Christmas Grading

There will be a grading held tonight in Kinnegad GAA centre  for students from Kinnegad and Portarlington dojos. Grading starts at 7.30 pm. Cost €15.

Success at Moynalty Tournament!

Zanshin Karate-do Midlands had a great day out at Moynalty Kata Tournament today. The tournament,hosted by Moynalty Karate club chief instructor Sensei Philip McCarthy,was a kata-only event and was great fun. Congratulations to Albert,Clare,Tomasz,Rachel,Igor.Karolina,Caspar,Oisin,Muireann and Louise who all brought home medals! Zanshin instructors Proinsias and Liam assisted Sensei Philip and Sensei Mary Marcus from Dundalk Karate with the judging. A great end to the year!

Class with Guro Donal

On Monday,9th December 2013,the senior class will be taught by Filipino Martial Arts expert Guro Donal Connaughton.  Class will run from 8-10 pm. ALL Zanshin seniors (and any other friends of ours in martial arts)are welcome to attend. Cost is €7.50. Junior class for ALL grades will run from 7-8 pm.

Portarlington Tournament-a great day out!

Congratulations to all our students from Kinnegad who perfomed so well at the Zanshin tournament in Portarlington today. Well done to Sean,Conor,Cian, Muireann,Louise,Cormac and Liam for giving it 100%. Sean came third in kata and second in Kumite,while Conor came second in Kumite. Congratulations to Sensei Liam on training our squad so well,and to Senseis Paul,Gerry,Keith,Ollie and Fergus for a most enjoyable day. Thanks also to IKFC for providing officials. A special thanks to Sensri Ger,Alan and Madeleine from Edenderry for all their help and to Peter Govan for transport. Back to grading work on Monday!

Details of Portarlington tournament

We meet at Kinnegad GAA centre at 8.15 AM. Please bring mouthguard,packed lunch  and a drink. Cost is €10 for sparring,€10 for kata or €20 for both.  Please note that this is a pre registered event. Those students who have said they are going have been informed by text.  NO entries will be accepted after Nov 1. Please contact Proinsias at 0868341561 if you are going and have not told us.

Portarlington tournament

Hi all,no training on Monday 28 October due to bank holiday.  We DO howevet have training(usual place and times) on Tuesday 29 October.  We have our annual Zanshin tournament in Portarlington on November 9 and we'd love a strong squad from Kinnegad there!So please let us know on Tuesday if you're going(you'll need a mouthguard for sparring). €10 for kata €10 for kumite.

Great day at Edenderry Tournament!

On Saturday 19th October,a squad of 10 from Zanshin Kinnegad headed across to Edenderry for a tournament organised by Edenderry Shotokan Academy. We had a great day and won on many categories: Cian Wilson took gold in under 8 kata,Conor Darcy took gold in under 10 kata,with silver going to Liam O Fearghail and bronze to Shauna Kavanagh, Patricia Odjungo took gold in under 10 sparring,with silver going to Conor Darcy and  bronze going to Luca Rocca. In the under 12 kata,Muireann Ni Fhearghail took gold. In under 12 sparring,Louise Darcy won gold with Muireann Ni Fhearghail taking silver. Not a bad day's work. We are VERY proud of all our squad, whether they won a medal or not!.You showed great attitude and respect on the day. Well done!

Edenderry Tournament Details

Hi Folks
Anyone interested in participating in Edenderry Tournament, we're meeting at 9.00 AM at Kinnegad GAA Centre on Saturday 19th October. Cost, €10 for sparring €10 for kata, €20 for both. Should be back by 6.00 PM (watch website in case of change!) Any queries ring Proinsias on 0868341561. You'll need a mouthguard for sparring.

Tournament in Edenderry

Edenderry Shotokan Academy are hosting a local tournament on Saturday, October 10th 2013 in their dojo in Edenderry Boxing Club. Students may compete in kata, kumite (sparring) or both. The cost is €10 for kata, €10 for kumite or €20 for both. If your child is interested in participating, please let Liam or Proinsias know on Monday, 14th October (fees payable then). This will be a local tournament and a great opportunity for those students who have never taken part in a tournament before to experience the thrill of competing! It should also be a fun day for our experienced students. Don't hesitate to contact us if you wish to know more.

Zanshin Portarlington are back!

Zanshin Portarlington dojo re-opens this Tuesday 3rd of September at. 8.00 PM in Portarlington Community Centre.  If you've ever wanted to try a martial art,here's your chance to get fit and learn to defend yourself! Contact any of our instructors for further details.

We're back!

Hi all, Zanshin Karate Kinnegad are back training on Monday 12th August at 7.00 in Kinnegad GAA Hall. Hope to see you all there. If any of your friends or classmates wish to join us, they can come and view a class - but spaces are very limited, so we may have to operate a "waiting list". NO student under 18 can join the club unless a parent is present. Some kids arrive on their own, wanting to join. We won't allow this - we need to talk to a parent or guardian before a child can train.

Tom's Grading

On Tuesday, 30th July 2013, Zanshin senior Brian "Tom" Bolton graded for his 3rd Kyu brown belt in our Portarlington dojo. Tom had a tough grading in bag and pad work, kihon, kata and kumite (against single and multiple opponents). He was judged by a grading panel of Zanshin instructors Senseis Gerard Walsh, Keith Walsh, Proinsias Ó Fearghail and new black belts Senseis Ollie Henchy and Fergus Fenlon. Also present was Edenderry Shotokan Academy instructor Sensei Gerard McCarthy. Tom did very well, impressing us all with his skill and commitment. Well done! Congratulations also to senseis Gerard, Keith and Paul for putting so much effort into Tom's training.

Summer Break

Just to let everyone know that Zanshin Kinnegad are taking a break until 12th August.  Keep practicing your kata,we have a grading and 2 tournaments coming up!

Black Belt Grading in Portarlington!

Sunday 14th July was a big day for Zanshin Karate-Do Midlands as we put forward our first candidates for Shodan (First Degree Black Belt). Ollie Henchy and Fergus Fenlon have been with us right from the start! They trained with us on our first night as a club in November 2008 and have stuck with us through thick and thin. They are both strong, committed martial artists, and their time had come!
The grading panel comprised all five Zanshin instructors: Senseis Gerard Walsh, Liam Darcy, Keith Walsh, Proinsias Ó Fearghail and Paul Thackaberry, with external examiners Sensei Gerry McCarthy, 4th Dan, and Shihan Brett Halliday, 6th Dan from the Renshukan Shihankai. The grading lasted for an hour and 30 minutes in a very warm hall! The lads began by demonstrating their generation of power on pads and bags, then launched into basics, kata, kata applications and of course, lots of sparring! They had to demonstrate their knowledge of both close-quarter and traditional Shotokan kumite. At the end of the grading, following a brief meeting of the panel, Shihan Brett announced that Ollie and Fergus had passed. He gave them valuable advice about how to develop their techniques as their training continued. We're VERY proud of our two new black belts! Well done to Ollie and Fergus! Here are some moments from the grading...

Kyokushinkai in Kinnegad!

On Monday, 24th June, Zanshin Kinnegad hosted a course with Sensei Ken Fitzpatrick, chief instructor of Mullingar Kyokushinkai Karate Dojo, and his able assistants, Senpai Ciaran and Darren. Kyokushin is a tough style of Karate best known for its knockdown sparring. The evening kicked off at 7.00 with the juniors. After a bit of lighthearted warm-up exercises, the focus turned to "clicker" (continuous no-contact sparring) and a great time was had by all. Sensei Ken generously acknowledged the enthusiasm and etiquette of our students. The senior class had it all - self defence, pad drills, full-contact sparring, kata bunkai and kata demonstrations. As always, the seminar was well-attended and hugely enjoyable. Many thanks to Sensei Gerry McCarthy, 4th Dan from Edenderry Shotokan Academy, and Guro Donal Connaughto, 4th degree, Midlands FMA club, for attending and giving us support. A HUGE thanks to Sensei Ken and his team for a great evening of Karate! Hope to see them again soon. Click below to see some photos...

Sensei Ken Fitzpatrick In Kinnegad on PhotoPeach

IKFRC Table Course

The Irish Karate Federation Referee Commission is organising a Table Course for those parents, club supporters and senior club members who are interested in learning how to be scorekeepers/timekeepers at IKFRC tournaments. The course is free of charge and will take place in Rathcoole Community Centre, Rathcoole next Saturday (15th June) from 11.30AM-1.30 PM. Please contact Senseis Gerry Walsh, Paul Thackaberry or Proinsias Ó Fearghail if you're interested in taking part.

Summer Seminar with Sensei Ken Fitzpatrick

On Monday 24th June 2013 Zanshin Karate Karate Kinnegad are proud to present a seminar with Sensei Ken Fitzpatrick, 4th Dan Kyokushin Karate and full contact kick-boxer. Ken has taught at the club annually for some years now, and we've always had fantastic feedback about his classes. Junior class will be 7.00-8.00 PM and will be for Zanshin students (Kinnegad and Portarlington) only. Senior class will run from 8.00-9.30 PM and is open to any adult martial artist who enjoys  tough training! Cost €5.00 for children, €7.50 for adults. Come along and enjoy!

No Training on 3 June

There will be no training in Kinnegad dojo on Monday 3 June due to the bank holiday. Training resumes as normal the following Monday.

No Training- Bank Holiday Monday

There will be no training in the Kinnegad dojo on Monday, 6th May. Training will resume on Monday 13th May. Training will proceed as normal in Portarlington dojo.

April news!

We had a few events happening in April... On Saturday, 20th April, some of our students from Portarlington dojo participated in a tournament in Ardee organised by the Irish Wado-Kai Renmei, and under the direction of coach Sensei Paul Thackaberry, they did very well. Zanshin instructors Gerard Walsh and Proinsias Ó Fearghail assisted with the judging on the day, and can testify to the high standard involved! Here is young Oisín Henchy, Gold Medal Kata Champ!

On Monday, 22nd April, Ronan and Grace Moran graded before a panel of Zanshin instructors Gerard Walsh, Liam Darcy and Proinsias Ó Fearghail, plus guest examiner Sensei Gerry McCarthy of Edenderry Shotokan Academy. After a brief but challenging grading, Ronan advanced to Red belt and Grace to Green belt. Well done to them both!

Dan grade training

Every Monday night, those who have black belt grades (or those attempting black belt) are welcome to train in the Zanshin Kinnegad dojo between 9.30-10.00 (later sometimes!!). We concentrate on kihon and especially kata, bunkai and sparring. Please contact Liam or Proinsias (About Us page) if you're interested. This session is only open to karateka who REALLY want to train...it's not a killer session, but definitely not a talking shop!

Tournament Training Available!

Zanshin Karate Kinnegad: Training resumes this Monday, 8 April. IKFC tournament training  is available in Cloharinka NS (between Kinnegad and Edenderry) this Sunday 7 April from 1-4 PM. Cost €10.Well worth your while attending this if you hope to participate in tournaments.  If interested contact Sensei Gerry McCarthy at 0894598087.

Grading in Kinnegad!

On Monday, March 25th, students and parents in our Kinnegad dojo braved sub-zero conditions to attend a grading in Kinnegad GAA Centre. Students were tested for promotions for Red, Green and Blue belts. The grading panel comprised of Senseis Liam Darcy, Gerard Walsh, Keith Walsh and Proinsias Ó Fearghail from Zanshin Karate-Do, and guest examiner Sensei Gerard McCarthy, 4th dan chief instructor of Edenderry Shotokan Academy and a member of he Renshukan Shihankai (master's council). Also in attendance were Zanshin assistant instructors Ollie Henchy and Fergus Fenlon. We began with the orange belts who were hoping to achieve Red belt. They were tested on basics, kata and sparring with some bag-work. Well done to Conor Darcy, Liam Ó Fearghail and Luca Rocca who achieved Red belt on the night.
We then tested our more advanced students. Those present on the night could see the increasing complexity of requirements for higher belts. After a tough 30 minutes, the results were announced. Well done to Emmanuel Etcheri, Chloe Coyne, Cormac Ó Fearghail and Sean Govan who achieved Green belt and to Louise Darcy and Muireann Ni Fhearghail who achieved Blue belt. Senseis Gerard Walsh, Keith Walsh and Gerard McCarthy offered much valuable technical advice to our students to help them raise their standard. Well done to all, and a special THANK YOU to the parents who attended.Training will resume on Monday 8th April.

Grading Re-Arranged

Apologies to all parents and students from Kinnegad dojo regarding the sudden cancellation of class and grading today, Monday 11th. We felt that the snow and freezing conditions posed an unacceptable hazard to our students and parents. There will be NO CLASS on Monday 18th March (Bank Holiday). Training will resume on Monday 25th March, and the grading will be held then. The times on the 25th will be:
Junior Class: 7.00-7.45
Grading (Juniors) 7.45-8.30
Senior Class: 8.30-9.30
Black Belt Training: 9.30-10.00.
Please contact Liam or Proinsias if you have any queries.

Grading in Kinnegad

On Monday, 11th March 2013 Zanshin Kinnegad will hold a grading for junior students attempting to reach the ranks of Red, Green and Blue belt. Class will begin at normal time of 7.00 PM, and the grading will commence at 7.45 PM. The grading should be over by around 8.30 PM. Cost of grading is €15. People who are not grading will pay the regular class fee of €5. Please contact Liam or Proinsias if you have any queries.

Course and Grading in Belfast

On Sunday, 3rd March, Zanshin instructors Gerard Walsh and Proinsias Ó Fearghail attended a seminar and grading in Belfast. The grading and course was hosted by Sensei Artie Speight, 5th Dan, chief instructor of Renshukan Ireland. The main instructor on the day was Shihan Brett Halliday, 6th Dan, president of Renshukan International. Shihan Brett kicked off with some challenging kihon drills, designed to show the importance of hip rotation in generating power. He chose the katas Heian Nidan, Heian Yondan and Kanku-Dai to illustrate his points. A highly enjoyable Ippon-Kumite (one-step sparring) session followed, with everyone changing partners every few minutes to experience a range of different attacking styles.
A grading followed, at which Sensei Artie's students showed their mettle, displaying a great standard, especially at purple and brown belt level. Two of the Belfast students graded to Shodan, displaying a skill and spirit that would put many seniors to shame. To his great surprise, Sensei Gerry McCarthy of Edenderry Shotokan Academy was promoted to 4th Dan after a technically challenging grading, involving the performance of advanced kata and explanation of their bunkai (applications). Well done, Gerry! Also in attendance were Sensei Liam Gorman of the Irish Shotokan Academy and Sensei Darren Hand of Kyoshushin Ju-Jutsu. A highly enjoyable day was had by all! Many thanks to Sensei Artie and Shihan Brett for a really enjoyable day's training!

Orange Belt Grading, February 2013!

On February 11, 2013, six students from Zanshin Karate-Do Kinnegad graded from white belt to orange belt. This is the first grading of any karateka, and very important in that it shows that the students have shown the commitment and spirit to progress in our art. The students graded before Senseis Liam, Gerard and Proinsias and showed what they had learned in bag and pad work, kihon (basics) kata and kumite. The Zanshin instructors were very proud of the standard displayed by the students and all passed with flying colours! Congratulations to Kene, Michael, Sean, Shauna, Ella and Luca on their spirited performance. We're holding another grading in March for more senior students....but our new orange belts have certainly set a good standard to follow! Here are some photos....

Orange Belt Grading: Feb 2013 on PhotoPeach

Registration Reminder

All Zanshin Kinnegad and Portarlington members are reminded that registration fees are now due. We charge these fees annually to pay for the club's insurance. All members must pay the registration fee by 28th February in order to be allowed to continue training with the club. The fees are as follows:
1 child/teenager: €15
2 children/teenagers: €30
3 children/teenagers: €40
4 children/teenagers: €50
Adult members: €20
You will be asked to fill out a registration form, giving mobile numbers, email address (if you have one) and details of any health problems or medical conditions that we should know about. You will also be given a copy of the club rules, and asked to sign a statement saying that you agree with them. If you have any queries, please talk to an instructor.

We're expanding!

This is just a short post to let everyone know that we have affilliated to the IKFC (Irish Karate Federation Commission). The IKFC organizes tournaments, coaching courses, international competitions, child protection courses etc. under the auspices of the Irish Martial Arts Commisssion, an affiliated body of the Irish Sports Council. Zanshin Karate-Do Midlands have taken this step to assure our members and parents of our continuing commitment to the highest standards in child protection and oversights. All IKFC tournament are run according to World Karate Federation rules and standards. We remain affiliated to Renshukan Karate-Do International in relation to syllabus and grading standards.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all Zanshin students, parents and instructors! Training resumes for Zanshin Kinnegad on Monday 7th January: 7.00-8.00 PM for juniors, 8.00 - 9.30 PM for seniors. Zanshin Portarlington resume training on Tuesday, 8th January 8.00 - 10.00 PM. We hope everyone had a great break and is ready for a busy year of gradings, tournaments and seminars! See you all next week!