Sunday, September 09, 2007

The 'other' camp - 2007

It was just over two years since our last 'other' camp and almost four years to the day since we held a camp in the same place - Friday afternoon I met up with 22 of my adult students to convoy to Tuross for martial arts camp.

It was POURING.

The drive was a little slow but otherwise uneventful, arriving at the camp at about 8pm in time for dinner (where I continued my naughty carb intake). That night I ran them through two circuits and the exact same circuit I'd completed earlier that day at boot camp - perhaps thinking that they could exercise my guilt away, and by the time we got everyone settled it was close to midnight (exasperated by the fact that one of the room lights would not turn off and we needed to shift a room of girls).

Saturday started out a little cloudy but cleared up after the 6:30 session. The day was filled with lot of fitness work, teaching the newly graded students their new combinations and forms and also giving them more experience in partner work, take-downs and jo work, yet they still managed to fit in about 2 hours of ball sports of their own free will! We got to sleep just before midnight again and woke them up again just before 2am for a bit of meditation - nothing like a bit of a shock to the system to feel like you've got the full camp experience.

This morning (Sunday) they were up again before 6:30 for some meditation exercises and then down to the beach for tai chi. After breakfast we took them back down to the beach for 2 hours where it was my task to wear them out as much as possible - but some of them were STILL running around afterwards! We almost lost a few in the rip and a few of them learnt the valuable lesson about white martial arts pants in cold ocean water...

It was great to have almost all of the group together - only two students were unable to make it and they were both from the same strict family with four kids who normally aren't allowed to attend any camp (so it was fantastic to have at least two of them). It was good to do some of the more relaxed stuff where you work as a team or in the large group and lots of fun.

Apologies for this being a bit nonsensical - I think I'm a bit sun-affected and sleep-deprived, and promised to have the photo's up on Facebook for my students to check out (and it's reaaaally sloooooooow!).

6 comments:

Rosanna said...

Facebook is my God.

PS: Haighs is coming. I promise. I am just slow, but don't have sun exposure to blame xo

Enny said...

rosanna - I'm thinking that it might also get more of the students on there if that's where the photos are! I've put a lock on the mailbox ready for their arrival ;o)

Jen said...

Good luck to anyone who tries to get me up at 2am to meditate, you'll find it's not a particularly spiritual hour for me :)

I am exhausted after reading about your weekend, I am quite certain the carbs won't matter!

P.S Good news re:letter box lock, I sent your earrings via registered post on Wednesday so they should arrive very shortly.

Enny said...

D'jen - you'd be suprised! Though of course you'd have to be doing martial arts to be asked to do it, so perhaps you're not a budding martial arts student in the making... oh, and the scales beg to differ about all my carbs :o)

I got the note in the mail on Friday! I'm going to try to pick them up this week - my pokey lil post office keeps very perculiar hours. Thankyou soooo much!!!

Jen said...

Good O! I know that registered post is terribly inconvenient in terms of picking the parcel up but I am glad it arrived!

Enny said...

d'jen - it'll be worth it to actually have some earrings!