Training Course with Seiji Morioka 6th Dan in Wallsend, British Judo Council ( MAC )

In 1980 I assisted Morioka Sensei 6th Dan at a three day training course in Leicestershire,this turned out to be such a good course that I invited him to Wallsend to give a judo course for the British Judo Council (MAC) Northern Region.
The course was arranged for the 27th/28th June 1981 at the Europa Lodge Hotel, Wallsend on Tyne. Mike Illot came with some of his students from Oxford and Ian Tanser came from NDLB Judo Club Hull, as well as junior and senior judoka from our area, in among the group we had a total of ten Dan grades.
Morioka Sensei spent a number of years at the Kodokan, Tokyo, Japan but now taught judo extensively throughout Europe as well as at Blackheath Judo Club, his own club in South London.
As you would expect the standard was very high and everyone thought the course to be a very good experience as this was the first time any of the kyu grades had experienced tuition from a Japanese sensei.
On the way back to Newcastle Central Station on the Sunday evening professor Morioka invited Alan Shaw and I to his home for a Japanese meal the next time we were in London, but we never made it.

Photo, Dan Grade line up, Left to Right, Back Row, Chris Dawson, Alan Shaw, Bob Patterson, Mike Illot, Les Jones, Peter Doherty.
Front Row, Ian Tanser, Steve Makin, S Morioka 6th Dan, Name Unknown,Name Unknown.

First to win the Stephen Milsted Award

When the Bushido Judo Kwai began in May 1976 we only had senior members, it was not until June of that year, when we moved into Battle Hill Community Centre that the club was opened to juniors.
On our first evening we had over one hundred children turn up,one of them was Jan Russell and he became a very prolific medal winner,Jan was the first to win the monthly trophy,he also represented the area at the International Budo Federation, European Schools Judo Championship, in Frankfurt,West Germany in 1977,and in October that year, won gold at the British Judo Council(MAC),National Championship, in Lowestoft,Sufolk.
It was in August 1978 that Jan Russell became the first recipient of the Stephen Milsted Award.

PHOTO, Jan being presented with his gold medal by Ken Holmes, Club Coach, Geesink Judo Kwai, Blyth.
At the Bushido Judo Kwai's first club championship 9th October 1976.

Tim Dugdale 1st DAN

Tim Dugdale joined the Bushido Judo Kwai at the age of five, he has competed in regional, national and international judo competitions with great success.

Tim is a previous winner of our Judoka of the Year Award ,and has also won the clubs highest accolade, the Stephen Milstead Award, when he was a junior.

Now age 17 , Tim was awarded his black belt 1st dan, at our dan grading in December 2009, making him the 19th Bushido Judo Kwai member to be awarded shodan, since the club was founded in May 1976.

Photo, Tim with his new black belt, which was brought from the Kodokan, Tokyo, Japan, in anticipation of this day.

Seiji Morioka Shihan ( Judo Course )

I first came to meet Morioka Sensei 6th dan in 1980, Alex Smith ,who i had known for a number of years, asked me if i would assist Morioka Sensei, at a three day judo course in Earl Shilton, Leicestershire, Paul Tucker 1st dan and Carl Saddler 2nd dan, had also been invited to assist.

The course lasted a total of 22 hours, very hard hours, but so worthwhile, that i invited Morioka Sensei to give a course in Newcastle upon Tyne at a later date.

Four members of the Bushido Judo Kwai came with me, they were Linda Dawson, Judith Armstrong, Les Jones and Steve Makin

Bushido Judo Kwai, Judoka of the Year 2009

Ryan Evans age 10, joined the Bushido Judo Kwai in 2007, he has now reached the grade of 3rd kyu.

Over the passed year, Ryan has shown his instructors that he has exceptional technical ability, whether in kata or contest ,but more importantly that he has both time and encouragement for our younger members, for all of this Ryan has been awarded our Judoka of the Year award 2009.

Photo, Ryan Evans with his award

Master Haku Michigami and Bushido Judo Kwai

In July 1978 two members of Wallsends Bushido Judo Kwai, travelled to the 20th International Judo Course, held at the Palais Des Sport, Bordeaux, France, to study judo under the direction of Master Haku Michigami 9th dan, Chris Dawson 2nd dan and Peter Heathcote 1st kyu, had been invited to attend this highly rated course, by W.S. Wood 5th dan National Coach to the British Judo Council ( MAC ) .

Michigami Sensei, was born October 21st 1912, in Ehime Prefecture, Yawatahama City, Japan, and began his judo training in 1920 aged 8years, he entered Busen,Kyoto in 1934, the only professional martial arts school in Japan and graduated march 1938.

The course lasted for one week, to us the judo was dynamic, crisp and fresh, but this was just the begining, from 1978 till 1986, fouteen junior and senior members of Bushido Judo Kwai, had the privilege to learn from this great master.