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Aikido Warriors' Camps 2011
Gordon Head Recreation Centre
11 - 15 July 2011
25 - 29 July 2011
Facilitator: Rafael Oei Sensei.
Ueshiba Aikido Victoria

The Aikido Warriors' Camp
is a weeklong overview of Aikido practice and philosophy for the uninitiated,
and an intense summer refresher for our regular students.

The camps have been a regular Summer event since the Summer of 2005.

Typically, each day begins with morning warm-ups and a jog:
a light refreshing warm-up in the morning air,
and for students to get used to moving around together as a team.

 
A team-game normally follows the jog, reinforcing the importance of
working together, being mindful of team mates, working out strategies,
leading the team, and delegating responsibilities.
Frisbee Game
Capture the Flag
Fox and the Hen
International Football (Soccer)
   

Daily practice included the observance of
Aikido etiquette and discipline.

Practising the Bow
   

Getting to know you...

   
Setting personal goals...
Appreciation and Gratitude...
   
Being neat ...
Reflecting ...
   
Movies, to illustrate philosophy, principles...
... martial tradition and etiquette.
   

After the normal dojo warm-up, students
were brought through basic unarmed
and weapons training.

Talking about etiquette and philosophy...
 
 

   

Hops

   

 
Shikko - Knee Walking ...
 
   
   
   
   
   
   

As a central theme of the camps,
apart from technique, the importance
of developing oneself from the inside
is also reinforced:
proper and appropriate etiquette, respect,
discipline, self-reliance, accountability,
being responsible, and being
conscious of one's decisions and actions.

Bean Bag Game:
Teamwork, focus, speed & agility...
 
   
Learning to listen and to lead the sightless...
... engaging all the senses...
   
...practising centredness...
...being specific, and saying what you mean.
   
Inner focus, control ...
... each stroke being decisive...
   
... through calligraphy.
Working as a team, with patience, ...
   
Wheelbarrow Race
... and steady hand to pass a ping pong ball.
Wheelbarrow Race.
   

Games served to reveal personal attitudes,
character, temperament, beliefs, ...
going beyond assumptions:
sowed the seeds of self-discovery.

Being more sensitive to choices,
responsibilities and others.

After going around the pole, ...
 
... feeling breathless and dizzy...
... then calming down to transfer beans ...
 

... from one bowl to another using chopsticks.
Musical Chairs... easy and quick, young...

 

... agile, and healthy ...

Not so easy when older, and bent over...

   

Musical Chairs Old

... to illustrate the effects of Procrastination.
Blanket Game; remembering faces and names.
   

Dog Bone

Being alert and quick, in "Dog & the Bone".

Being alert, with the "Wink" murderer loose.
   

Dog Bone

Students were also introduced to the idea of KI.

These exercises required students to be aligned
within themselves - balanced in mind, spirit and body.

Finding the Centre

 
   
Adjusting to finding the Centre ...
... receiving and redirecting energy...
... extension of "ki"...
... practising with blindfolds.

Participants also practised multiple attacks.

These exercises demonstrated the importance of movement, centredness, and going with the flow.

   
   
m
n
   

The camps ended with a little demonstration,
along with the presentation of certificates.

Thanks and appreciation to parents and students
for the success of the camps.

 

   

 

 

 
Your children's enthusiasm...
   
... attentiveness, and attitude are impressive.
Thank you for supporting their interest in Aikido.
 
Aikido Warriors' Camp 11 July 2011
 
Aikido Warriors' Camp 25 July 2011
 
Thank you once again for such a wonderful and enriching summer.
See you in the Dojo!
 

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