YUSHINMON KARATE-DO
Training camp

Training Camp 2024
May 3, 2024 – May 5, 2024 at Lake Kawaguchi, Yamanashi Prefecture

We held our annual three-day, two-night training camp.
Since it was the first day of the latter half of the Golden Week holiday, Shinjuku Bus Terminal was more crowded than usual, with many foreign tourists. Although it had been rainy until two days before, the departure morning was clear, marking a refreshing start.
Elementary school students participating for the first time, along with regular attendees from elementary, junior high, high schools, and general class boarded the express bus with anticipation. Due to a traffic jam on the Chuo Expressway, it was a long four-hour journey. The area around Kawaguchiko Station was bustling with tourists, indicating clear prosperity.
After arriving at the inn, we immediately had lunch. SOKE NAKAZAKI, who had arrived a day early, waited for everyone's arrival and ate with us. Due to the inn's capacity limit, the camp was held with a maximum of 40 participants.
On the first day, everyone participated in afternoon and evening training sessions. On the second day, the general class had morning, afternoon, and evening training sessions, while the elementary and high school students visited the Sarumawashi Theater in the morning for recreation and trained in the afternoon and evening.
On the morning of the third day, we reviewed and practiced training suited to each individual's needs.
During this camp, detailed instructions were provided based on belt rank, gender, and age in KATA, YAKUSOKU-KUMITE, KUMITE, KOBUDO (BO-JUTSU, SAI-JUTSU), IAI, and BUKEMAI. Additionally, high school students often taught elementary students with colored belts, making it a fruitful training camp where they learned a lot through teaching.
High school students and above were involved in setting up the gymnasium on the first day and cleaning up on the last day. In each room of the inn, high school students took care of their juniors, managing time, and preparing and cleaning up before and after training.
When we gathered together, SOKE reminded us not to forget our gratitude to our parents who sent us to the karate camp, emphasizing that we came not only to learn karate but also to live together and learn greetings, manners, gratitude, and helping others so that we can do these things properly at home as well. It was a camp where we learned a lot besides training.
In the future, we hope to continue the traditions of Yushinmon through daily training, seminars, and events.