This week Bath Karate Club welcomed Sensei Vicky Phillips, 6th Dan from Shotokan Karate Academy, Manchester, as a guest instruction. Vicky Phillips is currently the youngest 6th Dan within the KUGB and has an exceptional karate CV: World Champion in Senior Team Kumite (2003), European Champion in Junior Team Kumite (1999), nine-time Shotokan Cup winner, and three-time National Champion. Her competitive record includes a Double Grand Champion achievement at both the Shotokan Cup and National Championships in 2006.

The evening’s session was well-balanced, progressing through kihon, kumite, and kata. Sensei Phillips opened with focused drills on correct stances, body movement, speed, timing, and kime – fundamentals that she reinforced throughout the evening.

The kumite and pair work was built around three attacks: mae geri followed by gyaku zuki, ushiro geri, and oi zuki. Vicky emphasised leaving the block to the last moment, then delivering counters with proper stances and correct distance always making contact. Students moved on to work in groups of four, defending against each attack in sequence at speed, with the final counter involving takedowns onto our unforgiving floor (but, hey – we don’t need mats!). The technical demands were high, requiring precise stance work and distance control – directly linking to the kihon principles drilled earlier.

The session concluded with kata practice focusing on Jion and Sochin, where the fundamental principles of stance, alignment, and body movement from kihon were evident in every technique. To finish, Sensei Phillips kindly gave a demonstration of Sochin, just to show us how it can be performed at the highest standard!

Sensei Phillips has trained under KUGB senior instructor Sensei Garry Harford, 8th Dan since 1997, a relationship she credits as instrumental to her competitive success. She continues to train with Sensei Harford and now assists with teaching at the Shotokan Karate Academy. Her session demonstrated both technical excellence and the clarity of instruction that comes from decades of serious practice and competition.