Shihan Sal Ebanez Seminar
On Sunday 21 July 2002 Kancho Nenad, Sempai(s) Craig Dunlop and Jeremy Clark and David Zimmermann attended a training seminar by 7th Dan Shihan Sal Ebanez of Goju Ryu Australia. Based in Melbourne, Shihan Ebanez is one of the original Goju Ryu Instructors in Australia and is a well known and highly respected instructor. His visit was sponsored and hosted by Sensei Bob Allen and his Swan Hill Hills Goju Ryu club in Midland.
Known as a man of few words Shihan Sal began the seminar with "I think we shall first take some exercise". This was an understatement. One-and-a-half hours and a few buckets of sweat later Shihan Sal called a pause and warned us that we were likely to be a bit sore the next day - a prediction which which I can confirm turned out to be correct! After a water break we then finished the first session with a half-an-hour of Sanchin kata training before breaking for lunch.
During the break the senior grades were treated to a magnificent multi-course lunch while everyone else was invited to partake in a sausage sizzle. Whether seated at the instructors' table, or grouped around the barbecue, I am sure that many of the participants ate less than they would have liked to for fear of what the second session held in store.
As it happened the second session was much less intense with the Shihan leading us through a series of 16 ippon kumite drills that represented a cross section of techniques contained within the Goju-ryu kata from Gekisai to Kurarunfa. These proved to be quite enjoyable and even the seniors picked up a few useful tips here and there from the Shihan as he went from group to group correcting and demonstrating.
We thank Sensei Bob Allen for inviting us, the Swan Hills dojo volunteers for the tasty lunch and post-seminar snacks and drinks and of course Shihan Sal Ebanez for holding the seminar.
Above left: The Wu-Wei Dao group with Sensei Bob Allen
and Shihan Sal Ebanez.
Above right: During the break the senior black belts enjoyed a fully
catered multi-course lunch that concluded with expressos and cake. The lower
grades that could stomach it were treated to a sausage sizzle.
Below: Ippon kumite drills during the second session.
