Lee, Chris C, Alex, Steve, Catherine, Kevin, Becky, Micky Mack, Lurch, Sam and John

Day two and most of the Luton club's Virgins were feeling the muscle soreness which becomes a distant memory from one Ogwen to the next. Most were thinking that if this is how I feel after day 1 how will I feel by day 3? However all pushed on with 7.30am exercising and sparring. Again Sensei Spanton was blowing the dust of some more of the traditional exercises that most of us would prefer remained forgotten or at least have the dust left on! At the end of the session the Ogwen virgins were very pensive as they were unsure when they were going get the traditional Ogwen dunking. No dunking on this session people. 10.30am, session 2, day 2 Sensei Spanton announced that there was to be a Kata Competition to be held on Wednesday (Ungraded to Brown Belt) and Thursday (Black Belts) and a pool contest later on Wednesday evening. Training began with some strong basics to start the day, including nice high Mawashi Geri's. A loud groan could be heard as we all struggled with stiff limbs to kick Jodan. It would seem that one session would finish and the next one would begin. The day ended and again we all trotted off to our caravans to prepare for a drink and some pool practice. This was the day the hard core of the Luton Lunatics decided that those who sloped off early would get a penalty, so the plotting began. It was to be a midnight raid on caravan 47. Alex Buxton, self confessed Mr. Big went home early and therefore had to be penalised. We located an open window and Kevin "the Snake" Cordwell (later to be Kevin the "Slightly Unstable" Cordwell) slivered through and unlocked the door. Our hit squad had done its home work, we knew which room Alex the Big was sleeping in and with precision timing all got into the room and proceeded to pass punishment. Alex's only retort was "who let you gits in here". Our job done, we left as quickly as we had arrived.

Day 3, with 6.30am here already and rigor mortis already setting in, Luton Caravan 45 ambled into life with a loud groan. We met our fellow club members on route and immediately started plotting our next raid which was to be on Caravan 38. The morning session consisted of hard exercise and non touch sparring, contact sparring and ended with a game of over and under which everyone enjoyed. The next 2 sessions concentrated on Kata and Bunkai with lots of group work.

Kata and Bunai - Alex, Kevin the Snake, Chris B and Sam.

For more Bunkai pictures, see the Gallery

Then it was time for the Kata Competition. The first up was Beck Chant, who if I may digress for a moment deserves a mention, as a week before the course Becky had attended a grading and had had to stop half way through as she had a panic attack. Once this was over she was able to continue and finish the grading. Becky announced her Kata, Pinan Nidan, and went through it from beginning to end with no problems in front of 50+ people. This for me has to be the most memorable moment of the course as it is a fantastic achievement in the space of a week, well done Becky! This goes to show what the Ogwen experience can do for you as a person. All the Kata and nerves out of the way we adjourned to a local swimming pool for a well earned Jacuzzi, sauna and steam. This done, we came back to camp to start the pool competition. I was partnered with Richard from the Malden club where we both, to our astonishment, made it through to the finals, along with 4 other members of the Luton Club. With the contest over and the finals due for the next day Passenger 54 - Mickey Mack, Bag Puss Boy and Lurch - Daniel Sufrin went to bed. Only Lurch who had been privy to our plotting, as he had been out every night to the bitter end, knew what was planned and would leave the door open to assist us in our deed.

We arrived at caravan 38 fully padded up, Samantha and Chris Colebrook the Tae Kwon Do twins, went for one door whilst myself and Kevin "the Snake" Cordwell the other. We now encountered a problem - Passenger 54 was awake and watching TV. This in mind we had to adapt our stratagem or abort. We voted to continue. At this point the caravan door was flung open and we thought we had been rumbled. Fortunately it was Lurch checking his car as an excuse to leave the door open. I looked to where Kevin the Snake was when the door had opened and he was gone, he had slithered under the caravan. Our assault on caravan 38 began. Kevin the Snake and Chris Colebrook of the Tae Kwon Do twins would tackle the front room where Passenger 54 sat watching TV. They slithered along the floor until they reached the front room still undetected whilst Samantha and I had Bag Puss boy - the command was given and the attack began. We left again as quickly as we arrived.

John, Chris C and Kevin the Snake relaxing after a hard day's karate

Day 4, 7.30am on the bridge with a very foggy head, thinking to myself how much did I drink last night, doh!! The session began with the normal exercises and the some work on blocks and counters, followed with some sparring, finishing with a game that would leave a wake of destruction and injuries in its path. It goes to show one thing-don't play games with Karate Ka as they will do almost anything to win! The next 2 sessions went very quickly with a mixture of Basics and Kata. Then it was the Black Belt Kata Competition which had a vast amount of extremely good performances. Then on to the pool finals in the evening. This was eventually won by Chris "Biddy" Baxter from Luton & Colin from Sligo. Well done fellas! With the pool contest over we all lapsed into drinking and chatting about how the course had gone. It was at this stage Kevin the Snake changed to Kevin the Unstable. He went to the little boys' room and on his return decided that rather than to sit down like a normal person he would launch himself across a table. This was much to the amusement of Sensei Spanton and the Malden club. He started to blame inanimate objects such as the chair for his acrobatics. It was then we were subjected to his Karate Elvis impressions and decided on this note (excuse the pun) to go back to caravan and get some sleep for the final day was upon us. The Ogwen Virgins were painfully aware that they still had yet to be dunked.

Last Day, 7.30am on the grassy verge which we had come to love so much doing our normal exercises and stretching and straight into some good old fashioned sparring. Passenger 54 had developed some admirers from the Swindon crowd throughout the week who had now found the opportunity to show their affection. Sensei Spanton stated "what it's like to be popular". Then it was time to dunk the virgins. Alex and I had already ear marked Samantha to get dunked first. She went in with a struggle almost taking me with her! However, I escaped with little more than a wet foot, but only for a moment. It was at this point I was tackled to the ground and "tenderised" as it is known in Ogwen, I knew resistance was futile, not to mention painful, so in I went taking the lovely Sue Boggis with me.

Dunked Catherine

For more dunkings see the Gallery

The final morning session was over and the Ogwen Virgins and I squelched back to our caravans to prepare for the final sessions of the day. The final session over with and the guys who were grading making themselves ready for what has to be one of the hardest gradings or experiences you will every have. The guys did well pushing themselves to the max.

The course over and the gradings done a sadness filled our caravans as we were now having to say goodbye to Higashi people in Ogwen and the family atmosphere that was generated by them, for another year.

My report completed all that remains for me to say is a congratulations to the new Dan grades and thanks to all my friends from the other Higashi Clubs and big thanks to Sensei Spanton from the whole of the Luton club for another fantastic course.

Sam, Sensei Peter Spanton and John

John Hurley and the Luton Lunatics