Ki and Combat Course
Wells-next-to-the-sea, Norfolk
15th and 16th July 2007


What a beautiful morning!
Arriving at the beach for training at stupid 'o'clock
A very early morning Ki training session.


Soke's team having just won the stretcher race.

On Saturday the 15th of July, students from the Borehamwood, Bushey, Worcestershire, Thetford and Honbu Dojos gathered for registration at the Honbu Dojo for a weekends training in Ki and combat training at Wells-next-to-the-Sea on Norfolk's beautiful coast.

Everyone left Honbu in convoy for the coast, and having found the campsite it was off to the seaside town to explore, eat loads of fresh seafood, fish and chips and get food in preparation for the barbeque back at the campsite.

Following the barbeque, there was a series of games and competitions running throughout the night until Simon's rugby ball was impossible to see in the darkness, and everyone retreated from the mosquitoes into their tents for a quick nap.

The following day it was up before sunrise (4:00am) into our Gi's and onto the beachfront to greet the glorious sunrise that we were once again treated to and to participate in our now traditional barefooted run along the seafront through the surf whilst singing the Ishin Ryu song. Then began four hours of great Ki and breathing training both standing and kneeling, in and out of the water.

We finished the Ki training at about 8:00am, and went back into the town for a huge cooked breakfast before packing up our stuff and heading back down to the sand for some fun and games in the form of stretcher races, which involved two teams equipped with a stretcher and a suitable person to lay on it playing the casualty sprinting down the sea front about 500m in competition with the other team, sounds insane but its a great team builder and had everyone huffing and puffing before we all ran into the sea for an impromptu dip in the waves.

Students enjoying an evening barbeque at the campsite.
Soke keeping a watchful eye on Eugene and Ruth.


Sensei Andy and Sensei Mark engrossed in their Ki training

It was then decided that we would have a stretcher race across a vast, waist high stretch of water to a buoy marker and back again, which proved very entertaining for all concerned and was won by Soke's team (see photo). It was great to see Soke joining in the physical games and races, especially following his huge weight loss (Over five stone, or 30kg to date) after commencing a very strict new regime of healthy eating and mornings at the gym since March of this year. Very well done Soke, you look great and have inspired a few others within the organisation to lose weight and up their personal fitness levels. Words alone can never describe the incredible feeling of well being experienced by everyone at a Ki course. As always, you just had to be there to understand it, I do love these courses and can't wait until the next one in the summer of 2008.

Following a nice hot cup of tea/coffee and a bite to eat, everyone said their goodbyes and returned home from yet another fantastic weekends Ki training at the coast. The only remaining challenge of the weekend was to de-sand all of our Gi's!

Andrew Crawley
Honbu Dojo

Thank You Letters

Ouss Soke,

Thank you for a great weekend. I thought I had done enough running in the last few months to have made a drastic effect on my fitness, but I am obviously along way off my goals.

Sensei Laura Peil
Worcestershire Dojos


Ouss Soke,

Thanks for such a good weekend again, despite not being able to train and join in with the general baboonery, I really enjoyed this weekend, re-enforced what I learnt on last years seminar and have seriously took Ki training into heart, planning to make it part of my daily routine.

Enjoy your holiday in Malta,
Domo Arigato Kevin san,

Leigh Keyte
Worcestershire Dojos
Ouss Soke

I would like to thank Soke and all the course members for an awesome introduction to Ki training. A great social night with a highly competitive game (or ten!) of Hot Potato (you needed to be there) followed by a day Ki training. Thank you one and all for a top weekend.

It was also good to see some of my fellow white belts turning out for a beasting (top effort Gabriel)

See you at Honbu on Wednesday.

Simon Blackwell
Honbu Dojo