Kyokushin’s 35th annual training camp: Toughest camp ever |23 April 2025

Kyokushin’s 35th annual training camp

Toughest camp ever

The Kyokushin Karate School organised its 35th annual training camp over the Easter weekend which saw 57 participating members, including three shihans.

The 2024 Women’s World Kumite (Fighting) champion, Sempai Rachel Bai (1st dan) also took part in the training, along with her husband Sensei Xiao Zheng (3rd dan). They are both from Hang Zhou in China. 

Their participation in the training camp is in preparation for major tournaments in Singapore, China and Dubai later this year.

Sempai Rachel is also preparing for her second dan grading in August.

The four-day training camp which was held at the Baie Ste Anne School, was conducted by IKA international technical director Shihan Phillip Moustache (seventh dan) and according to the organisers, the camp was a great success as they managed to break a 15-year-old record.

The training camp was also aimed at preparing the junior members for their grading and tournaments. Additionally, three members will be will be attempting their 30-man fight later this year and are half way through with their preparations.

Three training sessions were scheduled per day with students required to wake up at 5am to participate in the mandatory 45-minute morning run.

One of the key features of the Kyokushin Gasshku (training camp) is the performance of numerous hand techniques to demonstrate the students’ ‘Spirit of Osu’ or perseverance beyond one’s limit.

During the first early morning session, all the members erased a 15-year-old record of 9,650 hand techniques performed non-stop and established a new record of 11,015 hand techniques performed non-stop over a period of two hours, forty minutes. In the next session, they completed 300 kicks non-stop. The students aptly demonstrated this unique spirit of Kyokushin.

Another session was devoted to the practice and perfection of katas (forms) and bunkai (applications). After each kata, the students were given a very thorough explanation of the application of the various moves in the kata.

There were also sessions whereby the students were taken through numerous fighting combinations using both hands and feet as well as blocking techniques so as to improve their fighting abilities. Sessions on Ido Kihon (moving basics) were also aimed at improving their stances, techniques and overall performance in this martial art.

During the beach training session at Côte d’Or, the students practiced Ido Kihon and some of the students engaged in kumite on the beach after which they cooled off in the sea.

The organisers would like to express their gratitude to the following for making the camp a success: Ministry of Education, Marlu Seychelles Stores, National Sports Council (NSC), the parents and the Kyokushin students.

The accompanying photos show the students during the practice sessions.

 Contributed