Makiwara Course

As Colwell sensei has written in the essays section of this website, the value of makiwara training has to be carefully considered against the potential damage done to the body. One of the major contributions to this damage is the lack of preparation done by the karateka before standing in front of a traditional straw makiwara. This preparation takes months if not years to get the hands and body developed enough to take on the extremes of makiwara striking.

With this in mind, Colwell sensei ran a three hour course on part of the required preparation. The class consisted on fourteen senior grades from the three major styles, Shotokan, Wado and Goju. Three hours of hard sweat on the specially developed training tool plus many partner exercises gave the course are special feeling of unity, and purpose. At the start of the course Colwell sensei told us to go and introduce ourselves to those we didn't know as too often in these events participants leave having talked to no one other than the guys they came with. This is such a waste.

The course finished with Colwell sensei being presented with his 8th Dan certificate from Trevor Streets of the Sei-Bu-Kan Kokusai Kyokai.

Thanks to Harris Jonas for hosting the course in his superb Walton dojo and to Nick Pepper for building the "toh"