By Martin E. Hansen, Member until 2018
It is always difficult to have to describe an intense event with the right words, as this year's I-camp has been. Not least the preparations leading up to the same, which started many months ago with a proposal for 2nd dan senior. Most of you know about graduations and the preparations you and your instructors make before you can go up. There is a new curriculum to be learned, physics needs to have an extra tooth, etc. This short article will briefly describe this process, which culminated during the I-camp and subsequent summer camp 2006.
For me, all training has been about getting better at what I do, regardless of what I've been training. Like many, I have tried different sports, but have stuck with martial arts, and why? It's probably because it has given me the most challenges, cost me the most blood, sweat and tears, the most pain, etc. Here, most people will perhaps wonder what kind of masochist it is that gets stuck in that soup das J It's actually some of it which is required if you want to train martial arts instead of martial arts!!! As I said, the preparations started many months ago, which is approx. half a year, although this year's black belt training has generally been one long preparation. I have gradually come to realize that none of what we are taught by Kimu Sensei is random, although it can often feel that way when much of it is repetition upon repetition. When I look back after passing graduation to 2. dan Senior I can see the common thread JI this half year and the last half year 2005, we have trained a lot pinan and basis, with the emphasis placed on even very small details. The theme for this year's I-camp was precisely perfect basis and how it was used in kumite and subsequent syllabus tests, and of course Shiai. In this way, the training year ties in beautifully with the I-camp.
But in addition to the actual training in the dojo, there are other hardships that must be overcome first. As you are all aware, all brown and black belts must pass a physical test. I've been through several of these before, but this year was particularly tough because a lot of my preparation was ruined, while I was told that this year the difficulty level would be higher (I later learned that in order to whip a atmosphere in the weather J). I initially received the challenge that during the physical test we would have to "fight" against top-trained Team Denmark athletes and possibly the Jægerkorpset if they were not in Afghanistan, which I thought could not pass my nose. However, it must be added that the agreement was probably made on New Year's Eve between Kimu Sensei and participants from the above gang - whether alcohol was involved is not reported in the story. You can read the result of the physical test elsewhere on this website, but there was no participation from the Jægerkorpset nor Team Denmark, although the latter was present but contented itself with looking appreciatively at something that is almost everyday food for Jokokaners. As mentioned earlier, my preparation was interrupted by both injuries and various periods of illness such as streptococcal infection and hives. They came relatively late in the process, which meant that I was very close and convinced that I would resign, but the higher powers in the form of Kimu Sensei gave me a kick somewhere so that in record time I almost got in the shape of my life and made reasonable times, but at the same time I know I can do better.
What got me up during this period of the physical test was the wise words that we all know "You can do much more than you tell yourself", which I have had to prove more than ever before. This, in my opinion, was also the hidden agenda or ura essence of the training camp. During the camp we were drained of strength and for the syllabus test, which was the end of today's training on both days, it was nice that the form was good when we had to show the syllabus for complete rubbish for 1 ½ hours. This curriculum test was naturally organized so that we showed the techniques where we could incorporate what we had learned during the camp, i.e. mainly the basic techniques. It was fairly successful, but it wasn't pretty J (now it's not beauty grades that we survive on in Jokokan either)
At the same time, part of the graduation is that one week before, you have to hand in a written thesis dealing with either a free context or a fixed assignment. This time we got approx. 3 weeks before it had to be handed in knowing that the thesis was to deal with 4 pinan kata based on differences and similarities as well as advantages and disadvantages of these between the Yakami-ryu version and other systems. I, who have only trained in Jokokan, came up with a bit of a task, but this was also successful...I have to repeat myself - "you can do much more..." It actually turned out to be an exciting task and ended up with a huge work on about 30 pages (incl. pictures) Of course I don't know how much is correct yet J. But at least I learned one thing – What we grow in Jokokan is unique! In short, Yakami-ryu offers the opportunity to train at different levels from "System 4" to "System 1", where there is naturally a fluid transition. It is not certain that you understand it, but in my opinion it is one of the pillars of the Pinan katas, which were also originally intended for several levels, but which are not always trained that way in other systems. Not that this is meant negatively.
At the end of a graduation camp, Shiai kumite is held, which this year was fought with fewer but also more intense matches, and this year I had to taste a knock out in the form of a hiza geri in the solar plexus. However, I could state that I actually tried to apply what I had learned in Shiai, as I had also done during the syllabus test.
After these two days of training, all of you Jokokaners show up bursting with energy and perhaps nervousness about the impending graduation. Those of you who were there must also admit that it was an intense experience. My graduation was still not over when I had to dig out the energy reserves and show that in Jokokan you are still an instructor and go full steam ahead even if the batteries are flat…..do I have to say it for the third time “you can do a lot…………. .” The camp went well and I want to congratulate you all with all my Jokokan heart on your well-deserved degrees.
