By Niklas Frederiksen, Member until 2004

This is just a lie. The alarm clock on my phone beeps to my perpetual annoyance. It's half past six on a cold Saturday winter morning, and in two and a half hours we have to be in Greve, more specifically Tjørnelyskolen. It's time for Jokokan's annual winter training camp. A day filled with physical trials, bruises, good laughs and a proper jolt in terms of one's training awaits. A safe horse to bet on is to expect that you will be well used in the evening. At least I was that Saturday night. There were three of us down from Skælskør who just wanted to end the day with a couple of cool poops, and it didn't take long before all three of us sat and dozed off.

Now I really hate to flatter anyone, but the winter training camp this year was a hell of a camp. Despite the fact that there were almost fifty of us, it was a really nice camp, where both fun and festivity and serious training went into a higher unity. And YES, finally, after waiting more than four years, I was allowed to come up and train with all the "tough guys" that you have been watching out of the corner of your eye at previous camps. But not this year. I was allowed to try it myself.

Well, there weren't terribly many with the famous black belt as usual, but that at least meant that there was room for us with slightly lower degrees. Great to try. Although you probably get a lot of scratches at that end. The cadence is harder than what you are used to, but I feel on the other hand that I have learned an incredible amount in one day. As always at our training camps, you get a huge amount of input, but it often takes a while to process, so in the evening and the next day I often sit with the feeling that I'm basically a cod when it comes to karate. Also because you are pressured so much that in the end you just ride on the reflexes and everything goes and tumbles around for you. But when I've gotten a bit of distance, I always find that it's been a good camp, and this one no exception. Of course, you also have to make a roarer or something else that you can go and be angry about, but if you otherwise get to turn and twist it a bit, there is usually a good lesson in it.

At least I have already learned a lot from my roar at this winter training camp. Among other things, I have learned that even though you may think that you can manage to do something well within a narrow time frame without it going wrong, it is hardly the case. Unfortunately, my motor skills are not as complete as Jet Li's or Jackie Chan's. Because if it had been, everything would have gone as it should. But it didn't. We had a free fight and Martin had already fought his first three fights when he had to face his overlord in the form of Tyson's little brother, namely me! It is possible that my great idol Tyson nods his head during boxing matches, but I coolly sit on my exhausted opponent and punch him in the godda. And why not? Then he learns respect! Well, at least I learned something from that little mishap. The lesson for me was that maybe it wasn't so smart.

In addition to basic training and free play and what else we usually do, we were also divided into some teams across grades, clubs and age. In our group, we had a lot of fun with both the group conversations we had to do and the task of everyone making something of a kata. and to make it fit together. We ourselves were satisfied with the result, but it was mostly the process of making it that was the coolest. Just like when we have put on a show with aunt and uncle at other camps. It's bloody funny to make. That all the crazy and blistering ideas people come up with can actually turn into something tangible is unbelievable, but it succeeds every time. A delightful breath of humor and spas for our training camp. I would like to see another federation that can make their camps contain both the seriousness that is necessary and a shot of fun on top, without still being too easy.

Good atmosphere as a setting for good training with skilled instructors. That's my idea of a good camp, and I don't think I'm alone. Thanks for a good camp!