Olivais Branch, Portugal / November 2008 - Contributors: Branch Master Nuno Albuquerque (text) and Sec. General Joao Catarino (photos)

Olivais Branch on Camping to mark Shorinji Kempo's 61st Anniversary

With the meaning of marking the 61st Anniversary of the foundation of Shorinji Kempo by Kaiso So Doshin Sensei, Olivais Branch kenshi organized a weekend Camping last October 25 and 26.

This Camping took place in Orbitur Camping Park, very close to Guincho (Cascais council) world famous beach, due to its good waves and wind, especially for surfers (in fact, on the 26 there was a world series competition with surfers from many countries, and on the 25 there were almost 30 kite surfers in the sky & waves...The sky was beautiful with so many colours...).

The weekend was relaxed in terms of program, and consisted mostly on the 15 participating kenshi of different ages (from 5 year old boys and girls - and I proudly say the youngest one was my daughter...) spending good time with each other, in outdoor activities, playing, having fun and knowing each other even better, in order to build up their mutual confidence and trust. The weather was fabulous (around 25C with lots of Sun) and allowed us to go to the beach twice.


DEFYING MOTHER NATURE

On the morning of day two, around 9h30, after an early breakfast, the Guincho beach received us in Dogi for a training which for shore will be in our memories for many years...

After some 45 minutes with warm up, Kihon, Tan En and some Juho Waza we had a very small break, allowing someone passing by to come to me and say: "gee, you're from Shorinji Kempo! I'm too! I was walking on the beach, saw you and recognised the technique [Gyaku Gote] not the symbol. I'm not practicing now, I dedicate myself to Saloon Dance", explained kenshi Mr. Lousada (in his 60s), 1st Dan in 1982 and retired since then, proving that we can always find a kenshi anywhere (another reason for having a good posture and image).

Meanwhile, some of the older kenshi (this is, not younger than 14 years old!) keep on doing their Mae Ukemi and Daisharin until they feel the magical and pure fresh water in their bodies...True Atlantic Ocean on the shore of the most western part of the great Continent of Europe.

As Olivais branch master I needed to be very careful in order to always keep my kenshi safe (daring Nature, but not with stupidity), since Guincho strong waves are not for fun, especially after summer time finishes.

After some Geri and Zuki very close to the water (with some Ushiro Ukemi too, when some wave get to close to us...) we needed to apply the principle of UWAS - "United We Are Stronger": the six last brave kenshi unite their selves by their arms in a good Kibadachi in order not to fall (at least not so often...), since we were dealing with one of Nature's Strongest Force with waves taller than us, i.e. around 2 meters high, beating us on the face and body (really!) with all it's strength (at the time all ready some people walking on the beach stopped to watch this unique and brave moment).

My purpose was for my kenshi (and myself also) to face fear, to have it in front of us, learning how to deal with that scary moment when we don't depend only on us, but, in the case, on the strength and brutality of the wave.

We had to trust on each other, on each others relative small strength (but large determination), which become very strength when we unite our selves.

The risk existed since many times we were IN the water, not in the sand, and the enormous amount of water was quite strongly taking us into it, pulling us to its depth. The kenshi needed to be very brave, I must admit and congratulate them, since unlike me only one of them is a good and frequent swimmer (I'm proud to be a swimming teacher and former competitive swimmer...).

In mean time, I kept yelling (only for my kenshi to listen to me, because of the enormous noise from the waves when falling on the sand, not because I was mad with them, quite the opposite) and motivating the group to "don't quit! Be strong; keep on! Stand together, don't fall apart; united we are strong"... Even with some good humour to cheer up the tired group, like "you see, the waves are all ready getting tired, we're not..."

After a good 20 minute "fight" (because no one fights "this" waves) we received the last "Atemi" from what it must have been the "mother of all waves"...If before only one or two at a time were thrown down and rolled by the waves, this time the six of us fall altogether in one second, with one single blow...

This was the only time I was thrown down and when becoming to surface my first and only worry was to count five kenshi (beside me of course). We were all there and all right, and I remember thinking it was time to stop this experience, a truly test to my kenshi's courage and sense of unity and group. They all pass with five stars! Homedeto!

We did Kesshu and Gassho to the see, and thanked very much to Mother Nature for giving us this lesson of humbleness, of modesty, showing us how small and weak we are when compared with all its strength, of this immense Ocean, in this beautiful and balanced planet Earth (we really need to nurture it, because its becoming unbalanced and ill, and its our fault).

Of course everybody enjoyed very much, and this was the conversation subject for some time...


SMALL DONATION TO OUR FELLOW KENSHI IN NEED

On the afternoon we still had time to watch some DVDs about Kaiso and Shorinji Kempo, and had some talking on our goals and purposes as kenshi, inside and outside (!) Dojo, contributing to a better world, starting with our own society.

Therefore, we decided to help our sisters and brothers from Salvaterra de Magos Branch who are building a house to a three kenshi family who have not one (you may know more about this visiting their site: http://www.askcsm.pt/), and started collecting some money from kenshi and family.

We expect to raise in about one week around 200 euros, which is not much but it's our small and honest contribution, since I must say that many (not one or two) of our own kenshi in Olivais Branch have their own serious economical problems, in a country ? and world ? in crisis. Just to give you and idea of what it is 200 euros for us, Portugal's minimum salary per person is little more than 400 euros (sad and few, very few...).

If you want to know us better and contact us for any reason, please visit our web site (Portuguese and English) in http://skolivais.com.sapo.pt (email: olivaisbranch@hotmail.com). We hope to have you some time taking part in our OGWT, Olivais Guincho Waves Test. But you need to be strong or, if weaker, to have good friends, like we have. This is our aquatic concept of Gyo... Take care!

ASSOCIACAO DE SHORINJI KEMPO DOS OLIVAIS
SHORINJI KEMPO W.S.K.O. OLIVAIS BRANCH
PORTUGAL
http://skolivais.com.sapo.pt/
olivaisbranch@hotmail.com

 

TOP