Shorinji Kempo in West Midlands (UK)? [Archive]

Martin Uebele

26th October 2006, 10:28

I am a Shodan from Berlin and recently moved to Coventry to study at the University of Warwick. Unfortunately there seems no chance for regular training for me.

Does anyone know any (sleeping?) Kenshi at Warwick University, in Coventry, Birmingham or close by?

I really miss training and regard it as a great irony that after moving from a SK-developing country like Germany to a SK-post-industrialised country like England I have to stop training.

There are rumors that the "largest, blackest and meanest" Sensei in England is about to start a club in Coventry. Does anyone know anything about that?

Roly

26th October 2006, 11:28

I know two (ex-Abbey Dojo) kenshi in that area: Dave Marshall (sandan) and Christophe Dillinger (shodan). They have been talking about establishing a dojo for a while, and Dave certainly fits some of your described criteria. I'm sure they would appreciate encouragement/support/badgering. PM me and I'll cough up their contact details.

R.

Richard Codling

26th October 2006, 11:32

Martin Uebele

26th October 2006, 11:39

Thank you so much! I would be so happy to invest in this start up! I will discuss this with Ade Sensei this weekend, since I have planned a trip to Southampton. I am sure he will be happy top hear we can put a little white spot in that black hole of the Midlands.

RichD

26th October 2006, 13:38

Martin,

There was a Birmingham thread some time ago that may have some useful information/contacts.

Birmingham e-budo thread (http://www.e-budo.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25037)

Good luck

sonibasra

26th October 2006, 14:38

ePug

27th October 2006, 17:35

I love the notion of "Sleeper" kenshis... lol... A force waiting to be unleashed!
I live in Telford, 1/2 hour from Birmingham. I know that Dave Marshall wanted to open up a club there some time ago, but I don't know where he's at with the project. I will start some badgering of my own (although, knowing dave, it is a rather scary endeavour...).
I can accomodate for training sessions at the college where I work in Telford, great facilities and all, but it will have to be informal as I am not of a grade high enough to teach anyone (and I have been "asleep" for a couple of years).

Martin Uebele

29th October 2006, 20:42

It's about time there was a dojo in the Midlands. Martin, you may see England as a SK industrialised country, but as in Germany they're mostly in the south!

I hope you have a lot of success in bring kenshi together and taking the first steps to establish a dojo.

Good luck

Soni

Thanks for your support! I have found another black belt already, so the "club" is born :)
Maybe I will ask you for some of your experience with activating sleepers after I have met Christophe, the other Shodan!
The best to you!
Martin

Martin Uebele

29th October 2006, 21:06

I know an ikkyu and a sankyu who live in Coventry and miss training very much.

Seems to me that sandan + shodan + visiting shodan + ikkyu + sankyu = embryonic club :D

Roly, please get pestering, I know my friends would love to train again!

Richard

Can you please send me the contact details of the ikkyu and the sankyu? Christophe and I want to meet maybe next week, so I definetely want to have them with me!

Martin

Ade

30th October 2006, 08:58

Gassho

Martin came to Southampton to train over the weekend, I strongly suggested that he starts a club where he is.

I will support him and so will all my clubs.

We need more clubs and the midlands is crying out for us!

Can you help too?

Kesshu

Richard Codling

2nd November 2006, 12:22

Spoke to my frinds in Coventry last night and they're very interested - Martin, you have a PM with the details!

Good luck getting a club started!!!!!

Martin Uebele

3rd November 2006, 09:24

Gassho

__||__

Whoever wants to meet the only (??????) SK kenshi in the West-Midlands, feel invited to come tomorrow night, Nov 3, 8pm to Coventry, Earlsdon, "The City Arms", Earlsdon Street, Coventry, West Midlands, CV5 6EP.

http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/61/6105/City_Arms/Coventry

I am so much looking forward to this!

__||__

Kesshu

Martin

ScottUK

3rd November 2006, 09:28

Any chance of a club starting north of Brimingham? Coventry is a swine to get to...

Martin Uebele

3rd November 2006, 09:46

Any chance of a club starting north of Brimingham? Coventry is a swine to get to...

Hi Scott

Gassho

There is absolutely no decision made about anything yet. It was just two people on the phone today who happen to live in Earlsdon. I would suggest to stay with this for this weekend, but every other meeting locations depend on who wants to join in the future.

I have told Christophe already that I would be willing to make the way north of Birmingham (see above) if there is a training hall even when e.g. Oxford would be closer to me.

Hope you get involved!

Btw the meeting is TOMORROW, Sat, Nov FOUR not THREE.

Kesshu

Martin

Indar

3rd November 2006, 10:26

Hope you get involved!

Note to London Kenshi; there are some cheap train fares from London to Brum, and it's not such a long way to travel. Let's organise some support.

Martin Uebele

3rd November 2006, 10:38

Just learned something new. Make sure you get out in Coventry. From there it's a 10 minutes drive with the taxi (a fiver). Bus nr. 12/19 will also go in direction Earlsdon.

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Martin

ScottUK

3rd November 2006, 10:56

Exactly what is on the cards here? Are there plans for a SK dojo in the Midlands or is it just brainstorming at the moment?

Martin Uebele

3rd November 2006, 11:49

Depends on who comes, what people want and so on. But nothing will be decided yet. It's just a gathering to see how enthusiastic people are.

ScottUK

4th November 2006, 17:56

Unfortunately I cannot make it to the meet-up. However, both myself and my wife are interested in practicing SK, especially if it is north of Birmingham... :)

Please let me know the outcome of any decisions on a local dojo.

Martin Uebele

5th November 2006, 23:34

Scott

It was only me and Guy who met and we are both very enthusiastic. We are basically on the search of a senior kenshi who covers us up, but we will definetely contribute all our energy to this project. Dave Marshall would be first choice, but where is he?

There is no decision about a venue yet. It seems that we have you and your wive plus Christophe Dillinger who are north of Birmingham and Guy and I who are in the south of Coventry. Well, nobody expected it would be easy.

Christophe will come up with a venue in Talford, so this should be suitable for you. Guy and I are working on sharing a hall with some karate folks in Kenilworth. For the moment I would like to a session in Kenilworth once a week and then make it to Talford, and hope Guy agrees sharing the costs for the car. Do you have any venue?

Best and please stay in contact

Gassho

Martin

ScottUK

5th November 2006, 23:52

Hiya Martin,

Excellent - Telford's about 20 miles from me. A lot closer than Coventry (35 miles)... :)

Please drop me a PM when you have more news.

Thanks in advance,

ePug

6th November 2006, 14:05

Gassho ScottUK
Where are you based? I live in the Telford area, Wellington to be precise.
I have no intention of starting a club on my own at the moment, but I would welcome the opportunity of training. At the moment I train on my own in the garage or at the college where I work when I have some time.
I will of course help and support any new club starting up in the area, as far as I can, but I do think we'll need to do things properly and have everyone's agreement on it. As I say, these traning sessions would have to be informal until -and if- we get the go ahead from BSKF. I think this is the only proper way of doing things.
Please email me on cdillinger@btinternet.com and let's see if we can meet up or something.

Martin, sorry I couldn't make it. I am a family man (and teenagers are a handful) and I don't have a car. November is the wrong time of year to go motorbiking lol and I was busy. If you do get the authorization to start something, I will definitively help as and when I can.

ScottUK

6th November 2006, 14:30

Email sent.

Martin Uebele

11th November 2006, 11:49

Tomorrow there will be the most reduced form of training you could think of. Guy and I will meet in Spencer Park, Coventry, 10 a.m. and shake our legs of a little bit.

Whoever feels like it, please come!

Martin Uebele, Coventry

guybuxton

12th November 2006, 11:14

Myself and Martin have just done a quick bit of trianing (I'm very rusty after 2 years not training but it was nice to shake the cobwebs off a bit!). After training we thought we'd have a look for some sites for some more serious training, and I had a chat with a chap called Dave Taylor @ Top Notch gym in Birmingham. The gym is just across the way from the station and could be an excellent site for anyone based within about a 30-40mile radius of Birmingham and a local train station. Cost is about £20 an hour to hire the hall and as long as we have public liability insurance there happy to let us train there. The manager is getting back to me with available days but we can definetely use it over the weekend! I will post some more details later, but it would be nice if myself martin, chris, scott and Dave Marshall could meet up in Birmingham some time in the not too distant future to check the place out.

ScottUK

12th November 2006, 12:32

I used to be a member there when it was called Cannon's - nice place, excellent facilities.

Martin Uebele

21st November 2006, 14:52

I just got an e-mail from Dave Marshall and we will meet this week in Birmingham. We haven't settled a date yet.

Everyone is invited to come! :)

Joerg

21st November 2006, 15:55

Everyone is invited to come! :)

Sorry, can't make it this time.:rolleyes: The flight would cost 300 Euro for this week (since when does Ryanair offer one way flights for more than 200 Euro? :eek: )

No serious, Berlin will help if we can, once you get things started. If only to make the class look bigger :)

Maybe someone living a bit closer and having the right connections to the BSKF "management"?

Martin Uebele

21st November 2006, 16:02

Sorry, can't make it this time.:rolleyes: The flight would cost 300 Euro for this week (since when does Ryanair offer one way flights for more than 200 Euro? :eek: )

No serious, Berlin will help if we can, once you get things started. If only to make the class look bigger :)

Maybe someone living a bit closer and having the right connections to the BSKF "management"?

Parachuting, beaming, transfigurating, walking, riding on horseback, everything is ok as long as you arrive! It seems Friday night will be the day, but has to be confirmed by Guy still.

Martin

Martin Uebele

22nd November 2006, 09:26

Gassho

__||__

Tonight 8.30 there will be a meeting of Midlands-Kenshi in Birmingham, close to New Street Station:

"The Old Joint Stock"
(http://www.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=birmingham+temple+row&ie=UTF8&z=15&ll=52.47886,-1.886473&spn=0.018401,0.053988&om=1&iwloc=addr)

Dave Marshall will be there, Guy Buxton and Martin Uebele, maybe some others.

Everybody is welcome!

Kesshu

__||__

Martin

Martin Uebele

23rd November 2006, 13:10

Yesterday Dave, Guy and myself met up together for a beer. Now we are looking into finding a suitable venue. We think Mondays and/or Fridays 8-9 would be most suitable at the moment.

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Martin

Martin Uebele

5th December 2006, 08:47

Gassho

__||__

We will meet tomorrow, Wed, 8pm again at The Old Joint Stock, Temple Row, Birmingham, and then walk to some gyms closeby. Guy Buxton and Dave Marshall will be there and we invite anyone interested to join.

Kesshu

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Martin Uebele

Steve Williams

5th December 2006, 17:50

Yesterday Dave, Guy and myself met up together for a beer. Now we are looking into finding a suitable venue. We think Mondays and/or Fridays 8-9 would be most suitable at the moment.

__||__

Martin
Hi Guys
Great to see a potential branch in birmingham (area).....
If i can give you the wisdom of my experience (such that it is), Friday at that time is not good..... most people are unwinding from a week at work and the majority are either at home or in the pub...... I remember when we trained at that time on a friday we got very few regular members..... if you arranged an earlier time then it would work (aiming to finish by 8 or 8-30 would be better).
Monday is not too bad a night for training, tuesday and thursday seem to be best, but not always available......

If you did get a class going on a monday then I may be able to come up on occasion..... only about 1+1/2 hours each way travelling for me so won't make an "every week" committment, but once a month is not impossible.

Give my regards to Dave Marshall when you see him.

Tripitaka of AA

5th December 2006, 19:54

I won't be able to attend (no surprises there :(), but I would like to pass on my best wishes to Dave. He began his Shorinji Kempo career at the Abbey Dojo. For the first few weeks he was wearing a dogi with "Chintakan Karate" and a flying eagle on the back, IIRC. :). He soon became one of the most popular Kenshi at the club, enthusiastic and earnest, his soft-spoken shyness always came as a surprise to those who were in awe of his size.

He was also a BT engineer working in West End District when I joined BT and we bumped into other a few times over the years. I gather that his Shorinji Kempo career went from strength to strength in the years since I last saw him. He sent me a pic of his children a while back and they look beautiful.

Best of luck with the project. If I meet any interested students I'll be sure to send them your way...

Martin Uebele

7th December 2006, 11:14

Gassho

First, thank you for your encouraging posts! Arigato!

We are still in the tiring phase of looking up venues. Yesterday we met and there is a gym at Temple Row, which could be rented for Monday evenings, but we haven't decided yet and are still looking for alternatives.

Unfortunetaly, Warwick University for example expects 30 students to support before you can even establish a club, and then the facilities may be used. Pretty discouraging.

Dave is very determined to establish that club and wants to take care that it is viable in the long run. So you will find me in cubs around the country until we have found a place which suits everybody's needs. Next Saturday in Bristol for example!

Kesshu

Martin Uebele

David Dunn

7th December 2006, 12:23

Unfortunetaly, Warwick University for example expects 30 students to support before you can even establish a club, and then the facilities may be used. Pretty discouraging.

That's less discouraging than you might think Martin. Every university branch has to jump through some similar kind of hoop. It's a silly situation, but the Union needs to be assured that there is some interest, particularly if they're going to offer facilities. If you can get 30 people to sign a bit of paper, then you can get started. You don't actually have to have 30 members attending the classes. If you know someone at the university, it should be do-able. If you want some advice send me a PM - I've done this sort of thing before.

Indar

7th December 2006, 13:07

Now if we can only persuade Rupert to start a dojo in Manchester.........

Martin Uebele

10th December 2006, 11:22

Gassho

__||__

Thanks again for your encouraging comments. About using the facilities at Warwick Uni it could be done but takes about a year as I was informed by existing clubs. We should not rule this opportunity out but it's definitely a long term subject.

I will be in Berlin for the next four weeks and therefore I can only try to call some people up and send e-mails. Our next meeting will be in week 2 in 2007, hopefully with more information.

I have the impression we will have difficulties getting into Coventry or Birmingham Universities without having students among us. Therefore we still haven't ruled out the possibility of starting to train in a commercial gym while looking for a low-cost venue that might attract a broader audience.

I personally think the activation of sleeping Kenshi and representation of ShorinjiKempo in Birmingham is a very important issue for the BSKF. No other place in the UK outside London is so populated and represents such a large potential. We are therefore determined not to disappoint the expectations we already raised and again are grateful for the support we have already received.

Kesshu

__||__

Martin Uebele, Coventry

judepeel

10th December 2006, 21:47

http://www.thebudokan.co.uk/index.asp

I trained in Aikido here while I was in Birmingham, but the chap that ran it was prepared to let me hire a room for Shorinji Kempo practice. I just never managed to persuade anyone to come train with me. You did need to join but it was £35 a couple of years ago and I got a free dogi.

It's quite nice, matted rooms. You might to give it a look if you don't find anywhere else.

ScottUK

11th December 2006, 08:37

Not much parking there though.

Does SK use mats or timber floor? Everytime I see an embu it seems that SK uses timber floors...? The floored area at Budokan is fairly small.

judepeel

11th December 2006, 09:40

We do usually train on hard floors but generally you learn to nage on mats before you graduate to wooden floors.

It isn't large at the budokan I just thought it might serve as a starting place, if you were having trouble finding venues.

yoj

11th December 2006, 09:48

Also, if you are aiming at Uni interest, set up nearby, discount to students, and build that way, then get some signatories before freshers fair next year, and run a stand there....

Martin Uebele

12th December 2006, 15:37

Gassho

Thank you Jude for this suggestion. We'll see what the others think about it. What would those 35 pound cover? Two hours?

Scott, you know this place too?

I think it will be not trivial to get in university and therefore a starter at some place like Jude's could make sense.

I am grateful for all further suggestions!

Kesshu

Martin Uebele, Coventry

judepeel

12th December 2006, 17:39

This is from memory and about 3 year ago but that was to join as a member (I got a free dogi as well) after that I think it was £3/4 per person if 2 of us wanted to train in the room when it was empty. Basically the same as visiting the gym.

The guy seemed very nice I'd just have a chat with him.

Martin Uebele

13th December 2006, 09:35

This is from memory and about 3 year ago but that was to join as a member (I got a free dogi as well) after that I think it was £3/4 per person if 2 of us wanted to train in the room when it was empty.

Jude

That would be so cool! I would like that a lot. I am gonna write him an e-mai!
Thanks again!

Martin

Martin Uebele

2nd August 2007, 09:30

Gassho!

Believe it or not, but there will be training once a week in Birmingham from now on! It takes place

Thursdays at 8.00pm

at

Erdington Methodist church on Station Road on the corner of Wesley
road, Erdington Birmingham B23

Sensei Dave Marshall (3rd Dan) will be more than happy to welcome new and experienced kenshi alike. Please contact me if you need more info. There's a leaflet I can send you by e-mail.

Now the bad news: I am back in Berlin and can't join in. I've started training at Berlin Humboldt University Dojo again. :(

I will pay Dave's new club a visit in October and I hope I will be meeting an enthusiastic bunch of believers!

Gassho

Martin Uebele