Sensei Alan Campbell (red and white shirt on the picture), visited Marbella this week.
Sensei Campbell, 8th Dan, is Head of the World Ju-Jitsu Federation Australia and one of the highest ranking ju-jitsu masters outside of Japan. He attended classes at the dojo of Kudo Academies which was created over one year ago by his former student, Sensei Carl Norman (right on the picture).
Sensei Alan Campbell visits Kudo Academies in Marbella
Over a year ago, a new martial arts center opened in Marbella and became part of our daily routine. Kudo Academies teaches kickboxing and ju-jitsu to children and adults.
I had practiced some judo and aikido in my youth and always thought that martial arts were a great physical activity to teach children confidence, focus and discipline. For a long time, I was intent on convincing the kids to give it a shot. When the Kudo family opened their dojo, my daughter was the first to try it, and liked it right away. Not to be overdone, my son also joined. Coincidently, Oxigeno, the largest gym in Marbella where my wife and I had been training, closed because of financial insolvency (that happens in Marbella…). We tried the adult sessions and have been religiously training since then.
We now spend a fair amount of time at the dojo between the adult and kid sessions. We are all moving along in our training, taking our new belt grading at the same pace. This provides for some friendly competition at home and much discussion about the best ways to perform a move (especially with my son…). Kudo Academies has become a real social gathering where many friends and acquaintances regularly train or take their kids. There are other martial arts centers in Marbella, probably some less expensive. We have not tried them and do not intend to do so, as we have found in Kudo a really friendly environment for our family.
I could not resist posting this video of a training practice with sensei Carl (he is the bald one!).
And now that sensei Carl wants to know everything about internet, we are bound to spend even more time at Kudo!
