The 13th IFK Uruguay Summer Camp was held from March 8 to 10, 2024, in Salinas, Canelones, Uruguay.
55 karatekas from all the IFK Uruguay dojos and a team from IFK Brazil gathered once again to train together under the guidance of this year’s Camp´s instructors: Shihan Janine Davies (Head of the IFK Kata Committee), Shihan Jeovaldo Barreto (IFK Brazil Country Representative), and Shihan Germán Carballo (IFK Uruguay Country Representative).
The Camp started on Thursday evening, with stretching and makiwara exercises guided by Shihan Carballo in the forest. Kiais resonated throughout the whole complex and were the perfect start for the camp setting the mood for the following days.
We woke up well before sunrise on Friday and trained in rendaku and self-defense moves on the beach with Shihan Carballo, enjoying the view of a beautiful sunrise. Shihan Davies led the following two sessions where she, as the great master that she is, guided everyone through complex katas in such a way that even red belts could follow katas they´ve never done before. One session took place at the beach, and the other one indoors. The first part of the Kuro Obi exam occurred between these two training sessions, with two karatekas who gave their best as candidates for their 1st Dan grade.
The day ended with an evening session led by Shihan Barreto, in which he shared all his knowledge and experience as a kumite fighter teaching us several of his signature kicks and combinations.
Saturday also included four training sessions: three focussed on kata with Shihan Davies and one on kumite techniques with Shihan Barreto. The evening kata session was for brown and black belts only, but many of the lower grades were so excited that they asked for permission to watch the class!
Sunday was the last day of our Summer Camp. Shihan Davies led the kata session before breakfast, and the last one was—as always—the kumite session, with the 20-kumite test for the two kuro obi candidates. The Summer Camp ended with the Instructors’ speeches, presenting everyone with their attendance certificates and stamped passports and congratulating the two new IFK Uruguay Kuro Obis. After the Sayonara lunch, everyone returned home.
A special session led by Shihan Janine Davies was held at night at the Hombu Dojo, and it featured Kuro Obis from Uruguay and Brazil. During the session, she shared her best tips, tricks, and techniques for working on specific sections of difficult katas to help us reach the highest level possible. A barbecue was held afterward at Shihan Carballo’s home, where we relaxed and enjoyed each other’s company, stories, and anecdotes.
The Brazilian team returned home on Monday, and we did a little sightseeing with Shihan Janine, who joined us in our traditional post-camp stretching session at the Hombu Dojo on Monday. She flew back home on Tuesday afternoon.
We started the Camp with three countries, three different mother tongues, and one common language: Kyokushin. By the end of the Camp, we had added friends to that list!
We want to thank everyone who helped with the organization and those who attended the camp (either training or not). Every Summer Camp is special, but this will definitely be a hard one to forget!
Whilst this Camp has just ended, we are already working towards the next one; see you in 2025!
OSU
