COSTA ALMERIA NEWS: Elite Samurai swordsmen coming to Mojacar

EXPERT: Spanish laido national team member and European gold medallist Javier Tirado Contreras 3rd Dan in action. CREDIT: Karl Gibbons

ELITE Samurai swordsmen are coming to Mojacar.
Members of the Andalucia and Spanish national Iaido (Japanese sword) team will be attending a training session at the Nexa sports facility in Mojacar on Saturday January 11 from 9am to 1pm.
The event is being organised by Javier Tirado Contreras 3rd Dan, who is responsible for the Andalucía Iaido team. Javier is also a member of the Spanish national team and a European gold medallist.
Leading the session will be Karl Gibbons 5th Dan, who is a former UK team manager and coach to European and UK gold medallists.
Karl retired four years ago and now spends his winters in Mojacar. He teaches regularly at the Ishindenshin club in Almeria, where, he says, he has been very welcome by Javier Tirado Contreras and the other club members.

Karl Gibbons 5th Dan (centre) is a former UK team manager and coach to European and UK gold medallists.
CREDIT: Karl Gibbons

Karl told the Euro Weekly News the hope is the Mojacar date will be the first of a bi- monthly event held to develop the Andalucia Sword Team.
“It is wonderful to be able to assist with this programme and to hold this event in Mojacar, which is a town that I love”, Javier commented.
“The art of Iaido is thriving in Andalucia. This is a great opportunity to develop a sense of community, to assist in athletes’ personal development and to make people aware of our sport. I am really looking forward to it.”
There is a seated viewing gallery at the sports centre for members of the public who would like to watch the session.

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Written by

Cathy Elelman

Cathy Elelman is the local writer for the Costa de Almeria edition of the Euro Weekly News.

Based in Mojacar for the last 21 years, Cathy is very much part of the local community and is always well and truly up on all the latest news and events going on in this region of Spain.

Her top goals are to do the best job she can informing the local English-speaking community, visitors to the area and the wider world about about the news in Almeria, to learn something new every day, and to embrace very new challenge this fast-changing world brings her way.

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