2008 Shinpu-Ren First Annual Karate Boot Camp
Shinpu-Ren Dojo Students attend First Annual Karate Boot Camp
Shinpu-Ren students returned home from their first Karate boot Camp, held at Mormon Lake in Flagstaff Arizona. This was a three-day training and camping event that turned out to be a great time for all who attended. Students participated in two different types of obstacle courses.
The first day’s course was an “Okinawan rice field and farm” where students learned the practical and cultural use of traditional weapons as well as the defensive application of weapons such as the Bo, Kama, and Sai etc. From cutting their own fields with Kama’s, to using Sai for moving feed, carrying buckets of water with their Bo staff, using Aku to row their raft, to planting fields with Bo staff, and even grinding grain using a milling stone and Tonfa. The marsh land of Mormon Lake made a great rice field and farm. They practiced line forms out on the waters edge and also on a raised beam in the water. They worked Chanbarra “Padded Samurai Sword Fighting”, and basic Bo techniques along with diving rolls, and all on the first day. This was all followed up by a bit of “laundry and a bath” in Lake Mary afterward.
On day two students began their day with a two-mile hike/run back to the fields where they learned a new Bo kata in the morning, then ran back to camp in the afternoon. After lunch the next event was another obstacle course named the Ninjitsu course. This included rock face climbing, rope swings and climbs, knife throwing with “surieken” throwing stars and daggers, defending against random attackers, diving over obstacles and more. After dinner, Saturday’s evening event was the ring of fire where students participated in sparring matches with only a ring of tiki torches for light, this was a very exciting event. On the last day of the camp they all took a five mile hike to Lakeview point, practicing much of what they had learned along the way, using fallen trees, rocks etc.
There were many valuable lessons learned by everyone on the trip regarding confidence, perseverance overcoming self doubt and stepping out of their comfort zones in order to be successful in their task. This camp was a tremendous amount of fun and learning for everyone.