FIRST WEEK-LONG NATIONAL TRAINING CAMP HUGE SUCCESS – 1986

Kyokushin Australia held its first ever week-long National Training Camp in January of this year at the NSW State Sports and Recreation Centre at Narrabeen Lakes, Sydney.
The camp (for those unlucky ones that missed out) was a booming success.
Those who attended were fortunate enough to have some first rate instruction by Sihan Goda 6th Dan and Sensei Sato 4th Dan. They were especially flown in from Japan just to instruct at our National Camp. The experience and knowledge that was passed on at the camp was invaluable.
The schedule for the camp was quite full, starting off with early morning runs (5.45 am) that became longer and longer as the days flew past, followed by a basic training session before breakfast.
From 10 am black and brown belts were instructed in advanced Kata by Shihan Goda, then from 11 am to 12 pm all other grades at the camp joined in for an hour before lunch. This training session was generally on Kata, to improve Kata form and knowledge. After the lunch break the black and brown belts were the first to start again from 2.30 pm with advanced instruction by Shihan Goda till 3 pm when the other grades joined in for a general training session, finishing around 4.30 pm to 5 pm, and off to dinner at 6 pm.
The camp turned out to be not all just sweat and pain, but also quite educational with a few interesting lectures that filled most evenings. The first was given by George Papallo who is a chiropractor and runs several sports clinics in Sydney. George spoke on treating karate and sport related injuries. The next night was a coaching lecture by Graeme Emond. Graeme, who is a physical education teacher from Geelong, had everybody up participating in his lecture on sport sociology and his special Kyokushin fitness profile.
One night everybody was glued to the television set watching a very exciting video film of some of the past World Championships and All Japan Tournaments.
The last of the lectures was given by Bob Curzon-Siggers. Bob, who has his own dojo in East Bentleigh, Victoria, works as an ambulance paramedic, and hence Bob was able to give us a very knowledgeable lecture on what to do with some of the injuries that might occur in the course of training. Thanks must go out to those who lectured, for the time and effort they put into the lectures. They were greatly appreciated by all who attended the camp.
Another highlight of the camp was the beach training sessions. Who said karate was always too serious? We had two marvellous days of training, firstly on the sandy shores of South Narrabeen, where the instructors had a full time job just trying to keep everyone’s eyes looking forward, especially when the onlooking sun bathers were trying to tan all their bodies. The second day was at Collaroy, a little further down the beach where the waves and backwash was just a little calmer.
Another highlight, which was mainly for the senior grades, was the Bo-Jitsu instruction, for which we must thank Shihan Goda. We were also privileged to get some of Sensei Sato’s special tournament fighting instructions. It proved to be very fast, hard and interesting.
Saturday was a big day for the camp, for we had the first ever Australian-held 50 Man Kumite that was entered by four brave men, namely Sensei Gary Viccars from Victoria. Luke Grgurevic from Victoria, Tony Bowden from Queensland and Jim Phillips from NSW. Also in conjunction with the 50 Man Kumite, and not to be outshone by the 50 Man Kumite, was the black and brown belt grading which was overseen by Shihan Goda, Shihan Taylor and Shihan Boulton. At the end of the grading, the visiting Japanese instructors commented that it was of a very high standard and one of the hardest gradings they have ever had the privilege to see.
Saturday evening saw everyone in a more relaxed situation at the Savonara barbeque. With some very interesting acts and songs. especially the witty for should I say “bareing” act presented by Coffs Harbour.
Everyone obviously enjoyed the party and apart from a few stiff muscles from the grading, they were all up for their final early morning run and early morning training session on Sunday.
Following lunch, all grades got together for the final training session which was held “in” the swimming pool at the camp.
All in all everyone who attended the camp seemed to leave it feeling they had learnt something and had also enjoyed themselves at the first ever week-long National Training Camp.