Senseis Wessel Wilms and Elrié Bosman of the George, Knysna, Wilderness and Pletteberg Bay dojos (clubs), Kobus Klue of Mosselbay and Hartenbos, Wouter Pretorius of Oudtshoorn, Uniondale and Willowmore, JP Weitz of Grootbrak and Joshua Fair of George presented the gasshuku.
More than 60 children from all over the Southern Cape participated. On the Friday of the camp the children practised kihon (basic) training on the beach, followed by supper while watching karate movies. Saturday morning saw everyone up at 04:00 and running on the beach at 05:00, followed by fitness training at sunrise. After breakfast the children were divided into teams with specific children selected as team leaders, and their tasks were handed out.
Teams had to study during breaks between training sessions for exams around the camp fire that evening. Study material focused on the history of Goju Ryu, details regarding the organisation's instructors, as well as general knowledge and terminology of the techniques and kata within the style.
Team leaders also had to help their teams create a new kata (form) and bunkai (practical self-defence movements) using everyday objects found at the campsite, such as logs, towels, slipslops, pillows, brooms, etc. A demonstration thereof needed to be ready for Sunday when each team competed for the coveted Gasshuku Trophy.
The idea behind the teams and team leaders was to teach the higher graded karateka how to teach by putting them in charge of children of various ages, grades and abilities.
On Sunday morning it was a last bit of training at sunrise before the demonstrations started. Arzel Vorster and her team performed an excellent, creative kata and bunkai demonstration to ensure that their names will be forever engraved on the Gasshuku Trophy. The camp ended with a certificate handover.
The organisers and camp participants thank all who made the event possible - instruction by senseis Wilms, Bosman, Klue, Pretorius, Weitz and Fair; catering by Theresa and Albert van Kersen; photos by Samantha Kay; security and keeping an eye on the children during breaks by moms Shadrienne Barnette (also in charge of taking the videos) and Yvette van Wyk; administrative duties and setting up the campsite by Randa and Helmut Wilms.
Exhausted but happy after the camp.
