Five day training in Onecote: 18th - 23rd may 2003
Click the photos for larger versions. More photos can be found in the gallery.

As you may be aware, the YTCCA is holding a demonstration event on the Afternoon of June 29th 2003 and, although the format and content of the various performances has long been arranged, some of us felt the need to polish up our parts in a group environment. So it was that five of us set off to Onecote on Sunday 18th May for an intensive training session. The only instructor in attendance from the beginning was Matthew Calvert but, as this was a training event rather than a teaching event and all the participants were approaching a similar standard, this was not really an issue.

The days soon fell into a routine: rising early, personal training, tea, group training, more tea, more group training, lunch (with tea), some time for chatting and exploring ideas (with more tea), more group training particularly aimed at demonstration performances, tea, more group training, dinner and evenings of chatting and entertainment from Danieli's DVD collection (many Kung Fu titles). We ate well, thanks to Matthew's expertise in the kitchen, with everyone pitching in to help out.

As often happens, when you make the effort to get something done under your own steam, others join in to lend a hand. On Wednesday at about 8pm level two instructor Graham Barlow arrived, accompanied by two of his students, Adam and Brian, keen to join in and work on their own demonstration pieces, and half an hour later Sifu Rand (senior instructor) arrived to help add some shine to the demos being practiced. After a splendid dinner, and a question and answer session ranging over many martial arts topics (accompanied by a certain amount of light hearted banter), the group settled down to analyse video footage taken over the previous few days, with Sifu Rand making recommendations and everyone making observations about what could be done to improve the, already excellent, work.

During the evening Sifu Kerr phoned to say that he and Sifu Robertson would be arriving in the morning - early! Sifu Rand quipped that he expected them to be there before he got up and the someone started a book on when they would actually arrive, bets varied from 11am though to 1pm. As it turned out no-one was even close as the two Sifu turned up at precisely 9am the next morning, having left at 6 am.

Previously all training had been done outside in the grounds of the house and in one of the old cow sheds, despite the poor weather conditions, but it was decided to hire the local hall for the next two days as the weather looked like getting even worse and there were now too many people to fit comfortably in the cow shed!

Training over the next day and a half was intensive. Covering aspects of: Chin Na, Choy Lee Fut, Tai Chi Chuan, Pushing Hands, Broadsword, Straight Sword and attack scenarios involving multiple opponents. Exhausting but great fun!

After lunch there was a surprise for some of the group as Sifu Rand handed out level 1 instructor certificates for Tina Andersen, Danieli Buccheri, Nial Sawa and Robert Gillen. Sifu Kerr had authorised the certification earlier in the week but it was decided to make the presentation in Onecote when they were all together. A very well deserved award for four students who have been assisting with the teaching of classes for some time under the supervision of their own instructor.

On Thursday evening video recordings and pictures of the day's training were again scrutinised and minute changes made to the timing and dynamics of various performances.

After exhaustive training early on Friday morning a full run through of the demonstration event was undertaken and the performances went very well indeed (special thanks to Sifu Rand for some inventive gong work), with the first half hitting the timing target almost to the minute!

All in all an extremely successful few days, culminating in a very promising run through of the demonstration event. I think all present would agree that the extended format of the training allowed for some detailed work to be done on many aspects of martial arts training and yet was more relaxed than the weekend intensive training normally done (at least up until the Sifu arrived). Perhaps a summer school would be a useful event in future years?

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