Ian Culpan

Photos:

Achievements
1990	1st	Kodokai National Championships	Team Kata
1989	2nd	Kodokai National Championships	Brown Belt Kata
1989	2nd	SSKC	Kata
1988	1st	SSKC	Kata
1987	2nd	SSKC	Kata

Ian's Grades
9th Kyu	14th September 1986
8th Kyu	15th February 1987
7th Kyu	31st May 1987
6th Kyu	6th September 1987
5th Kyu	24th Jan 1988
4th Kyu	29th May 1988
3rd Kyu	4th September 1988
2nd Kyu	29th January 1989
1st Kyu	17th May 1989
1st Dan	2nd December 1990

Date of Birth: 31st May 1972

Contact E Mail Address: via webmaster

Home Town:

Date entered martial arts: September 1986

Date entered Selby Shotokan Karate Club: September 1986

Date left SSKC: 1991?

Current Club Style (if Applicable):

Karate Highs:Gaining Shodan at a York course with Sensei’s Kato and Kagawa. Then 6 weeks after this getting to the final of the national championships in Black Belt Kata (I came last in the final but getting there was victory enough for me).
Being part of the team from SSKC that won the national championships in team kata was also a big one for me, especially as it was in the same year as the above.
In general most of my time when training in karate has been a high, I have even taken the lows and tried to get something positive from them.

Karate Lows: Stopping training when I went to university due to University politics. Getting frustrated because I can not do things the way sensei wants me and generally not being as good as I would like to be.

Favourite Kata: As far as the standard 26 go it would be Heian Godan for a Kyu kata, some good application in there. Empi is my favourite grade kata and Sochin, Kanku Sho and Bassai Sho for the next level. I have not nearly had enough instruction in these, but do love to perform them as to me each has a very challenging aspect that pushes my karate to the next level. Above these I also love Jiin and Gojushiho Dai, I would love to do these kata more as well and hopefully over the coming years I will.

The fact is that I love kata and being part of the IJKA is like all your Christmas’s at once if you, like me, love kata. I have gone through Kashu a couple of times in training with Sensei Helen and Meikyo Nidan (my favourite youtube kata) with Sensei Paul so these would rank as my favourite Asai kata (even though I do not know them all the way through). So as you can see I am a Kata NERD.

The People I trained with at SSKC: Pete Riley, Ian Rhodes

My Sensei at SSKC: Sensei Steve Cook, Alan Graham, Steve Graham

Anything Else you want to share: I started in May 1986, we trained twice a week at the Scott Road community centre on Tuesdays and Fridays. We were with Kato Shihan and the association was called Kodokai, of which Kato Shihan was European chief instructor and Kanazawa Shihan was world chief instructor, as we were affiliated to the SKIF. A few months after this we switched training on Fridays from the community centre to St Mary’s Hall (no longer here, but was the old school building opposite Michael Stewarts at Gowthorpe crossroads). This had a horrible floor and we had to arrive 15 mins early to wash the floor with rags as it was so dusty. We then had to place puddles of water all around the edges to wet our feet during training as the floor was still too slippery.That year in the December the annual Xmas competition was held and as a 9^th Kyu I got to the final and came last (I had a good draw against other 9^th kyu’s in the prelims). After the event my parents were so impressed with the club and organisation that they asked Steve Sensei if they could buy a trophy for the club. This became the SSKC kata cup, and Steve insisted on all previous winners names be put on there (reasonable request). He then asked the TSB bank, where the clubs account was if they would provide a trophy, which they did. This became the kumite cup.

We had varying success in local competitions at places such as Scotter and Hull, but nothing major until in 1998 I think when J Irwin won male beginner’s kumite at the Kodokai National Championships.

Steve Graham left the club when he joined the army (RMP), can’t remember the dates though. But just after this Pete Riley (1^st Kyu) returned to the club after a number of years absence and quickly fitted in as Steve’s assistant. I even think he might placed 1^st or 2^nd in brown belt kata at the national championships in 88.

In 1989 J Irwin won the national championships again, this time in the intermediate group, I managed get 2^nd place in brown belt kata and Steve Cook won the individual male kata (I think it was 89, could have been the year before though). Steve graded for Sandan some time about here.

Pete left the club in 1989 and myself and Andy Bailey (both 1^st kyu’s) helped Steve as assistant instructors and used to run things in his absence (his own business was getting busy and sometimes could not make it to training).

In 1990 a weeks course was organised at York with Kato Shihan and Kagawa Sensei (who brought over his whole university club as well), which made excellent training. Six days 5 – 6 hours was very tiring, but very enjoyable. I know this contradicts what Andy has told you but I’ve checked my certificate.

8 weeks or so later we went to the national championships where, me, Andy and Steve won the team kata event. And Steve and I reached the finals of senior individual kata (I had only been qualified for the event for 8 weeks), I came last in the finals, but getting there was victory enough for me, I think Steve came 5^th.

At the Xmas brown and black belt course that year at Sensei’s he announced that we were now to be affiliated to the JKA (Asai Faction) and would become JKA(GB).

I carried on as an assistant instructor at the club and even ran one at 6^th form at Read School Drax for a while until I left for University. That is where I stopped regular training as there was no club. I did return inbetween semesters and trained at the club under the likes of Gullen Shihan and on a couple of occasions I was lucky enough to be there when Scott Langley Sensei was teaching (he was a Nidan then I think), I did train along side him as brown belts when Sensei was at York, he was very gifted then and it is no surprise he is where he is today.

That’s about it for my time at the club, I hope this information is of use to you. I am looking forward to hearing about the club before and after me.

I do happen to know that Ian Rhodes (1^st kyu when I started) is part of a Selby based rock band called Phluid, I think he goes under the name Ginner? They have a website with e-mail links so maybe he might be able to help.

It was good to read the post about Louis, I remember training with him back in 86 to 87. On a Tuesday we used to go for a short run down Flaxley road and back to Scott road before training, one time louis ended up taking us on a 4 miler, much to our annoyance as he was much fitter than us. Steve Cook was also annoyed as we were late for training. Good memories and good to see he is well an still training, if you see him again soon please pass on my best, though I doubt he remembers me.

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