REPORT: JKA Norway autumn gasshuku, Bergen 26. - 29. November 2009

As usual, Bergen was the scene for the JKA Norway annual authumn training camp. With 657 karate-kas, this is the largest gasshuku in Norway and one of the largest throughout Europe.

JKA Norway had again done a tremendous job in getting highly qualified instructors to the camp. As traditionally, we had the pleasure to be instructed by Sawada Sensei 7. dan JKA (JKA Belgium) and Ohta Sensei 6. dan JKA (chief instructor JKA England). We also had visits from Tokyo Honbu dojo instructors Ogata Sensei 5. dan JKA and Okuma Sensei 5. dan JKA. For all karate-kas, it was a fantastic inspiration to be instructed by such high ranked instructors. We also greatly appreciated the effort from the Norwegian instructors Larsen Sensei 6. dan JKA (cief instructor JKA Norway), Sæle Sensei 5. dan JKA and and the Nowegian technical committee.

As last year, the gasshuku was spread over 4 days. The youngest students trained the first half of the day, and the senior students trained the second half of the day.

Saturday, we had a fantastic karate demonstration by Ogata Sensei and Okuma Sensei. After this, the Norwegian JKA team had a kumite and kata demonstration.

At Saturday night there was a banquet for all participants. All of the instructors were also there. We were served a delicious meal consisting of both cold and warm disches and variuos desserts. Gifts were given to instructors and this year they received a Viking tin mug.

In addition to the ordinary training sessions, the Norwegian JKA team had seperate sessions with Sawada Sensei, Ohta Sensei, Ogata Sensei and Okuma Sensei. They were tough and intense sessions for our best practitioners with lots of training on speed and kime.

Sunday was the big examination day and approximately 450 practitioners were ready to give their best. The audience got to see enthusiastic karate-kas that gave their best at their examinations.

Best regards
JKA Norway

After the end of the winter camp in Bergen we stayed an extra 4 days to teach in 3 different local clubs, Lyderhorn Karate club, Nordas karate Club and Bjorgvin karate club.

Lyderhorn Karateklub, Mr. Helge Sele

Ogata sensei teaching in Lyderhorn Karateklub

Nordås Karateklub in Bergen

Okuma sensei teaching in Nordås karateclub.

Bjorgvin Karateklub Instructor Mr. Pettersen

After teaching in the clubs we went to a club in the eastern side of Norway named Sandaforjd wich is out side Oslo. Here we had our winter camp for 3 days where we had over 200 participants and on the last day we had grading examinations for the studients.

Sandefjord , outside Oslo

Okuma sensei

Ogata sensei teaching Axel, student from sandefjord.

When we were finished the next day we went to the west coast of norway to Haugasund where we met Arild Dam and we were teaching in his club for 2 days. haugasund is a very beautiful place and we stayed in beautiful hotel right by the sea, and we had a good opportunity to go fishing, which we all enjoyed a lot.

After haugasund we went to a small island called Stored, and this is where we hold our summer camp. The instructer there is the president of Norway JKA and we were teaching in his club for 1 day, and we had a fantastic opportunity to go fishing and to enjoy Norways nature at its best, eating by the river drinking coffee and relaxing, while waiting for the fish to jump.

Ogata sensei and Okuma sensei teaching in Haugesund.

After Stord the next day we went back to Stavanger where we had our winter camp with over 200 participants for 3 days and we also had grading examinations on the last day.

After the course all the students were so happy and very satisfied with the standard of training form two of the top instructers from Japan Ogata sensei and Okuma Sensei. The Senseies were here for 3 weeks in total and the time felt like only 1 week.

We had a fantastic time having the Senseies here in Norway, and all my students were e-mailing me thanking me for the fantastic training and they were really hoping and requesting that this will happen again. I would like to thank JKA headquaters for all their support and I look forward to having good relationship with JKA Norway and JKA Japan in the future.

Thank you again
Geir larsen
Cheif Instructer
JKA Norway

All together Ogata sensei and Okuma sensei was teaching over 1200 students in Norway in 3 weeks in total.