The 12th European IKO Matsushima Kyokushinkaikan Summer Camp was held from July 29 till August 2 in Zadar, the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city.
Situated on the Adriatic Sea, serves as the seat of Zadar County and of the wider northern Dalmatian region, where the modern and the ancient collide in happy confusion to create one of Dalmatia’s most dynamic and exciting towns.
Camp was attended by 73 participants from 13 countries: Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Poland, Serbia, Spain, Ukraine, USA and Croatia.
Chief instructor was Shihan Klaus Rex, 7 Dan, EKO Matsushima chairman and Branch chief of Denmark. Besides him, their knowledge in 5 days and 14 training sessions was shared by:
– Shihan Marc Van Walleghem, 7 Dan, BC of Belgium
– Shihan Sergey Lukyanchikov, 6 Dan, EKO vice-president and BC of Ukraine
– Shihan Zsolt Toth, 6 Dan, BC of Hungary
– Shihan Imre Gyarmati, 6 Dan, Hungary
– Shihan Zoltan Orehovszki, 5 Dan, BC of Hungary
– Shihan Karoly Veress, 5 Dan, Hungary
– Shihan Jon Campbell, 5 Dan, BC of USA
– Shihan Henrik Rosager, 5 Dan, BC of Denmark
– Sensei Sergey Doronin, 4 Dan, current European middleweight champion and world middleweight vice-champion, Ukraine
– Sensei Holly Campbell, 4 Dan, USA
As guests on the camp were a members of the Croatian’s IBK branch and club Mas. Oyama Strmec led by Hanshi Mladen Šančić, 8 Dan and Hanshi Zvonko Samaržija, 8 Dan who also took part as a guest instructors.
Excellent position of accommodation enabled us to be on every point of interest in just 10 minutes’ walk: city beaches, City Park, sports halls, center of Old town, etc.
Morning training from 7 to 8 AM with running, kihon, stretching and meditation was held on the city beaches.
Ido geiko, kata (standardization & bunkai) and yakusoku kumite training was held in the City Park from 10 to 11:30.
Kumite training was held from 4 to 5:30 PM in two sports halls. They were directed in specific preparation of motor skills and technical & tactical preparation for the kumite competition in different categories. Last part of that training was directed in self-defense.
Additionally, Shihan Lukyanchikov held training from 5:30 to 7 AM performing bo, nunchaku and tonfa katas.
After dinner, a referee seminar was held as well as instructors and Branch chiefs meetings. There was the EKO Annual Calendar Plan Year 2022nd made with activities that Branch chiefs already had in their plans for the next year.
Dan test was held on Sunday, August 1 where the Macedonian Branch chief Kosta Nestorov Ivelić passed for San Dan. After that, sayonara party was held long into the night.
For the camp, T-shirts and cups were made with the photos of Kancho Matsushima when he, Mrs. Mikiko and Hanshi Taylor visited Zadar 2011.
Many thanks to all instructors and participants for contributing that this Camp went well. Many thanks to Shihan Rex for his help in preparing the camp. Also, many thanks to our supporters of the camp and to leaders, coaches and members of the clubs Domenica Sveta Nedelja and Fortis Samobor for their efforts and patience especially in the situation about corona virus during the Camp.
We really hope that this camp will stay for all of us in good memories for a long time.
More photos from the Camp you may find on FB profile Karate Kyokushinkai Croatia.
Osu!