On Sunday morning, a bunch of excited Shindenkaners were ready to get started with "A day with Task Fighting", Shindenkan's freestyle course where they had to test their karate in reality - Step by step, under safe conditions, as we do it with the schooled approach.

39 course participants were "in the fire" this day, an increase of 25% compared to the last time the courses were conducted. It is once again a strong progress, and a testimony to the success of the investment with OBC, NKT and a concentrated focus on the multi-track system Yakami Shinsei-Ryu Karate-do with all the competencies where there is content in the bottle. Not just an empty bottle, or a nice facade with no content behind it – but real skills developed over 1000 years and handed down from generation to generation of martial artists.

The next step in this venture is "Time for more fun!", and you could tell that from the crowd in attendance. There was a festive mix of children and adults, and mouthguards and glove models were discussed, and there was a great atmosphere, with lots of go-ahead, mixed in with a little bit of nervousness J

The day started with Task Fighting 1 – the first introduction to Shindenkan's Freekamp concept. Shindenkan is a 1000-year-old multi-track martial arts system where we train both armed, unarmed and "Leader of your life".

First, the students were guided through the underlying theory and philosophy, and parallels were drawn between Shindenkan's freestyle concept and sports karate, where the instructor drew on his long experience within international sports karate, topped off with 2 WC bronze medals.

But there is a long way from modern sports karate to Task Fighting, and the realism that comes into play there.

Then it was time to turn words into action. The purpose of the training was to build and expand the participants' toolbox, and let them feel on their own body and mind what it means in practice, under ever-increasing pressure, but still with high spirits. The clenched jaws were mostly due to the challenge of keeping the mouthguard in the mouth while breathing and making a big Kiai!

After a lunch break, "A day with Task Fighting" progressed with Task Fighting 2, where in theory the various forms of freestyle fighting and their realism were introduced, and the participants had to realize that even in full contact and MMA, there is a long way to the real thing world - there are no restrictions and no rules. Where you yourself have to take the consequences of your actions, or the shortcomings thereof.

In the dojo it was now planned that actions had consequences, but still under controlled and safe circumstances.

It was a pleasure to see how the experiences from Task Fighting, combined with their own experiences and increasing understanding, made a light come on for the participants. Actions have consequences, and there are many more options in the real world, and you have to make up your own mind and make choices and act accordingly. Only there do you begin to be able to harvest your own experiences, and be able to transform theory into practice.

Because in a true multitrack system, there are realities, and so is the real world.

Sunday 13/1-2019 was a perfect day for those who wanted to test themselves, for those who wanted to expand their toolbox, for those who wanted to get to know themselves better, and not least for those who wanted to develop even in a true multitrack system.