Dan Promotions and IMT Camp Report

Congratulations to the following Black Belt students who were promoted in November: Erica 3rd Dan, Victor, Torban, Matt 2nd Dan and Winston 1st Dan. Well done everyone on your remarkable achievements!

2014 IMT Camp Report

As first timers to the TKD Training Camp, the anticipation and excitement was slowly building over the weeks before hand as we heard stories and feedback from club members that have attended previously. So when the weekend finally arrived, it was surprising to see the number of activities and sessions on offer. There was also an immediate sense of belonging, which made the whole experience so much more enjoyable. For Andrew M, it was a return visit to Myuna Bay, after a 30 year gap. As a teenager we went there for the Sport and Recreation Camps, but it was barely recognisable as the facilities and accommodation had changed so much (for the better!) since those distant days.

When we arrived on the Friday night, there was barely enough time to read the itinerary before gearing up for an evening training session – there was going to be very little rest in this TKD camp! Lucky for Andrew M, just before entering the training hall which was to be our Dojang for the weekend, 2 boys ahead of him got busted for not bowing before entering the hall and got 20 push-ups from Master Peter. The message was not lost on Andrew M, so he promptly bowed when entering the hall, and escaped the punishment. Thanks for the heads up boys!

For those brave souls that attended, it was a very hot & sweaty session (like Bikram TKD) as the temperature was extreme this day and still hovering around 38 degree’s in the evening. After getting some nice forearm bruises from the training, and a Welcome message from Master Ron, everyone socialised in the common lounge for a chat with friends and some well-earned refreshments – it was nice to mingle and also welcome the late comers still arriving to the camp.

The next morning was a scheduled Yoga class bright and early at 6:30 am which almost everyone attended – great effort! It was entertaining to see all these people with sleepy heads trying to manipulate their bodies into a liquorice twist and do some stretching techniques so early in the morning under the watchful guidance of Master Ron. When we all managed to re-straighten our bodies again, it was off to the dining hall to fuel our bodies in anticipation of the gruelling day of physical exertion ahead.

A hot Saturday was filled with activities including Kumdo (sword fighting taught by Sabonim Michael), Dan grading assessments and general sparring, with some time in between to do as you please. The Kumdo session was closed with “Kill the King”, which resembled scenes from “The Last Samurai” or “Star Wars”, with rubber swords flying everywhere. It was difficult not to laugh at the spectacle. Michael looked really cool in his Kumdo gear, but was in fact boiling inside the protective suit. There wasn’t enough water in the pool to cool him down and rehydrate him from his efforts.

Andrew M had the foresight to bring his fishing gear for the weekend, but there was not enough time for such guilty pleasures! He clearly didn’t get the memo about it being training camp, and not Club Med. Archery was a great activity in the afternoon and a huge favourite with the kids. The pool also had a workout when break time allowed! Finally, when “drink o’clock” arrived in the late evening, we compared our forearm ‘brandings’ from the bow strings hitting us during Archery and, of course, our other bruises from the day, then relaxed together and enjoyed a movie. The movie was naturally a Kung-Fu flick that was impossible to follow due to hilarious subtitles, but that didn’t matter because it was all about the fight scenes. The fighting was so cool that Andrew M developed a man-crush on the lead (whoever that was), and Master Anne had to continually wake him for the fights scenes. After that it was off to sleep which took about 5 seconds.

Our final day was Sunday and again it started with Yoga at 6:30 am with a notable drop in attendance – which we’re sure fatigue and possibly alcohol played a part. This was followed with a great session of Bo work (sticks) by Sabonim Andrew and set sparring led by both Sabomin Carl and Sabonim Andrew. The strike shields also received a good workout thanks to the mercy of everyone’s powerful kicks and punches. And to us new comers, when Master Ron mentioned the next activities on the list was “The Gauntlet”, we were almost ready to scramble for the exit door! – Thankfully we survived, as these ‘games’ were loads of fun and had smiles on everyone’s faces. The very final session of Aqua TKD in the pool was a great culmination and end to the day. Virtually everyone was in the pool trying to generate as much splash and undercurrent in the water as possible, thanks to Master Anne’s pool side routines.

One of the more hilarious moments of the camp was when the kids (Daimon, Katrina, Tyler, Mason, Daniel, Alex) were climbing on the play equipment next to the mess hall when they were ambushed with water pistols by a group of other kids from the football club who were sharing the camp with us. After not heeding the warnings from Tyler to go away, he calmly walked over to them and said “Do really want to mess with us, who are here on a Taekwondo camp?”. To which the invaders response was to simply turn and run away!

The TKD Training Camp at Myuna Bay has been an awesome experience! We all had such a great time participating and definitely look forward to the next camp in 2015. A huge thank you to Master Ron and Master Anne, and to all the other people that make this kind of event possible, it was a wonderful experience for our families!

Some quotes from our children:

“The sparring was awesome as I am learning to defend myself”
“TKD Camp is a great place to socialise and make new friends”
“The camp was awesome, especially the Kumdo and the pool TKD session”
“I loved the Archery because using the bow and arrows was cool”
“I hate Yoga, especially at 6:30 in the morning” (from a 6 year old)

By the Slot & Mulcahy families
(Anthony, Melissa, Daimon, Katrina and Andrew, Sandra, Tyler, Mason)