An article by Sensei Dan Young
Sunday 8th December saw the culmination of a years worth of studying under Sensei John Titchen (7th dan) and his Pinan Flow System. This is the second time I have been fortunate enough to be a participant, having done the course before in 2019, and this year’s course proved equally as enjoyable and informative. Both times I have trained with excellent karate ka from in and outside of CFTS, in 2019 I was joined by Sensei Roy Currie and this year Sensei Brian Yarr.
Each monthly session built upon the last and showed the versatility of the Heian/Pinan kata as well as branching off into other kata like Tekki, Bassai and Nijushiho. We started at Heian Shodan looking at grabs and haymaker punches before incorporating grappling, flow drills and changing roles. There is also the interchange of kata, where you could be doing a Heian Yondan application before transitioning to Heian Nidan or Sandan to Godan back to Nidan or Sandan! Over time, this builds and builds towards free play, which is excellent fun.
Even though I had done the course before, there were new elements and tweaks to the drills which made it more interesting. The sessions also allowed for discussion on drills, karate, methodology, legalities and more lighthearted topics such as Marvel and Star Wars. Feedback to partners is encouraged for safety and development of understanding.
From a personal standpoint, Sensei Titchen is someone I have trained under at seminars now for 7 or 8 years. I have completed the Pinan Flow System course with him twice, done groundwork seminars (among others), had the pleasure of cross training with Tom Hepburn (professional MMA fighter and Thai boxer), helped with doing the instructional videos for the Pinan Flow System and even been a guest examiner at Dan gradings. His influence on my karate and others that I know cannot be understated and I am grateful for the continued opportunities to train with him and others he brings in.
For more of John's material, either:
Look him up on YouTube (there’s a great video of me getting a flying lesson!)
Follow him on social media - John Titchen, DART and Practical Karate Association
Buy his books;
Pinan Flow System Volumes 1-4
Karate Beyond Kata
Karate for Self- Defence 1 and 2
Read his blog
Sensei Dan Young - December 2024
Comments