The Gozo Karate Club (Tenchi Ryu Jutsu) recently had the honour to host Shinin Borut Kincl, 6th Dan Black Belt, founder and head of the Kempo Arnis Federation (KAF) and instructor to the Slovenian Special Forces.

He was welcomed by the three club instructors, Sensei Joseph Portelli (3rd Dan Black Belt), Sensei Alex Vella-Muskat (2nd Dan Black Belt) and Sensei Charles Daniel Saliba (1st Dan Black Belt) as well as by the Minister for Gozo, Mrs Giovanna Debono, and the Official in Charge of the Gozo Sports Complex, Albert Scerri.

Master Kincl’s seminar, partially sponsored by the Ministry of Gozo, presented Okinawan Karate as a full combat system, working on: habitual acts of physical violence; Bunkai (Kata interpretation) for realistic self-defence situations; Tegumi (Okinawan hand-drills) to improve natural reactions and enable performance of Tuite in real-life situations; and Kempo Arnis Tactical, the martial art of the Slovenian Special Forces.

Scenarios included tactical combat situations, tactical escape, control tactics, transition to weapons, knife fighting and sparring.

There was a theoretical introduction as well, so that everyone could learn how to understand the criminal mind-set and body language. Each subject was fully illustrated by exercises enabling protection of personal space, pre-emptive strikes, release from chokes and strangles, ground fighting and defence against knife holdups.

In his keynote speech, Master Kincl said that he had heard and read a lot about Malta, especially about the Knights of St John, but that his visit had enabled him to appreciate the historical monuments, the Maltese landscape, the sea, the sun and, above all, the wine! Sensei Charles Daniel Saliba presented the club’s guest with his book Hijacking in the Mediterranean. The Five Cases of Malta. Kincl received it warmly, saying that his work in the security sector made him especially appreciative of books like this.

Representatives from various martial art clubs attended the seminar. Among them were Master Edward Clare Ryukyu from the Kenpo Karate Jutsu Tenchi Ryu; Sensei Charlon Zammit from the Nihon Tai Jitsu Malta; Sensei Jairzinho Zammit from Shiroi Tora Shotokan Karate club and his students; Sensei Mario Saliba from the Gozo Spirit Combat club and his students; members of the Malta police force and army; members of the SRT (Special Response Team); and people working in the security sector.