Camp Tillicum once again was the site for the annual IKOK-C Winter Training Camp.  This year for the first time, winter camp was held with no snow!  Canadian winters are renown for cold and snow!  However, this year the weather in western Canada has been exceptionally mild and actually quite pleasant.  Morning training held outside was cold, but with the absence of snow some of the overall ambience of the camp changed and seemed quite different.  What was lacking in the camp ambience from the lack of snow was more than made up for in hard training! 

Seventy-five (75) members from British Columbia and Alberta attended the three-day camp.  Students of all belts levels participated in six (6) training sessions that covered various aspects of Kyokushin Karate. 

Camp instructors Shihan Don & Stuart Corrigal and Sensei Larry Robinson covered some of the following areas of training: 

-         Kihon

-         Ido Geiko

-         Kata

-         Goshin Jitsu

-         Kumite training 

The spirit of the members participating pushed everyone beyond normal training regimes to understand the Kyokushin spirit in a close and intense environment.  Traditional Kyokushin training was supplemented with close quarters fighting and some spirited women�fs practical self-defense. 

Compulsory at winter camp is the attendance of the 2005 dan-grading candidates.  Seventeen (17) members attended for training, interviews and further preparation for dan testing this year.  Interviews were held with all candidates to learn more about why these students wish to attempt grading to the next belt level. 

Winter Camp finished up on Sunday morning after spirited class of Goshin Jitsu.  Next year the camp moves back to the Silver Lake facility, which is to be rebuilt after the fire of two years ago.

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