August 20-23, September 2-5, 2002
2002 Shorinji Kempo Headquarters Summer Training Camps
Every year, the traditional Shorinji Kempo Headquarters Training Camps draw the attendance of Japanese university Shorinji Kempo clubs in the spring and summer seasons. Each week draws about 500 participants. WSKO members from outside of Japan are also able to attend with the recommendation of their branch master or federation chairperson.
Summer training camps were conducted in two different sessions, August 20-23 (Week A), and September 2-5 (Week B). In both weeks, A and B, all participating kenshi gathered each morning at 8:45 in the Main Hall (Hondo), performed chinkon, and afterwards separating by rank into 4 different dojo locations within the Headquarters, they practiced their various curricula. For the benefit of overseas kenshi, lectures were delivered with the assistance of interpreters. On the third day of the training camps, Headquarters staff performed embu. On the fourth and final day, in the gravely solemn hall, test takers who had passed their examinations received examination and rank certificates, and then all participants joined in singing the Shorinji theme song and each camp came to its close.
In Week A (August 20-23), approximately 480 university kenshi from within Japan and 7 overseas kenshi from Italy, France, Holland, and Indonesia attended. Attendance from the Italian Federation led by President Carugati has become an annual tradition.
On the third day of Week A (August 22), Italian Federation President Carugati spoke in front of approximately 500 Japanese university students about the spread of Shorinji Kempo in Italy and its current status. First transmitted to Italy 25 years ago, Shorinji Kempo has steadily proceeded in its development, and now it has reached the point of 13 branches and about 900 kenshi practicing hard. Moreover, said Carugati, this growth came about as the natural gathering of comrades around Shorinji Kempo and its ways of seeking to emphasize personal improvement and mutual assistance.
Attending for the first time, French kenshi Dal Grande said, "I will attend the spring training camp as well. Then, I will bring more people with me."
In Week B (September 2-5), about 430 Japanese university kenshi and 25 overseas kenshi attended from Britain, Portugal, Sweden, Holland, and Indonesia.
Britain's Southampton University Club (Branch Master Foster-Starr) has also become an annual tradition these last few years. This time, 18 people from Southampton arrived at The Headquarters in matching white polo shirts that read, "JapanTour2002." Swedish kenshi Allerby and Zachrison visited The Headquarters for the first time. They told us that they would study Japanese after returning home and that they would like to help translate next time. Amsterdam Branch kenshi Eliens and Indonesian Federation kenshi Hadjo attended both weeks A and B, taking an extra full measure of Shorinji Kempo practice.
On September 5, the last day of Week B, certificates of rank were presented at the closing ceremonies. British kenshi Barker and Portuguese kenshi and branch master Araujo had taken their examinations on the day before the camp started, and Shorinji Kempo Shike issued their Seikenshi 4th Dan certificates which were presented to them personally at the ceremony by WSKO Board Chairperson Tsunehiro Arai.
