By Agnes Schwartz, Member until 2015

Being allowed to attend a black belt training camp when you are "only" 2 kyu, brown belt 1 dash, can be compared to being confirmed - you are not an adult yet, only on your way.

The invitation came and with it, instructions on dress, computer, paper, meals, timetable, homework in the form of 3 articles, prizes and deliberate opt-out of progression.

On paper it doesn't look dangerous, but on Friday I still felt a swarm of butterflies. Now imagine if I had a puncture on the road. 2 minutes would mean prizes for all participants.
5 minutes and I had excluded myself from the company and a possible graduation later this year.

Kimu Sensei spoke about Koryo Naihanchi.
Kimu Sensei asked what was the most important thing to practice a correct Koryo Naihanchi.
The answer was KIHON.
Based on that answer, the course had begun.
All participants in this seminar know what kihon is. We also know what correct kihon is, i.e. in theory - when we have to teach new students the use of kihon.

Specifically, kihon is stable leg positions, a good balance, precise punches and kicks and effective parries.
Kihon is the foundation of the Shindenkan house and is trained by both the beginner and the master, but with an attitude, approach and understanding according to the level of the individual's cycle.

We got some new tools to work with; Ido Unsoku, awareness of activation of div. muscle groups and training in being able to achieve a conscious cooperation between the muscle groups.
Cool to be able to have so much control over your body.

Having trained body movements with awareness of muscle groups, hanmi, cross tension and timing, we now had to do the exact opposite – play full.

It is reasonably anxiety provoking to gamble drunk. I don't think I was the only one playing a controlled brandert.
It was also the word control that Kimu Sensei said was our number 1 enemy.
Control can hinder your development both as a karateka but also in your civilian life.
When we get into situations where we are pressured, anxious, taken by surprise, it often happens that we switch to the "known" pattern of action, i.e. control and that is not necessarily a happy ending.

With these hours in the Dojo there were Ryugi assignments. There were 3 pcs.
The first 2 we had 30 and 50 minutes respectively to prepare.
We were given some frameworks to start from and had to make a so-called "business case" that had to be presented in 2 and 7 minutes respectively.

The 3rd ryugi task consisted of making a display of max. 90 seconds to be shown at the X-mas convention the following day.
It should show understanding and interpretation of Shindenkan which is a multi-track martial arts system as well as reflections of the read POMW articles, written by Kimu Sensei.

On the second day of the seminar, the groups had to present their assignments.
Common to all the groups was that there was a lack of actual cooperation/interaction.
Some were individualists, some were betrayed by their body language, some were dubbed alpha males and females.
Kimu Sensei said that it was no accident that the groups were composed as they were.
Kimu Sensei also said that he usually did not read the content of a presentation, but rather looked at the actual presentation of a topic.
Who and how many were there to sell the idea?
Did the group support each other or did the individualist emerge?
Did you sense mutual agreements, so that the collaboration would flow more easily?

Into the Dojo again and we had to train kihon kumite.
From what was learned from the day before about control of div. muscle groups in the upper and lower limbs as well as in the Core, it should then be used when we had kihon kumite.
Kihon kumite is 1 attack and 1 parry without taisabaki.
Here we had to use everything we learned about our muscles, tendons and joints, both in attack and defence.
Here, control came back into play. You are in an old pattern and must now break it and use some new tools.
It is almost impossible when you are tired and stressed.
Excuses, accusations and self-pity roll over you.
You enter into an agreement with yourself, consciously/unconsciously, i.e. control.
Control in such a way that we exclude more information and new knowledge.

So what did I get out of this seminar?

I have gained a lot of new knowledge about my kihon. If I can't (and I can't) correctly Ido Unsoku, I also can't do Unsoku 1 and certainly not Unsoku 2.
I have been given some tools to be able to make a correct Ido Unsoku.
I must have that knowledge in my kumite.
From there I have to pass it on to my kata.
Easy right?
Yes, if you train it.

In addition to a lot of tools for the further development of my kihon, I have been given a lot to think about.

Kimu Sensei told me that the group I was in was a group with a lot of dynamics. Alpha males and alpha females.
It was deliberate from Kimu Sensei, as he put it; that he has expected some discussions.
Afterwards, I reflected on what my own role in the group was like.
Not so much about the task itself, but more about the process.
Who could and would I learn from?
Who could and would learn from me?
Who was good at leading and being led?
Who did not allow themselves to be led, but could gather the threads without leading themselves?

From here I think that these different characters exist in all of us and in different contexts.
When are we ready for change?
When will we be led?
When will we lead ourselves?
When are we competent leaders?

All this I have to think about when I have to develop my karate, but also in contact with other students in the organization of both higher and lower degrees.