Annual Seido Karate Camp 2017
Annual Australian Seido Karate Camp Wagga Wagga NSW 7-9th April 2017
Over 150 Seido Karate Australia students and instructors from all around Australia attend a camp in Wagga. At the camp, students have the opportunity to train with various instructors including Sei Shihan Ino Macquirang who is the head of Seido Karate Australia (Seido). However, the Seido camp is also an important event of the Seido calendar as students who are candidates for 1st dan Black Belt and 2nd dan Black belt undertake their grading at this camp.
This year’s annual Seido camp was special for Seido Karate Bundoora as we had 4 candidates that promoted to Shodan (1st dan Black Belt). This is only the second time we have had candidates grade to black belt, a great event for our young club.
The promotion was held on the Friday evening where all the required syllabus, self defence, katas etc are covered off and displayed in front other black belts, other attending students and their family members. A great experience for all to witness. This is followed by speeches whereby candidates are free to talk about their karate influences, Seido karate in general, life outside karate and their karate life journey. Friday night begins at 7pm and concludes around midnight.
The following morning at 6 am candidates participate in kumite (sparring) with all other attending black belts. Approximately 40 rounds of sparring were completed.
Candidates are then presented with their black belts by Sei Shihan Ino at the conclusion. The grading is a test of a student’s non- quitting spirit, attitude and an ability to push through adversity while performing outside their comfort zone. The end result is an overwhelming sense of relief when the goal is achieved, but more than that, a great feeling of appreciation results. Appreciation of the grading event itself, appreciation of our fellow students, instructors and family members who have supported the candidates through the years of training. Truly an experience that is remembered for the rest their your life.
Seido Bundoora’s 4 students consisted of Aaron Cooray aged 13, Pavle’ Bucevski aged 13, Anna Bucevski aged 16 and Timothy Matthew aged 46. The three junior students began training 6 years ago at our kids karate program and have stuck with learning our martial art and developing their karate skills and self defence techniques working their way up to qualifying to achieve their black belts. Timothy Matthew had trained in Seido Karate 15 years prior and rejoined Seido karate here at Bundoora.
All 4 students had to intensely prepare for their grading at camp by attending more classes in the 6 month build up. This consisted of attending classes more regularly at Bundoora and also attending at our more senior dojo at Richmond where under the watchful guidance of Sensei Tom/Kyoshi Sandra & Kyoshi Pippa they were able to train in a different environment and under different instructors, all with the aim of increasing their knowledge and abilities and to better prepare for their grading.
I am proud to say that all 4 students stuck to the task and sacrificed their time in order to achieve something that not many get to. They all performed well out of their comfort zone at their grading at camp and I feel very honoured to be able to assist their journey to this point. Of course, it doesn’t end at black belt, on the contrary, this is just the beginning, keeping a beginners mind at black belt level is the key to being open to absorb more learning and development. An open mind helps us to become better citizens in the community with a humble heart and an appreciative attitude that they themselves can impart to others. For this is the core of what karate is about and what we strive for at Seido Karate Bundoora!... OSU!
