Jun Fan Gung Fu Seminar and Workshop with Sifu Andy Kimura
19/05/10 23:11 Filed in: Workshop
To start the day Andy had a special surprise for the group. Taky had filmed and recorded a personal message for the group. You could hear a pin drop as the group watched and listened to Taky apologies for being unable to attend the seminar because of “a small heart attack”.
It was a very special moment, here was one of the greatest martial artists and highest ranked instructor in Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do and closet friend of Bruce Lee acknowledging Spinal Injuries Ireland JDK program. After the message from Taky the group got down to training. Andy regaled the group with stories about Bruce Lee and his father Tacky as he moved a round the group working on individual basis with the participants while also sparring with Alain to demonstrating a particular move, before looking to see if it would work for us.
From previous experience with instructor who insisted on showing us techniques that would never work as wheelchair users. We knew what it was to have instructors “say it will work if you work on it, when we could see clearly that it would never work” Andy was so different, he listened and worked with us he even suggested that himself and Alain got into a wheelchair while acknowledge that our balance is very different as wheelchair users. Alain drew the short straw. As wheelchair users we have seen able-bodied individuals hop into a wheelchair not allowing that they can tip right over if not careful, so we decided that Alain was expendable “only joking Alain”
To put the day in context some of the participants traveled a round trip of 400 miles to attend.
All too quickly the seminar was over, Andy just kept on going, anxious to impart as much of his skills that he had learned from his father Taky.
I think it is fair to say that while the training with Andy was so special for the group more important was the fact that Andy took the time to travel over from Seattle in the USA to acknowledge the Spinal Injuries Ireland JDK program.
The ultimate goal of Spinal Injuries Ireland JDK program is to continue to improve its program for people with a disability but ultimately to create a JDK program that can be learn by any individuals with a disability anywhere in the world. Taky and Andy Kimura support has taken us one step closer to our goal. Maybe in the future the Bruce Lee foundation will consider approving our program.
To quote Bruce Lee: “If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.”
It was a very special moment, here was one of the greatest martial artists and highest ranked instructor in Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do and closet friend of Bruce Lee acknowledging Spinal Injuries Ireland JDK program. After the message from Taky the group got down to training. Andy regaled the group with stories about Bruce Lee and his father Tacky as he moved a round the group working on individual basis with the participants while also sparring with Alain to demonstrating a particular move, before looking to see if it would work for us.
From previous experience with instructor who insisted on showing us techniques that would never work as wheelchair users. We knew what it was to have instructors “say it will work if you work on it, when we could see clearly that it would never work” Andy was so different, he listened and worked with us he even suggested that himself and Alain got into a wheelchair while acknowledge that our balance is very different as wheelchair users. Alain drew the short straw. As wheelchair users we have seen able-bodied individuals hop into a wheelchair not allowing that they can tip right over if not careful, so we decided that Alain was expendable “only joking Alain”
To put the day in context some of the participants traveled a round trip of 400 miles to attend.
All too quickly the seminar was over, Andy just kept on going, anxious to impart as much of his skills that he had learned from his father Taky.
I think it is fair to say that while the training with Andy was so special for the group more important was the fact that Andy took the time to travel over from Seattle in the USA to acknowledge the Spinal Injuries Ireland JDK program.
The ultimate goal of Spinal Injuries Ireland JDK program is to continue to improve its program for people with a disability but ultimately to create a JDK program that can be learn by any individuals with a disability anywhere in the world. Taky and Andy Kimura support has taken us one step closer to our goal. Maybe in the future the Bruce Lee foundation will consider approving our program.
To quote Bruce Lee: “If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.”