Summer Camp

The WYKKO summer camp is upon us (June 24-25), and I strongly urge everyone to attend. Summer camp is an opportunity for students of all ranks to train, learn, and have fun. The camp begins on Friday night (June 24) with the black belt testing. Although attendance is not mandatory for kyu grade participants, it provides an opportunity for students to witness the process that determines whether or not a person is promoted from a kyu grade to a black belt. Many instructors require that any kyu grade student that wishes to test one day for black belt must attend a black belt testing. It is important for students to watch a black belt test, so that they can gauge their abilities and knowledge and compare it against what is expected. By doing this, the student can refine their training in an effort to buffet their weaknesses and to hone their strengths.

Black belt attendance at the black belt test is not mandatory; however, the attendance of black belts is highly recommended and appreciated. Even if they will be late, it is requested that black belts "dress out" when they attend. This makes it easier for the directors and coordinators of the test to solicit support for the various testing functions.

The camp is held in Dothan, AL. There are plenty of activities for non-participating family members as Dothan has several golf courses, tennis facilities, public swimming pools and also has an amusement park and water park located near the camp facilities. Over the past 5 years the weather has been mostly cooperative. Dothan is also about 2 hours away from Panama City Beach for those who would like to extend their vacation after the camp is over.

The camp itself is designed to give all students a unique training experience. Participants are grouped by age and rank and a black belt level instructor is assigned to that group. The individual instructors determine what is taught during these sessions. The WYKKO is blessed with a diverse group of black belt instructors each with their own teaching styles and specialties. Many of our black belts have experience in other forms of martial arts such as judo, jiu-jitsu, aikido, tai chi, and kick boxing. Despite their varied backgrounds and personalities, the goal of the instructors is the same: Give the students an opportunity to learn about Yoshukai karate by exposing them to varied points of view.

Oftentimes, instructors fall into routines with their students. The regimented structure of normal classes is good for building discipline and training regimens, but it is also good to see fresh faces and hear new voices from time to time. As a student, you can gain new perspectives and understanding simply by listening to someone else's explanations. As Mr. Simmons (5th deg.) once said, "I go into class and teach my students: 'kick' and 'punch'. Sometimes they get it and sometimes they don't. Then they come to a camp and listen to someone else say: 'kick' and 'punch'. Suddenly they are coming to me excitedly saying, "I learned how to 'kick' and 'punch'." I'm thinking to myself, 'Hey, that's the same exact thing I said last week!' But deep down, I'm just happy they learned the concept." Students can also benefit by having "another set of eyes" look at their techniques and forms. After training together for long periods of time, many people develop "blinders" that keep them from noticing flaws or mistakes. Much like a factory worker who inspects the quality of a product, only glaring defects will catch the attention of the instructor while smaller flaws may go unnoticed.

Instructors also benefit from Summer Camp. The camps are one of the few times an instructor can actually receive instruction for himself. A fact of life that is oftentimes overlooked by students is that their instructor is also a student of Yoshukai. An instructor is really a student who has been given the authority to teach others of lesser rank. Shihan Toyama and Shihan Culbreth also try to use the camps as an opportunity to gauge the uniformity of the style and to communicate changes in the forms.

While at summer camp, please remember represent your school in a positive manner. Make sure to address black belts as "Mr." or "Ms." Try to be as helpful as possible (i.e. assist in set up and clean up functions). Avoid complaining about adverse conditions (sun, rain, wind, heat, etc.) or instructional topics.