TYGA OUTDOOR COURSES
36 years and still going strong!
Open to everyone! All clubs welcome! All styles!
36th TYGA Winter Course 2020
8th/9th February, YHA Lulworth Cove, Dorset
Book now!
Tel. E.
35th TYGA Winter Course, Dorset 2019
One of the best courses ever!
These unique courses started back in 1985 with the first Men’s Outdoor Course in Swanage, Dorset. Grandmaster led the course then and still does 35th years on. The course is tough, intense, and special. Normally 10/12 hours training is done in a two day period. Non stop sparring sessions 2 hours long, self defence, forms/kata sessions, tournament, power kick, power punch, inner self development and great TYGA spirit. Played out against the backdrop of wild landscapes, beaches, muddy fields, streams, wind, rain, hail, snow and sun. Real outdoor training and TYGA spirit. 1992 was the first Women’s Outdoor Course [20th year] There are two annual courses every year. Open to all Men,Women, Boys and Girls. All levels, All ages. Feedback from attending students every year -“No injuries” – “Fantastic training” – “Great Fun” – “Unmissable” – “Unforgettable” – “Training year only really begins with an outdoor course”.
TYGA Open Winter Outdoor Course, [32nd year], 6th/7th Feb, 2016.
Swanage, Dorset, where 1st TYGA Outdoor Course was held!
Open to all martial artists, all styles, all clubs! no poltics! just hard training!
Do not miss it! Book your place now!
Tel. email.
TYGA WINTER COURSE 2015
TYGA Winter Outdoor Course 2014
This year marked the 30th anniversary of TYGA outdoor courses. To commemorate this, Grandmaster arranged for the course to take place where the very first ever outdoor course was held – in Swanage, Dorset.
TYGA students from around the UK descended on the sleepy coastal town late Friday evening amongst heavy wind and rain. It looked like it was going to be a very wet weekend. It was a very pleasant surprise to find that the youth hostel we were all booked into was quite a large grand old house that used to belong to the Mayor and even (as I later found out) played host to a supposedly haunted drawing room!!
After a cup of tea and a welcoming speech by the Grandmaster, students retired for the night in preparation for the long day of training that lay ahead.
Saturday:
Students were woken at 0730hrs and had time to grab a cup of tea and a quick bite to eat before heading outside to begin first training session at 0830hrs. Surprisingly, the weather appeared to have cleared up from the night before and it looked like it might be a sunny day after all. We all headed down towards the seafront to a grassed area that overlooked the pier and the surrounding bay. Training commenced with some running that was, as always, led by the Grandmaster from the front. There was then some stretching and we warmed up with basic combinations in line formation. I must add that this felt very far from ‘basic’ as we were all on an uneven sloped grass area that was making balance somewhat of an issue. As usual the Grandmaster demonstrated every combination and technique with precision and accuracy as if we were back in the dojo on a nice flat wooden floor! Students then partnered up and began the sparring element of the first session. It was at this point that the heavens opened and it started raining again, closely followed by hailstones… This was not going to stop us though and we carried on exchanging partners and continued sparring, even as the ground was becoming a lot more slippery than when we had started. After several more exchanges, we formed two teams and rounded up the first session with some team races. There was no better way to start the day and work up a healthy appetite for breakfast!
The 2nd training session of the day was sparring. For some, this is one of the most eagerly anticipated sessions of the weekend as it really challenges your stamina and technique over a prolonged period of time. It’s also another great opportunity to see the Grandmaster in full flow as he always seems to spar for longer than anybody else! This year was again, no exception and right from the word go the Grandmaster was sparring alongside everybody else. After several exchanges of opponents, various grades were given a chance to catch their breath and watch while the more senior Dan grades were asked to carry on sparring. The Grandmaster took his turn with each and every one of us demonstrating that even when the ground is uneven and muddy, and the rain is beating down (yes, it had started raining again!) that it is still possible to execute precision, timing, care and control, whilst delivering great technical kicks and punches. It was a true spectacle as even some of the locals passing by stopped to see what was taking place in the usually quiet seaside town. After about an hour of sparring, Masters Mark Murphy and Tony Leslie, both 6th Dan, demonstrated some self defence techniques that they had put together. Again, this was a great chance to try and replicate a threatening situation in a ‘natural environment’ where the ground and the weather are not always ideal. Both Master’s showed why they are such a high level, with precision techniques that were both simple to use yet still devastating to the aggressor. We finished the session off with some more team races before heading back to the warm dry hostel for a spot of lunch.
After lunch, the Grandmaster held a Q&A session in the hostel where he updated students on current Ty-Ga affairs that are taking place in the wider martial arts community. Club Instructors were given the chance to update the other students present on how their clubs are doing and what they hope to achieve throughout the upcoming year. Grandmaster also gave us some history about the origin of the outdoor course and locations around Swanage that were used including Studland Beach.
The 4th session of the day was more outdoor training, this time taking place along the seafront on the sand. It was, as was becoming more predictable, very windy with bouts of rain. This however, only adds to making this annual course even more memorable! This time we were focusing on Kata. As we all spread out along the beach front, Grandmaster took us through every kata whilst demonstrating the moves himself. Feeling the sea air blowing around you as you close yourself off to the kata you are performing is truly a wonderful feeling. It was a chance to really focus on the moves and almost feel at one with your surroundings. After going through all 13 katas, students partnered up for some more sparring. This was another great opportunity to practice free fighting on a completely different and challenging surface. After a few exchanges, the session ended with team races before heading back to the hostel for a hot shower and our evening meal.
As it was the 30th Anniversary of the Outdoor Course, we decided to go out for an anniversary dinner at one of the local eateries. It was a very pleasant evening and a great chance to unwind and reflect on all that had gone on throughout the day.
Sunday:
The first session of the day commenced at around 9am- after a quick cuppa to wake us up of course! As usual, the first session of the second day is one of the hardest as everyone has stiffened up from all the previous day’s training. This rule didn’t seem to apply to the Grandmaster, who appeared as nimble as ever, defying both uneven ground and gravity with his kicks. We started the session off with some (not so) basic combinations in line formation firstly heading down a slight slope, and then changing direction and having to go back up the slope still delivering the combinations! This was indeed a challenge for first thing in the morning. Grandmaster then took us through some self defence work and some more free sparring to completely wake us up!
After a break for breakfast we headed back out for what was going to turn into a rather marathon session…
The 2nd session of the day was a bit of everything – some basics, some kata, sparring, and of course some self defence work. All led from the front as normal by the Grandmaster. Then, following on from that was the course kumite event. This is an extra little tournament that has become part of the outdoor course. This time it was held on what can only be described as a ‘mini amphitheatre’ overlooking the bay. Once the sparring started, we were attracting attention from passers by who stopped to watch what was occurring. It was a great location for the tournament really adding to the gladiatorial atmosphere of the event.
Finally after all of this, it was time for the grading. There was a selection of different Dan grades being attempted ranging from 1st Dan through to 4th Dan. All students going for gradings were nervous yet excited having trained hard all weekend leading up to this moment. The students were asked to perform several basic combinations. This was followed by Kata. As each student reached the limit of their knowledge on kata, they had to wait as the more senior ones grading continued, demonstrating their kata until they reached the limit of what they knew. By now, all going for gradings were getting tired as they had been putting everything into their technique. This was not the end however. Next the students grading were paired up and asked to each show a self defence application to a specified attack named by the Grandmaster. Once this was completed to the Grandmaster’s satisfaction, it was time for them to spar. Firstly, with each other, taking it in turn to exchange partners. Then the Grandmaster called out higher Dan grades to spar with those going for grading. Finally just Sensei’s Marco Crawshaw and Joe Noun were left up sparring. Both of these students put up a brave fight as they pushed themselves beyond their physical limit both taking and giving some hard hits against their opponents. After the sparring had finished, all that remained was to perform push ups, squat thrusts and tuck jumps- A number picked by the Grandmaster. The students grading had to perform between 30 and 70 of each exercise depending on their grade. This was the final test for the students who had to dig extremely deep to muster up the will power and energy to complete the task. Failure to do so meant exactly that – Fail.
After all that they had just completed it was extremely motivating to watch them push themselves to new limits and complete all they had been asked to do. Once they had recovered just enough to get their breath back, Grandmaster asked each student grading what it meant to them to be training with Ty-GA. This is to show that the student is not only physically able to do what is expected of them at their grade, but also is able to demonstrate a mental understanding of what they are being taught and what it has done to improve their way of life and well being.
After an extremely tough grading it was announced that congratulations were in order to:
Chris Youlden 1st Dan, Daniel Harris 1st Dan, Marco Crawshaw 3rd Dan, Joe Noun 4th Dan.
After the grading we all headed back to the youth hostel for a hot drink and Grandmaster presented the new Dan grades with their certificates and medals to the kumite winners.
This was a fantastic weekend of training and really is an opportunity that should not be missed by any serious Ty-Ga student. Yes it was hard and both physically and mentally challenging but it was also fun and rewarding at the same time. Thank you to Grandmaster Gary Wasniewski for organising the weekend and leading from the front every step of the way, and congratulations on 30 years of running these courses! I look forward to many more of them!
Sensei David Buckles 5th Dan
Sargent Grenadier Guards
TYGA MARTIAL ARTS WINTER OUTDOOR COURSE 2013
One of the most special events within the TYGA Martial Arts calendar is the annual outdoor training weekend. This is usually held during the winter months when weather and conditions are not at their most hospitable. For the dedicated TYGA student, this is a ‘must attend’ weekend as there is really no better and more testing way of improving ones martial skills and a real opportunity to fully immerse oneself in training without the distractions of usual daily routine.
This year’s course was held in the small village of Litton-Cheney, Dorset and saw students from London, the South-West, and Dorset converge on a little Youth Hostel in the late hours of Friday evening. We all gathered in the main living area where Grandmaster Gary Wasniewski, Chief Instructor and Founder of TYGA, made the formal introduction to the weekend and outlined the training that lay ahead. This was going to be the 29th annual outdoor course of its kind and something to look forward to, as anyone who has attended these courses will know, the benefits and sense of achievement you get from completing it is a wonderful thing. Once all the introductions were made, we all retired to our beds aware that an early start was on the cards!
At 0700hrs we were woken by a sharp knock on the door by the Grandmaster. Everyone gradually assembled in the dining area for a quick cup of tea, and then before we knew it, it was time for the first training session.
As usual, the training is led from the front by the Grandmaster. This was to be no exception, and we found ourselves taken across turnstiles and over a nearby brook to a deserted field where the session started with a spot of running from one end of the field to the other until a suitable area of ground was established. Then followed a quick warm up routine, and straight into some ippon techniques. The uneven surface of the ground, plus the wearing of training shoes, makes every technique that much harder to perform….. Or so I thought until seeing the Grandmaster throwing multiple kicks with precision and control as if he was back in the Dojo in a gi and bare feet! This was to generally be the case in all the elements of training we would undertake over the course of the weekend. After the ippon / self-defence techniques, came kata. This is always great to do outdoors, as well as having the fresh air circulating around you, the muddy ground provides good practice for trying to perfect the various stances involved. The session culminated in some free sparring which emphasised once again, how different it is to try and perform certain multiple kicks wearing mud laden trainers! Before we knew it, just over an hour had passed and it was time for breakfast!
The second session of the weekend is traditionally a sparring session, and this year was no exception. After a quick warm up, we partnered up and began to free spar. This is usually a tough session as the continuous exchanges provide great stamina training and conditioning. As usual the Grandmaster was also in the thick of it, except that when we took short breaks to catch our breath, he continued to spar with one student after another. Not only did this give us a chance to recover, but also a chance to watch him in action, delivering high speed kicks and punches with accuracy, power, but also importantly, control. Each opponent ended up on the ground but always got up smiling, un-hurt, and eager to learn more. With the course consisting of around 25 students, the level of stamina and technique demonstrated by the Grandmaster was quite something. After we had all exchanged spars with one another, we moved on to cover various tournament techniques and then had chance to try and implement them into our sparring. Practicing sparring using only hands, then only legs, and finally putting it all together was another way of building our stamina and left many of us gasping for air. Finally, the session was finished off with a mini team kumite and a few team races to use up any energy that hadn’t already been expelled!! After a warm down, we all trekked back across the now extremely muddy field to the hostel for a warm shower and a spot of lunch!
The afternoon started off with Q&A session where students were able to ask the Grandmaster questions about his own training routine, his history with martial arts, and hear several interesting stories and anecdotes about his early days of traditional training under Meji Suzuki, his Full Contact training with Mr. Steve Morris, and meetings with world champion fighters such as Dominique Valera. We heard about visits to various martial arts organisations around the world in the USA, Poland, Spain to name a few, and really got an insight into the man behind our system.
We then all made our way by car to Chesil Beach, part of the Jurassic coastline, where the next session was to take place. As the weather was threatening to rain, there were only a few locals around the beach so it was a prime location for us to practice kata. Once again, the sand under our feet was not making it easy to form good solid stances but that was the idea. As we started to go through the katas from the beginning starting with Nidan, it started to lightly snow, this only enhanced the experience as we focused and kiai’d loudly with the water lapping at our feet as the tide crept in. Once again, all katas were also completed by the Grandmaster who then led us all up a steep sand bank one front kick at a time! This was not an entirely pleasurable exercise but when reaching the top you couldn’t help but feel you had achieved something. Then we were turned around and had to go back down one roundhouse kick at a time…!
The first day of training was ended with us all going to the local pub (conveniently located just next door to the hostel) for a mouth watering meal and a chance to unwind and chat with Grandmaster and each other.
Sunday morning came very early and once more we were awoken by a knock on the door letting us know that the first training session of the day was not far away from starting. After a quick cuppa, we all headed back out into the fields feeling rather stiff from the day before.
The session began with a bit of a jog followed by the warm up routine, and then we were straight into it. Firstly some ‘basic’ combinations in lines, where it seemed we were all feeling the aches from the previous day. For some reason the Grandmaster didn’t seem to be affected at all and continued to perform multiple kick combinations with speed, height, control, and accuracy on various students. More self-defence techniques followed, which certainly woke up even the most bleary eyed student, followed by sparring and culminating in some team races. That first hour and 15mins seemed to fly by and was certainly a great way to start the day!
After heading back and demolishing breakfast, we headed back out for another session. This time including katas, free sparring, more self defence applications and team races. Grandmaster showed various defences against foot sweeps, front kicks, roundhouse kicks, grab attacks, and knife attacks to name a few! Once again, training on the soft uneven ground and the fact we were in more day to day wear provided an extra element of realism to these techniques. Another hour and a half just disappeared and before we knew it the day was half over!
Back at the hostel, the students were attempting a grading on the course got changed into their gi’s and after a short break we all headed back out for the final part of the course.
This started with a ‘friendly’ kumite event for all the students on the course. Juniors were paired up together and the senior men and women with each other. What followed was a display of enthusiasm, fun, sportsmanship and great technique by everyone as students battled with each other to try and win the tournament. At the end, the results were as follows:
Junior’s 1st place: Bernie Lancester
2nd place: Freddie Lane
Women’s 1st place: Sam Haynes
2nd place: Annabel Harris
3rd place: Becky Lees, Alannah Evans
Men’s 1st place: David Buckles
2nd place: Marco Crawshaw
3rd place: Jon Lees, Danny Ling
Congratulations to all fighters!
Now it was time for the Grading. This is always a testing time and place to do a grading as not only are the conditions a lot more difficult than in a Dojo, but also the student has been training all weekend prior to it. There was a mix of grades ranging from 8th Kyu all the way to one student attempting his 3rd Dan. All the students grading lined up and after a short address by the Grandmaster, began with some basic combinations, these then became progressively harder until only the dan grade was left up on his own. After a few more combinations on his own, they then had to perform their katas. All were asked to perform all katas that they knew up to their various levels. Sensei Daniel Ling, who was attempting his 3rd Dan then had to demonstrate adequate self defence technique against his instructor, Sensei Jon Lees. This he did admirably finishing each combination with a take down. Sparring followed, and all students grading exchanged spars with each other, with Sensei Daniel having to spar with a few extra Dan grades to test his stamina and endurance. Finally, all the students being examined had to complete push ups, squat thrusts and tuck jumps to a number given by the Grandmaster. This was a gruelling finish to an already tiring grading. When they were all completed, the Grandmaster asked each student to comment on their thoughts and feeling towards training so to ascertain that they are growing mentally and spiritually as well as physically.
I am proud to announce that all grades passed to the next rank with flying colours!
That concluded another very enjoyable and successful outdoor course for 2013. Our thanks go out to Grandmaster Gary Wasniewski 10th Dan for all his organisation and instruction over the weekend. I can’t wait to see what next year holds for the 30th anniversary of TYGA Martial Arts outdoor courses!
TYGA!! by Sensei David Buckles 5th dan
2011 One Day Outdoor course – 16th Year!!
The 16th year of the one day outdoor course was held on the 10th July 2011 at Wimbledon sports arena, as always the course was an excellent chance to learn from the founder and chief instructor of the TYGA system Grandmaster Gary Wasniewski. The course went through all aspects of the TYGA system including Kata, sparring and self defence, also special guests Master Keith Turner 6th Dan and Master Philip Carroll 3rd Dan taught a section on TYGA Jujitsu and TYGA Kung Fu. The course included an grading with all taking part passing first class! The day finished with a mini TYGA tournament which saw TYGA Kensington grab the gold in a close contest against second place TYGA Windsor. TYGA South West and TYGA Victoria taking joint 3rd! – The results of the Junior event are as follows: 1st Place F. WEST, 2nd place M.WEST and 3rd place L. CHAPMAN and F. NAPOLEONE
Total of 52 Students attended Outdoor Course!
As always a course not to be missed and a course that those attended will be still talking about for many months to come!
TYGA Kensington – Winners one day outdoor course Tournament
