A
test of Kyokushin Spirit
I
recently had the privilege of
travelling to Papendal Holland
for the 43rd annual
European Summer camp. Shihan
Stuart and myself arrived on
Saturday afternoon and after a
quick tour of Amsterdam we got
some much needed rest, little
did I know that it would be the
most sleep I would get for a
week. Sunday morning found us
back at the airport where we
were met by members of the Dutch
Kyokushin Organization. After
the arrival of several other
kyokushin instructors we were
then driven to Papendal so our
week at camp could begin.
Sunday afternoon was spent
getting acquainted and watching
the world cup final, which was
quite the experience in a pub
full of Dutch fans and only one
Spaniard, especially when Spain
won.
Training started Monday
afternoon and it soon became
apparent to me that this week
was going to be very physically
demanding. Training covered all
aspects of Kyokushin and
challenged both the students and
the instructors to draw deeply
from their Kyokushin Spirit.
What still stands out in my mind
is the depth of the human spirit
to persevere and to push just
that little bit more when you
think there is nothing left in
yours or anyone else’s tank. The
instructors pushed the students
relentlessly through 16 training
sessions over three and a half
days, sessions that were
physically demanding to the
point of exhaustion to sessions
that were technical to the point
of mental exhaustion and through
it all no one stopped smiling
and enjoying the hard training
and the camaraderie that goes
along with it.
Thanks goes to Shihan Hollander,
Shihan Pinero and all the rest
of the European instructors and
students who made me feel so
welcome.
To
Shihan Stuart for inviting me
and for his patience and
understanding along the way. To
Sensei Brad for making sure I
stayed hydrated into the wee
hrs. of the night.
I
would recommend this week to all
who want to give it a go, you
won’t be disappointed, I know I
wasn’t.
Osu
Larry
July 12 - 16, 2010
The IKOKC was well represented
at the recent West European
Kyokushin Karate Summer School
held at the National Sports
Centre, Papendal, in the
Netherlands.
