■April 19, 2018
5th Annual Shorinji Kempo Russian Training Camp
For three days from 6 to 8 of April, the 5th Annual Shorinji Kempo Russian Training Camp in Saint-Petersburg (Russia) was held.
All branch masters and kenshies from all Russain branches: Moscow Branch and Sungir Branch (Moscow), Baltika Branch (Saint-Petersburg) and Volga Branch (Nijniy Novgorod) took part in this training camp. Moreover senseis and kenshies from Sweden, Germany and Kyrgyzstan came to Saint-Petersburg to take part in this training camp. Total number of participants were 68 people.
Training sessions during the camp were conducted by instructors from Russia and Sweden: Anders Pettersson (Sweden, 6th dan), Alexei Rokitskii (Russia, 5th dan), Alex Tilly (Sweden, 5th dan), Makoto Hamakawa (Russia, 5th dan), Alexander Sofronov (Russia, 4th dan) and Anatoliy Lukutin (Russia, 4th dan). Assistance for the senseis was providing by Alexander Kramar (Russia, 3rd dan), Valeriy Karibyan (Russia, 3rd dan) and Anton Kozlov (Russia, 3rd dan).
On the first day there were training sessions of randori practice: distance, speed, counterattack, the entrance to the enemy, psychological preparation.
On the second day the participants were divided into 4 groups (minarai-4 kyu, 3-2 kyu, 1 kyu-1 dan, 2 dan+), and there were at first some practice on basic forms, then practice on different go ho and ju ho technics. Also Alex Tilly (sensei from Sweden) gave a lecture: “Thinking man’s martial art”.
On the third day there were also practice on some basic forms, then go ho and ju ho practice in groups, and at last some kumi embu and randori practice. Also Alexei Rokitskii (branch-master of Moscow branch) gave a lecture: “Mediation – the discipline of mind, improving the discipline of the body”.
This time Russian Shorinji Kempo training camp in Saint-Petersburg became one of the participants of the 18th festival “Japanese spring in Saint-Petersburg”. This festival is holding by the General Consulate of Japan in Saint-Petersburg every year. This festival collects different cultural and sport events, which are related with Japan and Japanese culture.
Within the framework of the festival there were held demonstrations of Shorinji Kempo technics on the second day of the training camp. Kenshies and senseis from all Russian branches took part in the demonstrations, also two participants from Germany performed kumi embu.