Sensei Joe and a group of students from Oxford Karate Academy and our sister dojo, Oxon Karate Club attended the Seiwakai European Seminar & 1st European Championship in Sesimbra, Portugal.

After an eventful journey, involving two failed attempts to land the plane at Lisbon, an unwelcome windy landing at Faro, a doomed drive involving abandonment of an electric vehicle (thanks a lot for that recommendation, Europecar!), we arrived in a taxi at the fabled Hotel Do Mar in Sesimbra, and met up with Shihan Paul Coleman’s former student, David Freeland and our Seiwakai friends.  

We enjoyed two days of training with Fujiwara Hanshi and top Shihankai, Vassie Naidoo Hanshi, Rastislav Mraz Kyoshi, Gurmit Singh Kyoshi, Abel Figueiredo Kyoshi, and Pal Gila Kyoshi.  We learned a number of detailed technical points in relation to a number of the key katas.  

The seminar also included a memorial to our beloved Shihan Paul Coleman, in which Sensei Joe presented Shihan’s belt and a photograph to Fujiwara Hanshi, to go to Japan.

On Sunday a number of us enjoyed watching the European Championship, before a slightly less eventful return journey.