At this year’s JKS Summer Camp, we had the honour of welcoming Koji Arimoto Sensei to Switzerland. From 5 to 7 June, 110 participants of all ages and belt ranks came together to train, learn, and benefit from his movements and techniques.
Each training session began with fundamental Kihon techniques such as Zuki, Mae Geri, and Zenkutsu-Dachi, with the aim of improving precision and applying these principles in the following kata sessions. The first day focused particularly on the Heian kata, increasing speed and power, as well as developing optimal hip movement.
On the second day, the morning training focused on the Koten kata Joko-Issei and Joko-Nisei. Arimoto Sensei showed us in a clear and impressive way how the usually powerful Shotokan techniques can transition into flowing movements without losing their effectiveness and impact.
While the brown and black belts worked on the kata Unsu and Gojushiho Dai in the afternoon, Koike Sensei led a valuable Bunkai training session for the second group. The following Dan and qualification examinations were successfully passed by all candidates. Congratulations to Elena Röthlisberger: 2. Dan – Larissa Ruch: Instructor und Examinar D – Matthias Fankhauser: Instructor und Examinar D, Alfons Zenklusen: Instructor und Examinar D, Martin Roos: Instructor C.
On the third day, controlled hip movements were once again on the programme, this time applied in the kata Kanku Sho. Targeted leg techniques were trained, and the kata Sochin was studied in greater depth, as it requires a particularly high level of stability and body tension. In addition, the white to blue belt group enjoyed an exciting and educational training session with Beat Sensei.
The camp was an enriching and intensive experience for all participants. The impressive and precise movements of Arimoto Sensei, combined with his unique experience, gave everyone new inspiration and motivation for their own training.
We would like to sincerely thank Arimoto Sensei, Koike Sensei, and Beat Sensei for their high-quality instruction, as well as all helpers and karateka for their dedication and enthusiasm.
OSS! 🥋
