Fall Camp, Stony Plain, AB

Fall Camp 2012- Stony Plain, AB

Like many of us, I am subject to not wanting to leave my comfort zone and go to train with people I don't know , in a place I haven't been to; maybe more than some, maybe less than others. However, the benefits of expanding my own personal scope of karate training are so huge, through attending opportunities like this one, that, in consideration of this, any thought of risk in pursuing the unknown become....just not that big.

This camp far exceeded my expectations of personal growth. Shihan Corrigal and each of the Sensei’s and Sempai’s were so committed to the development of each and every student that came to train that this immediately became very encouraging and motivating. There is no substitute to training with, and spending time with, people of such a high skill level to cause me to look inside and find the drive to surge forward with my own training.

Some specifics that I got a huge boost out of during the camp: we did some tameshiwari training during one session, and challenging myself to do some breaks I had not done before was absolutely huge in elevating my sense of self-confidence about thirty notches! Just want to do more next time, and then more and more. I got a fantastic amount of practical advancement from the kata training we did, both refining kata from my own level as well as learning a new kata I had not done previously. On a social level, everyone at the camp was so great, I met so many amazingly warm and friendly people; I felt very welcome and truly a part of this group and I really look forward to seeing everyone again at future camps.

One of the best things about going to this camp is knowing that the things I learned, both in my techniques and a motivational sense, will remain with me because of the relationships with people that I can pair them with; the experiences that I had through this camp that resulted in the desire to drive towards the next goal in my training have so much to do with the sense of belonging to a larger Kyokushin family.

I need to mention the richly rewarding experience of travelling back to Prince George with Shihan Don Corrigal as well; for me, listening to and conversing with Shihan brought life to the foundations of Kyokushin and I am very appreciative of this.

Osu!

Fall Camp 2012- Stony Plain, AB

As a participant and a coordinator of the this years fall camp, I would have to say it was a tremendous success. Sempai Steve and the Stony Plain crew worked hard to create a memorable experience for all the participants. I would like to share a few of my thoughts about the camp.

The instruction was top notch, Shihan Don had us all captivated with his experience, skill and passion. This years camp was dedicated to the late Shihan Bobby Lowe. Unfortunately I never had the pleasure to meet or train with him, but from all the story's I've heard, Shihan Don encompasses that same passion for Kyokushin. Shihan's instruction on the basics was always the highlight for me, it seems no matter how long you train, refining those basics will only enhance your training and build a solid foundation. Sensei Brad from Calgary also joined us on Saturday to instruct and help us remember our basics (hands up, mouth open), Sensei Brad is defiantly one of the best instructors in Alberta, and we were lucky to have him attend with his busy schedule. Thank you to Shihan and the Sensei's and Sempai's for your instruction and guidance.

The Kyokushin family has grown throughout this weekend! Participants from Edmonton, Calgary, Banff, Prince George, Cranbrook and Stony Plain were all in attendance. I met some new people this weekend and look forward to seeing them again, everyone mingled and meshed together very well. Even the teenagers formed their little “texting” group and had alot of fun together. Saturday night was our Tameshiwari training and our traditional bon fire with music provided by Sempai Steve. I really think these camps are important for socializing with like minded people and to spread your wings outside your own dojo.

The Facility is awesome! Food was plentiful and tasty, a special thank you to Marlene our chef for the weekend. The camp is held at a school that used to house students full time, the facility is set up with a large dinning hall and a huge gym for our training, semi private rooms and full bathrooms make the weekend experience a little more comfortable. Maybe a few less flies in the gym next year..haha!

Thanks again to all the instructors, fellow students and the SPKK members for making the camp possible.
Osu!

Fall Camp 2012- Stony Plain, AB

I felt privileged to be able to attend the Fall Camp this Year with two of my students. This was their first Kyokushin training experience outside of our dojo, so naturally they were apprehensive. However, it didn’t take long to settle in because all of the people were very welcoming and the training & instruction was amazing! This camp was very well organized and the food was exceptional. Well done to Sempai Steve and the other organizers!

We arrived Friday night…unfortunately a little late as we didn’t account for the time change! I’ll be sure to take that into consideration in the future. As soon as we got to the camp we rushed in, got our Gi’s on and started training, which was nice after sitting in a vehicle for 8 hours. During that training session, I was fortunate enough to be re-united with a student I used to train with in Dawson Creek about 8 or 9 years ago.

Shihan Don and the other Sensei’s provided expert teaching. Shihan took the time to explain concepts in great detail, such as circle point and the physics involved in Tameshiwari. But sometimes it was the most basic of techniques or stances that really caught my attention.

The social time was great too… Especially Saturday night! Sempai Steve broke out the guitar and sang for everyone. His student Chris is an Illusionist, who put on a very exciting and professional show! It was really nice to sit around and talk with people hearing their story.

Prior to the Fall Camp Shihan Don contacted me and suggested that he travel up to the Prince George and Dawson Creek dojo’s being that he was in the area anyway. This was such a great opportunity for all of us. I can’t say how valuable and enjoyable it was for me to host Shihan. I look forward to many more training seminars and Kyokushin events where I might have similar experiences.

OSU!

Fall Camp 2012- Stony Plain, AB

'People who train in Kyokushin are like one big, happy, dysfunctional family.' That was certainly proven true at Stony Plain dojo's 2012 fall camp that took place over September 21st to September 23rd, 2012.
The only way I can describe my own personal feelings before coming to the fall camp is with the word 'nercited' – an equal balance between nervousness and excitement. As this was my first camp, I had no idea what to expect except from what I heard from other peoples' experiences. However, I definitely wasn't disappointed.
For one, the training was like nothing I had ever experienced before. Each training session was 1 ½ to 2 hours in length, with short breaks for meals in between. The training sessions were intense, be it mentally, physically or both. It was particularly interesting training under and with people I had never met before and learning things in new ways. (The only problem with the training that I had would be the constant presence of flies in the gym that were continuously being irritating. But that is besides the point.) Training with Shihan Don was particularly interesting. (It is indeed true that when you are listening to someone and the said someone gives you a very intense stare it makes a strong impact.) The things that we trained included fighting, kata, ido geko, tameshiwari, goshin jitsu (I never knew that throwing people could be so fun.), as well as an unofficial officiating clinic.
Every morning, training began at 6:30 a.m. Waking up before six wasn't even half as irritating as I thought it would be. (Refreshing became a better word for it.) If anything, it made waking up at seven the rest of the week seem better because it felt like sleeping in. Breakfast was at 8:30. Training would then take place between meals, with the day's final training from 7:00 to 8:30 at night.
The campus we were staying at (MECCS), was a very beautiful place to stay. It was in a nicely secluded area (quite literally surrounded by evergreen forest), with trails to wander in between meals and training. The rooms were nice, as was the rest of the building we were occupying, and the gym in which we trained was very roomy and good to train in (albeit there were, as aforementioned, a lot of flies).
(Hmmm....what to write about next...)
The food was awesome. I had heard that the food was good, but it was better than I expected. (You can't really get much better than home-style cooked lasagna.) But the mealtimes were for more than just eating – socializing was also a huge part of those times. Meeting and learning more about our fellow karateka was a great experience in itself. Meeting people from different provinces (well, at least from Alberta and British Columbia) and different backgrounds was an outstanding part of the weekend. (They aren't even half as scary as they seem once you get to know them a bit better. Even Shihan.)
So. Here's how the weekend went.
Arriving there, the first thing to be done was check in. Then, once getting settled into rooms and exchanging greetings with roommates, it was time to go to fight training at 6:30 p.m until 8:30 p.m. After that, we went to a wonderful dinner and had the rules of the camp laid before us (none of which, I am happy to say, were broken).
The next morning, we all were in the gym warming up before 6:30, (though the security alarm was accidentally set off by a few eager trainees who arrived too early) and then trained in kata until 8:00, after which we patiently waited until 8:30 to have breakfast. Next training, goshin jitsu, began at 10:00 and went to 11:30, with lunch at 12:30. Once lunch was finished, we had until 3:00 to do what we wished – be it walking about the campus grounds, socializing, or taking a nap to reenergize before the two-hour unofficial officiating clinic that took place from 3:00 to 5:00. Dinner came at 6:00, and the next training at 7:00 was a full 1 ½ hour session on tameshiwari.
After the tameshiwari, the boards needed to go somewhere. So we burned them in a campfire.
The campfire was probably one of the most memorable things about the weekend. It was a time where it really felt like everyone was around comrades rather than strangers, where stories were exchanged and laughter was shared (as well as plenty of awed expressions during an impromptu magic show).
After staying up late around the fire, it was finally time to retire for the night to be prepared for the next training.
Once again, bright and early, we started training at 6:30am to train in kata and tune up the things we had learned from the morning before. And, once again, we trained until 8:00 before eating breakfast at 8:30.
At this time we had to say goodbye to some of our British Columbian friends and Shihan Don, who wanted to get a good start on the about eight-hour drive to their respective places (Shihan was continuing on to a different dojo.)
After this farewell, there was one more training session that took place from 10:00 a.m to 11:00 a.m, which consisted of a general review of what we had learned that weekend. Once the final class was finished, it was time to clear out. The rooms were cleared, final goodbyes were said, and everyone headed their separate ways.
Okay. There is something I would like to say to everyone who hasn't gone to a camp.
It isn't as scary as it seems.
(I'll let that soak in for a moment before continuing.)
To be quite honest, throughout the entire drive there and even after the first training session, I was wondering 'what on earth am I doing?'
Trust me- no matter how scary it seems, going to one of these camps is an awesome experience that I would definitely recommend to any karateka – whether they have attended a camp or not. Not only do you learn alot, but you also become better connected to the rest of your kyokushin family.
In conclusion, this was, as I have already stated numerous times, an unforgettable and awesome experience. Sure – there were times (many times) where I wondered over and over what I was thinking when I signed up for this.
I am extremely glad that I went. $120.00 is a small price for such an experience.
Thank-you everyone who was involved in making the camp possible and to everyone who attended for making this whole experience what it was.
Those of you who didn't attend, I once again recommend that you attend it next year. Don't miss out on this again.
I hope to see you all next year!

Fall Camp 2012- Stony Plain, AB

Orange, yellow, green and brown, are the colours of fall. I am an orange belt and had the privilege to attend my first Kyokushin Fall Camp.
Standing in the back line during training, I can see every colour belt ahead of me. Standing from this place, in a larger class than my home dojo in Stony Plain, allows me to admire many techniques far superior to my own. I was able to absorb as much indirect instruction from the people around me as well as the direct instruction from Shihan Don and Sensei Brad. Fighting training, kata, kihon, ido geko, goshin jitsu, and tamasawari are the many topics that were covered during the camp. I would like to go into detail about everything that was being taught but it would change this article into a novel. Besides, one has to attend fall camp to know the training techniques that were taught there. I would like to mention that Sempi Daymon was excellent in the goshin jitsu demonstration. Where Shihan Don used him as an example in instructing everyone how to perform wrist locks that have an opponent thrown to the ground. It looked painful.

The lodgings were comfortable. There was plenty of nature to admire outside the building that enhanced the fall theme of the camp. The showers had hot water. The food was delicious and filling. The courtyard hosted a fire on Saturday after training. Wood supplied by the tamasawari instruction. Music, magic and conversation entertained.

Overall I enjoyed my time at the camp. I met many people from western Canada who enjoy training hard. I got to know people from my own dojo a little more. It inspired my own personal training, gave me a glimpse of some techniques to look forward to learning, and I got a t-shirt. I would like to thank everyone who came out, the coordinators, and the instructors. I will be back next year.

OSU!