Renshi Terry Valetino, chief instructor of the Pittsburgh Yoseikan North Dojo, hosted this year’s Akigeiko. As always, the instructors of this clinic strove to make full use of their time together as an organization and share the knowledge of their individual dojo. Students and teachers came from the organization’s various schools around the country to take part in this seminar, bring home as much information as they could soak up, and of course to see old friends.

The clinic assumed the successful format of the past several seminars of the organization, sectionalizing the instruction so to provide students with the optimum amount of information that would benefit the individual’ s training goals. The layout of this was done in four hour and a half long segments where three different types of training subjects were offered simultaneously, to be chosen by students at their discretion. Kyoshi Joseph Hedderman along with Shihan Tony Hedderman, Kyoshi Davenport, and Renshi Valentino lead the instruction of these various segments.

Renshi Valentino began the seminar with a segment of warm-ups that quickly led into an instructional section based on internal body mechanics. This preliminary part included all students. Renshi Valentino discussed his theories on internal power and how to utilize the human body to summon maximum power in a way that is actually safer on the body of the executer. His instruction included the use of ‘training devices.’ The purpose of these devices, bricks and chains, was to bring awareness of their own motion to students new to this theory of power execution. By concentrating on the brick being held inches away from their ‘hara,’ students were able to better see if they were successfully mimicking the correct body alignment to achieve the sort of power that Renshi Valentino was explaining.

With minds quickly filling up with these new ideas, students were set free to begin the first of the three segments, which they could choose what to study. The offered subjects of the clinic included:

Niseishi Bunkai as well as Bunkai from numerous other Chito-ryu kata
Instructed by Kyoshi Davenport 

In these two sessions, Kyoshi Davenport instructed students in a plethora of applications. During the first session, Kyoshi Davenport focused his attention specifically on Niseishi Kata, while in the second session he covered a broad range applications from the entire Chito-ryu kata curriculum. Applications ranged from simple to complex, and included striking techniques, throws, takedowns, joint locks and pressure points among others. The applications also provided students with a variety of responses to different types of potential attacks covering pushes, strikes, hook punches, and various types of seizing techniques.

Shime-waza (choking techniques) along with the corresponding Irimi-waza (methods of entering for successful choking)
Instructed By Kyoshi Hedderman and Shihan Hedderman

Kyoshi and Shihan Hedderman instructed a large range of choking techniques that they pulled from their curriculum in Koseido-ryu Jiu-jitsu. Not only were a number of chokes taught, but also various ways of entering into them from both standing and sitting positions.

Renzoku-geiko-waza (Continuous Training Techniques or Flow Drills)
Instructed by Renshi Valentino

During this section of the seminar, Renshi Valentino instructed students and instructors in theories on Renzoku-geiko-waza and how to practice a series of kihon-waza individually as moving basics, and then evolve that another level by incorporating a two-person flow drill utilizing the learned techniques.

Chito-ryu Bunkai Survey
Instructed by Renshi Valentino

Renshi Valentino also covered an exhaustive list of applications from the Chito-ryu Kata Curriculum. Picking out various movements from selected Kata, Sensei Valeninto covered not only the applications but, in keeping with his earlier session, instructed students on how best to utilize proper body mechanics to enhance striking, locking, throwing, and unbalancing an opponent.

Tai-Sabaki (Body Shifting) &  Kaiten-waza (methods of generating power through proper body movements & the use of rotational force)
Instructed by Renshi Valentino

For Renshi Valentino's final session, he taught a combination of Tai-sabaki (body shifting) and Kaiten-waza (methods of generating power through proper body movements & the use of rotational force). He covered how to evade and rapidly counter attack through body shifting and utilizing economy of motion.

The use of pressure point attacks & vital point striking
Instructed by Kyoshi Davenport

Kyoshi Davenport instructed students in numerous locations of pressure points as well as how to execute them, where and when they can be effective in a fight and also addressed issues such as handling people who are "non-responders," which are those who are generally unaffected by pressure point techniques.

Tanto-tori (knife controlling techniques)
Instructed by Kyoshi Hedderman and Shihan Hedderman

Kyoshi and Shihan Hedderman covered practical tanto tori (knife defenses) in great detail. They explained how the techniques worked and really focused the students on the proper mechanics to make the techniques effective and effortless.

Kihon Nage-waza (basic throwing techniques)
Instructed by Kyoshi Hedderman and Shihan Hedderman

Kyoshi Hedderman and Shihan Hedderman, in their last session, covered Kihon Nage-waza (basic throwing techniques), which they pulled from the syllabus of Koseido-ryu Jiu-jitsu. They instructed students on how to properly fit into another person to throw for various types of hip throws and shoulder throws. Everyone also received a lesson in proper break-falling techniques.

After the sectionalized portion of the seminar, all the students were combined once again into one large class for a half hour training section that brought everyone back to the basics. The three ranking instructors: Kyoshi Hedderman, Kyoshi Davenport, and Renshi Valentino, each took a ten minute block of time to instruct all the students in their own way of daily basic training. This more formalized section focused on traditional kihon-waza. It allowed everyone to come together in the base aspect of martial arts that binds the organization’s members to one another: hard work and sweat through basic techniques.

Along with the six hours of training, there were other matters to be addressed. On August 29, 2006, prior to his death, Sensei George Van Horne, a founding member of the Koshin-ha Chito-kai, was promoted to the rank of 9th Dan and bestowed the title of Hanshi. True to his character, Sensei Van Horne was most satisfied with the fact that his promotion gave him the authority and opportunity to recognize others before his death. In turn he issued three promotions and signed certificates for these promotions on September 23, 2006, one day prior to his death. These promotions were: Kyoshi Jim Davenport 8^th Dan, Kyoshi Joseph Hedderman 7^th Dan and Renshi Terry Valentino 7^th Dan.

Since the last time the Koshin-ha Chito-ryu Karate association came together as a group other promotions have been made: June 25, 2006 - Shelley Burner Sho-dan, Beth Beemsterboer Sho-dan, Allen Renshaw Ni-dan, Susan Sbuscio Yon-dan, August 27, 2006 - Mike Wilson Sho-dan, Edgar Van Horne Ni-dan, Joe Rectenwald Sho-dan.

Congratulations to Renshi Terry Valentino on a successful seminar. As always, this clinic focused on those who could derive the most benefit from it: the students. In turn, the students took the information with eagerness, creating energy that filled the room and promised a strong future for the organization.

Jackie Krah, Nidan
Yoseikan Pittsburgh North

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