By Elisabet H. Bjarkmann, Shishó, 1.Dan SR. Yakami Shinsei-ryu, 3rd Dan Kodosoku-kai Gensei-ryu

This black belt camp has been very different from what I have experienced before. However, I must note that I have only experienced two black belt camps in my entire life and both have given equal technical benefits. The first black belt camp required high physical fitness. That is why I also had expectations for this camp - but again I was met with great surprise: Great physical activity was not required at all, but on the contrary, it was the mentality and the psychological that became the key points. Were you settled and completely ready to learn and gain even more knowledge and familiarity with martial arts and sports? Would it be possible to follow along purely psychologically? I felt a bit like I was in "Bubber - Behind the scenes", where I discovered things that I actually knew existed, but which I had never recognized and learned from before, I was introduced to it at the black belt camp - so " Aha experiences at their worst”.

We really did a lot of technical exercises, which really went in and affected me mentally. It did so because they were very simple exercises, but still some of the hardest I have tried for a long time and really something that went in and challenged me mentally to the maximum. I almost felt like a white belt again; Completely inexperienced and not at all found out how great the great knowledge of martial arts and - sports is within the world of technique. This I had to admit with great reverence and acknowledge to myself, but at the same time, I saw it as a whole new world that opened up to me and that was just waiting to be explored.

After the hard mental training, we had theory and group assignments, which had not changed anything. The groups were randomly chosen, and I ended up in a group with: Bjørn, Henrik and Agnes. We discussed the tasks thoroughly, and came to some conclusions and things, which again gave me great experiences. All in all, we got some good results along the way, which we later chose Bjørn to present to the remaining groups - but of course we got another surprise along the way, when we met the next day at 8 in Måløv with all the other black belts. Those whom we had chosen on behalf of the group to present our product, of course, did not become the person who finally had to present. It became one chosen by Kimu Sensei, which in the case of my group, became me. It put myself to a hard test, but I made up with myself that it was "Take it or leave it" and so I had to take the situation as it was now. However, I have to admit that Kimu Sensei's assessment and constructive criticism was my biggest concern before I set out to present, but fortunately, we had a short break before then, where we could just brainstorm, the whole group together, so we could get everything in place both in terms of content, but also how we should act as a group during the presentation, which we learned from the last camp.

I have to admit that normally I'm not that nervous when I have to present something when I feel I have a handle on it, but this was a completely different matter. I was really nervous - and it doesn't matter how many times I have taught locally to many more people or presented at school or high school - that day I had to present to Kimu Sensei, which I had never done in my life before. I was almost shaking, but proud as I am now, I tried to hide it as best I could - and it constituted a huge internal battle with myself, which my sensible side luckily won. To my great surprise, my group was praised, which I was very happy about, and I saw it as a victory, not only on behalf of the group, but also towards myself and the boundary I had just broken.

All in all, this has been the hardest camp I have ever been to in my life. It was not physical, but psychological. The information and learning we received was so great that eventually I felt my brain had become so overloaded that it simply could not hold any more. I have never been so mentally tired before. In that way, you can also say that I really got the maximum technical benefit from this camp, which has made me perceive some things completely differently than before. I violated some boundaries that I didn't even think were possible to violate, but which were pushed further. This is also believed to be the purpose of the entire camp: To move boundaries. And on that point it has been successful with me.

This form of training is also clearly my favorite, I have learned. This is because it also gives room for reflection and new approaches. It really is a thought-provoking one that takes more than the 18 hours we had been working on to delve into.

My attitude has also changed, making me better mentally prepared for classes. In addition, I feel that the spaciousness of my brain has expanded, so that next time there will be much more room for even more knowledge and learning.

I also see things from a completely different angle – a new perspective that I would never have discovered if I had not participated in the camp. At the same time, I feel very privileged to be part of this and to have all these many "aha experiences" (pizza slices), which constitute, perhaps only a fraction, part of the whole, but which nevertheless help to give a closer picture of what martial arts and martial arts really are.