Our first seminar of the decade took place Saturday, 11 January and what an awesome way it was to start 2020.
We were lucky enough to secure some mat-time with Dave Brooksbank who trained with us over 17 years ago. Dave is now 2nd Dan Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, training out of Maroubra Jiu-Jitsu in Sydney. As well as being a former pro-MMA fighter, Dave is also Australian and Pan-Pacific BJJ and Sambo champion.
Dave's coaching delivered clear and logical sequences that were not only easy for beginners to pick up but also provided finer details for the more seasoned student.
We started with half guard, fundamentals of closed guard, how to posture and protect your position, followed by how opponents may try to pass you guard to mount and then how to counter this. He also covered implementing a successful leg triangle from guard.
The entire group found the seminar incredibly useful and smashed all the techniques. On a personal level it was great to catch up with Dave and it was great that, even after 17 years, we are still united by our love of martial arts.
2019 has been a very busy year and with December being especially hectic we have decided to plan our social events for later in January. We will let you know the details as soon as possible
Our BJJ syllabus is under development and we are also reviewing and strengthening the syllabuses of the higher grades in other disciplines.
On a personal level Sijo Ross' training will focus on developing further in BJJ and he has a grading later this month in traditional Japanese Ju Jutsu. He will also be tested in Yang Style T'ai Chi in Chinese Martial Arts. Behind the scenes the team will continue to streamline the admin processes with the aim of making everything as convenient and accessible as possible for students.
2020 is our 30th year and we look forward to growing our 'tribe' even more. In terms of technical ability, the club is at a very high standard so this year we will double down on fitness and sparring.
Saturday, 21.12.19 saw Adam Spittles and Billy Wills competing in kickboxing in the last ever Gym Xtreme event.
Adam executed his fight plan perfectly in the 1st round, with precise and well-timed shots that landed squarely in his opponents face. By the 2nd round it was really obvious just how much his confidence and work rate had improved. Round 3 saw both fighters fatigued but Adam landed a heavy front kick that winded his opponent. Unfortunately his opponent got his second wind and clinched a win with a higher work rate towards the end of the last round.
Billy came out of his corner to face a very aggressive full contact fighter. He remained incredibly composed in a situation where many would have panicked. Although he got tagged a few times towards the end of the 1st round he handled it very well and landed multiple counter shots in the 2nd round, moving with confidence, making space and clinching and controlling his opponent a lot of the time.
Even though they didn't walk away with the result they wanted there are now very specific aspects of their kickboxing training for them to focus on in 2020.
Well done Adam and Billy!
Our last grading of 2019 (and indeed the decade) set the bar for 2020 very high with 54 students achieving their grades.
Special mentions:
Bhaavya Akhauri - our first female junior student to achieve a Brown Belt in kickboxing
Peter Higgs - achieving his 2nd Dan Black Belt in kickboxing
Thank you to our coaches and group leaders for making this possible by not just setting the standards so high, but also embodying the TMAS ethos of encouraging others and pushing even when it's tough.
On Sunday, 22.06.19 we have a BJJ master class from 10:00 - 12:00 at Loddon Valley with Black Belt guest instructor, Michael Allen - a 3 time English Open Champion and Gold medal winner in the National Masters 2018 Black Belt Super Heavy division and Absolute Black Belt Division.
During the master class Michael will be focusing on teaching students his high percentage techniques (the ones he wins most with at competitions).
Students age 10+ are welcome to attend (preferably wearing Gi) and there is no additional cost for those who pay on a monthly basis. Please email me to register for this great opportunity.
Follow this link to watch Michael compete for his Purple Belt.
TMAS is proud to announce that we are sponsoring Kareena Chana, who is joining a group other Maiden Erlegh students and teachers on a 4 week Camps International expedition to Peru during her 2020 summer holiday.
During this time the group will be involved in community development and environmental conservation initiatives in less fortunate regions including projects like digging foundations for a new classroom, installation of water purification and sanitation facilities, collecting rubbish for recycling and planting trees to offset environmental damage and deforestation.
Kareena (age 14) has been a TMAS Thai Kik JItsu Kickboxing student for almost 8 years and currently has a Green Belt.
The physical fitness, self-discipline, teamwork and personal growth skills provided by her years of Martial Arts training will certainly be of great benefit during the trip. Not just with the community development and environmental conservation work but also with the 4 day Inca Trail trek!
You can follow Kareena’s progress via https://www.facebook.com/KPeru2020/ (donations most welcome!) and we look forward to her posts and photographs next summer.
For more information on Camps International visit www.facebook.com/campsinternational.
Job:
Civil Servant
Age:
29
Favourite films:
Miss Congeniality, closely followed by almost any Disney film
Favourite food:
Chocolate
Hobbies:
Cooking, baking, dance and drama
Why Martial Arts:
I joined TMAS about 8 years ago after originally starting kickboxing at university when I wanted a new challenge after focusing on dance as a child.
I enjoy kickboxing because you’re not only exercising, but also learning practical skills at the same time. As a sport, it develops your strength and fitness and keeps you challenged and engaged mentally.
Why TMAS:
I love the variety at TMAS - no two classes are the same and there’s always opportunity to focus on specific areas you’d like to develop. I’ve also always found the teachers and other TMAS members very friendly and encouraging, which means you can have fun whilst also training hard.
Martial Arts goal:
I am currently training for my Black Belt, 1st Dan and hope to achieve it in late 2019/early 2020. Very proud to be the first female TMAS student to achieve this and hope that I inspire some of the younger girls to follow in my footsteps.
Big congratulations to the 5 Seniors (and 2 additional Juniors) who did their Thai Kik Jitsu Kickboxing Gradings on Saturday, 30.03.19.
Petr doubled up by obtaining Yellow Belts for both Shoot Jitsu MMA Submission Grappling (aided by sparring partner Leon) and Kickboxing, and Matt Godwin achieved a Purple Belt in Thai Kik Jitsu.
It was also great to see Stefan Weger again. Stefan trained with the club for 15 years, attaining his Kung Fu Black Belt, and now always drops in for a session or two when visiting.
Well done everybody!
Wow, another amazing day with 22 Junior students passing their gradings.
Special shout outs for:
What is especially heart warming is that many of these students have been with TMAS since the age of 4 or 5.
And to those students who are just starting on their Martial Arts journey by achieving their Yellow Belts, we look forward to seeing you rising through the ranks!
Another awesome inter-club at Gym Xtreme saw 4 TMAS fighters showcase their talents.
Billy's (Kickboxing) opponent came from a really strong camp and we knew he'd pull out some big explosive kicks. Billy executed the game-plan precisely and his fitness, clean, well-drilled strikes, as well as his ability to adapt to his opponent got a convincing win.
Petr's 1st fight saw him facing up to a boxing opponent after his MMA opponent pulled out. This last-minute change didn't phase Petr and he focused on the opponent's weak spots with powerful strikes to gain the win.
Adam (Kickboxing) used his long reach to keep distance from his opponent and great combinations to exhaust him. In the end he pulled off an amazing feint and landed a massive strike to overwhelm his opposition completely.
Alex (MMA) worked incredibly hard during fight camp to reach a competitive weight category. During the fight he constantly hounded his opponent, looking for takedowns and was rewarded in round 2 and 3. He had amazing dominance during ground and pound, landing countless strikes and walking away with a draw.
Huge congratulations to all four of them!
As you might be aware, after having a home for over 12 years at Reading Rugby Club in Sonning, it is finally time for TMAS to move on (the rugby club needs the space for their own use), signalling the start of an exciting new chapter for the club.
We want to make sure that our new venue is exactly what our growing club needs and, whilst the search for the ideal location in ongoing, we will move the COMA classes to St Crispin's and Loddon Valley Leisure Centres.
We are hoping to host a 'farewell COMA' bash on Saturday, 06.04.18 and the revised schedule will be applicable from Monday, 08.04.19:
Mondays @ Loddon Valley from 18:30 - 20:30
Tuesdays @ Loddon Valley from 18:30 - 20:30
Wednesdays @ Loddon Valley from 18:30 - 21:30
Saturdays @ Loddon Valley from 08:00 - 12:00
We are excited about what a new venue will offer in terms of a dedicated training space, and we do appreciate your patience and flexibility in the meantime.
The full revised timetable will be live as of Sunday, 07.04.19 but we will remind you again about the new schedule closer to the time.
Congratulations to the 22 students who passed Yellow to Purple Belts Black Stripes gradings in Kung Fu and Kickboxing on Sunday, 11.11.18 at COMA Gym.
A special shout out to our 2 junior students who also achieved their Purple Belt Black Stripes in Kung Fu, thus progressing onto the adult syllabus, working towards their brown belts.
Our Christmas Party this year starts at 17:30 on Saturday, 1 December at Red Kangaroo in Reading where we will all be bouncing and climbing together for one hour.
The small print:
The Seniors will then go on to the The Baron Cadogan pub in Caversham at 19:00 for a drink followed by an 'all you can eat buffet' at the Spice Oven at 20:30.
Cost for the Spice Oven is as follows:
Jimmy recently completed his Thai Kik Jitsu Kick Boxing Brown Belt as part of his training for the Stunt Register which requires 5 areas of expertise. He also has certificates for PADI Dive Master, Trampolining, High Diving and Rock Climbing. Look out for Jimmy in some of the recent Star Wars films (Imperial Officer) and in Ready Player 1.
