Sligo Kata Course - September 2025
- Simon Mills
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Just a few short weeks after the course in Yeovil seven intrepid travellers from the UK made very different journeys to the far off land of Sligo to attend their favourite overseas course in the Emerald isle.
On Thursday Sensei Steve Bell set out from Reading whilst Simon M travelled from Essex to meet him at Luton airport to get their plane. All was going great until Simon remembered he’d forgotten his passport and had to go back home to retrieve it missing the flight over. Oops.
Meanwhile in Somerset Malcolm G set off by car to go to SW Wales to meet Sense Jon Dunn and they boarded the ferry at Pembroke which was promptly delayed by 4 hours!
The next morning from Plymouth Meesh got a bus to Birmingham and Tony S left Reading to pick up Marcus E in Ealing to drive to Luton where they met a considerably poorer Simon who had to pay through the nose for a an extra flight at short notice!
Eventually they all made their way to Ireland via cars, boats and planes over land, sea and air!
Jon and Malcolm then had a 6 hour drive up to Sligo while Meesh was picked up at Knock Airport and the boys got a bus after a long delay due to it breaking down!
Well, we all made it to get to training on the Friday night for a packed session at the club of Damian and Colin.
They were put through their paces for an excellent night and great atmosphere.
The next day it was down to the Crib in Sligo to train at Michael Clancy’s club with Jason Sheridan taking the helm.
It was packed out with over 50 students from Donegal as well as locals from Sligo, Belfast and the UK.
The day's training comprised of a good 4 hour session which flew by, as it always does, with a grading afterwards in which 3 students gained their Dan grades after a tough grading which tested technique, stamina and heart.
Appropriate feedback was given to those who did not pass this time around but with some slight technical adjustments I’m sure they will be good to go next time.
A good get together afterwards and the intrepid 7 made their very different journeys back home to Wales and England.
Always a pleasure to train in Ireland, their standards are very good and the hospitality is top rate. I highly recommend this course, just don’t forget your passport.
--Sensei Steve Bell
P.S. Take a look at this great reel put together by Colin Noone!
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