I, Sensei Christine, went with two of the girls to the 15th Annual Gasshuku Karate Camp hosted by the IMA Karate Association out of Louisville, Colorado. The camp was held in the Rockies west of Denver in beautiful Keystone, Colorado. We trained--HARD. It's a solid sense of accomplishment to actually do karate for eight hours all in one day. Bess and Alex did a good job of representing Cedar Ridge Shotokan in both their work ethic their social behavior.
This camp is a great example of how students can find a very healthy and supportive 'family' for socializing when they leave Cedar Ridge Academy. Dojos--good dojos--create a family atmosphere centered around the healthy lifestyle, work ethic, and commitment inherent in traditional karate training. Bess and Alex trained hard, but they also enjoyed time with peers in a healthy, productive way and spent the weekend being confident teenage girls.
Alex's Blog:
Sept. 25--Today we were off to Keystone and it was a really fun trip in the car. I got to play with Dylan (Christine's little girl) for a little bit and then we were off. We listened to music for the most part. I was surprised when I got to see snow when we got to Keystone. Our first training was fun. We did ladder drills and kicking. I'm tired from the trip. Tomorrow is going to be hard and fun.Sept. 26--Wow, let me tell you, I'm very tired and getting sore. We did a lot of karate today. I learned how to use a bow staff and a sword. Then we worked on self-defnese. We got a three hour break to go swimming and Bess and I hung out with a girl from the karate camp and went swimming. It's cool being a teenager again. I'm going to come to this camp again. After we did fun drills and more traning. Then we got ready for the banquet. I got to learn how to belly dance and that was fun! This trip was awesome. I'm sad that it's over tomorrow.
Sept. 27--We had our last classes and we were off. I really wish we didn't have to leave. I got a lot out of this and I hope to go next time and we are on our way back to Cedar Ridge.
Bess's Blog:
Sept. 25-- We hit the road at 8:30. Christine's playlist guideds tthe whole way there. We took a few pitstops and saw some amazing scenery. Around 4:00 p.m. we got to our amazing hotel. After being checked in we set out for some fun shopping and eating. At 7:30 our training began. The groups here split depending on belt. Blacks and browns were together while the rest were in another room. Our group did drills and some killer workouts that left us feeling great.The training ended at 9:00, but that didn't stop anyone from socializing. I got to meet different senseis and fellow trainers from different parts of the country. I can't wait 'til tomorrow.
Sept. 26--Our training began around 8:30. The first class was on weapons. Don't worry--they were padded. My partner taught me how to use a bow staff. Next we dueled each other. I lost but learned a lot. If I'm ever in a dark alley, I'll break out my bow staff. The next part of our training was spent practicing kicks and how to defend ourselves against an attacker. At 11:30 we got a three hour break. Christine, Alex and I went to a great pizza place. Christine had to go to sensei training directly after, so Alex and I met up with some junior black belt friends from training. We went to the pool and got to be normal teenagers for the first time in forever. We went straight back to training at 3:30. After two hours of drills we were allowed to go back to our hotels to take showers and get ready for the banquet. At 7:00 we walkzed into the dining hall. The night was full of dancing, eating cake, and me learning how to play hackey sack from a really hot guy. By the time we returned to the hotel we were passout out!
Sept. 27--It was the last day of the camp. We rushed to get to the 8:00 training. Most people were late. AFter some fun games to test our reaction time we were done. Every one said goodbye and hoped to see each other next year. I got a picture with a hot sixteen year old black belt and memories that will stay forever.
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