Last weekend was Karate Camp! Two days, three trainings (I missed one) and just hanging out with other karateka. Some from our club, some from out of the area. It's pretty cool.
Except..
Well I don't camp. I've tried.. really, but what it comes down to is that I like having a bed.. I like having my own shower.. and I like having some alone time. I'm really not a social creature. I do have a good time around other people but only in small doses... long story, but I never learned to be around people when I was a kid.. I'm surprised I'm not a hermit! So ya, a little time to myself is good.
I drove out Saturday afternoon.. I should have been there sooner, but I just didn't get rolling as quickly as I thought I would. But I got to camp in time to hang out for a bit before heading into the dojo for my first training.. but it was the second training of the day.
Um.. it was hot. Like 90-ish or something. The dojo is a converted barn.. really well done actually.. good floors, mirrors and of course, on the front hung the American Flag, the Japanese Flag and a picture of Gichin Funakoshi,
We started with basics
Then some sparring
That's me there, getting some correction on how I hold my hands.
Then kata.. did I mention it was hot?
That's me, the green belt.. my blood pressure is fine.. honest.. it was just really really hot.
"More hip forward!"
I never get that "pinky to elbow" thing right.
I'm always getting corrected on this too.. it's the little things really..
Enough picking on the greenbelts already (LOL!) Time for everyone to get in the act
By this point, I was pretty warm
Whew.. that was a long 90 minutes! But excellent really.. I got a LOT of instruction, lots of input and lots of really good information!
We bow out, and we all go to change.. I'm out of my gi, into my shorts and ready.. really really ready for some water.. when I hear someone yelling down the hall. One of the women changing in the same room as me says "Jeni, I think Sensei is calling you".. whooboy..
I pop out and Sensei says "oh you're changed already. We were going to test you!" (The club had held kyu tests the week before but I was out of town.)
I promptly bolted back into the changing room, told the girls that I was going to test and threw my gi back on.. Someone threw me a bottle of water, which I downed and then bang.. off I went.
I was soooo tired.. so ready to sit down.. I was running on reserves really. But somehow, I got through. Everyone was watching but I was to tired to pay attention or really care.
But. I passed. yay!
After that, I was ready to go check into my hotel.. (I got called princess a few times)
It was a nice little hotel not far from camp. I check in, and hop in the shower.. and that is when I notice... this.
Ye old "farmer tan". I have a matching blotch on my leg. It's from the car ride! LOL
I had a refrigerator and a microwave.. and this quaint little note
Long story short (too late!) I went back to camp, hung out by the campfire until 11:30 before heading back to the hotel. Many people slept in the dojo on air mattresses. I guess a pretty wicked thunderstorm came through and the rain on the tin roof was pretty loud.. I don't know because while they were in tents and open buildings, I was in my (ahem) cozy air conditioned room with the big screen TV and cable.
I got back to camp around 7AM and just sat by the pond with my knitting.. I wish I thought to take a picture of that morning.. so beautiful.
We had another training and at 9:30AM it was still nice and cool. After that it was time to head home.
I left out a lot... we laughed a lot and we goofed around a lot and ate smores.. it was a seriously good time.
















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