The essence of karate was explored at a special course held by Irish karate ace Oliver Brunton recently, where participants were enthused by the knowledge he imparted.
Oliver has studied wado karate for over six decades, travelling to Japan on many occasions to learn from the highest masters of the style, and he is proficient in the principles of this art which allude many practitioners.
He has risen to the highest echelons in karate, receiving many honours and distinctions, including being amongst the first non-Japanese to reach the 7th level of black belt with the Japanese Wado-Kai. Oliver is also the only person in Ireland to have risen to both referee and kata (technical) judge with the World Karate Federation.
He has trained many athletes who have reached international heights in sparring competitions. However, it is his comprehensive knowledge of kata which is most coveted by many and has made him such a desirable commodity to many practitioners throughout the world.
“Most people who take up karate obviously want to be proficient in the art,” Oliver explained.
“What eludes a lot of people is that a number of things need to be in place before this can happen and most don’t understand that it is crucial they follow the right path.”
These fundamentals are what Oliver instills in students who choose to train under his guidance and several of these were demonstrated during the recent course. He started karate in the early 1960s and was fortunate to train under Hironori Otsuka, who founded the wado style, and his decades of experience have proven invaluable when passing his ability on to others.
“It gives me a lot of satisfaction knowing that I can execute techniques with precision and effectiveness,” Oliver outlined.
“The level of focus on people’s faces during the course demonstrated their willingness to take on board what I was teaching.”
Those who attended the course were drawn to it by an interest in learning how to perfect their kata (technical) karate as it had been taught by the old masters of the art.
Now in his 80s, Oliver’s ability is awe-inspiring and a testament to the fact his amazing karate is a result of his technical knowledge rather than physical strength. He is the only teacher in Ireland who is able to pass on the knowledge of the old masters who are no longer with us.
Many are realising how invaluable this is to teach them how to gain an advantage and score points when sparring at competitions.
“More and more fighters now realise they must have a broad understanding of karate technique to execute kicks and punches when they are fighting in the competition arena,” he highlighted.
Anyone wishing to study karate with Oliver should visit www.irishkarate.com
