2019 AOGKF NATIONAL GASSHUKU WITH SENSEI KAZUO TERAUCHI

Over the weekend of November 1-3 2019, the AOGKF hosted Sensei Kazuo Terauchi, 9th Dan from IOGKF Japan, who over three days amazed crowds of over 165 karate practitioners, plus spectators, with his incredible speed, ability and technical instruction. Terauchi Sensei pushed everyone to their limits, but also enhanced their Karate with great sessions on Kata and Kumite drills. There was plenty of sweat and laughs under Terauchi Sensei watch.

The Japanese Embassy in Canberra was quick to support the event, sending deputy chief of missions, Minister Omura, to welcome everyone to the Gasshuku. Terauchi Sensei & members of AOGKF performed demonstrations for Minister Omura and they were well received. AOGKF members were very lucky to have Minister Omura visit the event. 

Along with AOGKF senior instructors, overseas guest instructors, Sensei Joseph Tait and Sensei John Marrable, also did a fantastic job assisting Terauchi Sensei in delivering a very popular Gasshuku.

The Gasshuku was then followed by the AOGKF annual friendship tournament where over 135 competitors took to the floor to test their skills against others from four different states. The friendship, goodwill and great sportsmanship displayed on the day was inspiring and all the competitiors and officials did a great job.

Here’s what some of our students had to say about the event

The 2019 annual Gasshuku and friendship tournament was a series of intensive training sessions. Students and senseis came from many different dojos to come and train together with a couple of experienced senseis who came from other countries to teach. Sensei, along with three of us students, attended. Over a weekend, we trained with multiple senseis, learning new techniques, moves, kata, and then spending time on specific parts of the katas and finessing the requirements for future gradings and events, to make ourselves better at karate.

At this Gasshuku, 9th dan sensei Terauchi came from Japan as the special guest instructor along with Sensei Joseph Tait – his translator, Sensei John Marabble from New Zealand, and other Senseis from Australia. Though Sensei Terauchi is 71 years old, he is almost solid muscle! We marvelled at his is speed and agility. When he was asked how much he trained, said, “Only 6 and ½ hours per day on top of other teaching.” He is very good with children but is harder on adults. While he took us for warm-ups, he was constantly getting everyone to go quicker, harder, and better. When training with him in groups, he got everyone to practice the same moves over and over again going through the individual moves with everyone in detail.

Over the weekend we covered speed of techniques, height of kicks, and basics. It was very fun, tiring, and very different to our weekly training sessions in our Yass dojo. A Gasshuku gives you a chance to meet friends and find out more about them and the dojos that they are a part of. A Gasshuku is a not to be missed event and spending a weekend for one of these is a wonderful way to spend it.

Joseph and Dominic

The 2019 AOGKF National Gassi-iuk and Friendship Tournament was a great experience, especially being taught by Sensei Terauchi. Sensei Terauchi trains 6 hours a day not including when he is teaching, and this has helped him stay fit and agile because he is 71 and still doing cartwheels. Having both the Gasshuku and Friendship Tournament on the same weekend was a great idea. Having the Gasshuku on the Saturday was good because they gave us tips for the tournament on Sunday. There was a session on Saturday that was just focused on combinations for kumite.  The session I had with Sensei Terauchi we just running through shisochin and he really focused on the grip break and the bunkai for it.

 The tournament on Sunday was good, even though I didn’t get a place in kata or kumite. It gave me things to think about what I need to work on in the future. The first group to go for the Gasshuku was the black belts and it was extremely interesting watching the black belts doing kata then kumite. It was a really good weekend all up having the gasshuku with Sensei Terauchi then the friendship tournament on the next day.

Toby