Experience of a life-time ! Part 1

21st All India Shinkyokushin Summer Camp 2004 at New Digha.
1st June to 6th June

Introduction :
My interest in Karate and preparation of camp


From my childhood I was a devout admirer of Martial Arts, maybe mainly influenced by the astonishing rythmatic art of warfare and undoubtedly also by the legendary master Bruce Lee. But once I got admitted to Kyokushin Karate Organization on 2nd November 1998, I was attracted by its strict physical and spiritual discipline, and it gradually made a deep mark on my mind.

I had made a thorough research and study on the philosophy of martial arts, the ancient Japanese and Chinese cultures and their religions like Taoism, Zen, Confuciasm, Buddhism, Tai Chi. All of these religions seemed more or less to converge at the same point: the separation of the mind from the body and the separation of the soul from the mind. And, the realization of the Ultimate Truth from the cultivation of the soul alone.

But to achieve this great task one has to rise above his body and all the earthly senses. I thought that budo was the way to achieve this. I found Kyokushin Karate, which claims to be the strongest karate among all the other styles of karate, to be the most suitable one. As this style is full-contact, it made me ‘feel the pains’ and made me aware constantly that how much I’m helpless to my senses and thus providing me inspiration to rise above it. Thus I had truly devoted myself to master this art and concentrate my all internal and external (mental and physical) energy at a point. But still now I have not succeeded, so this thought alone inspires me to ‘go for it’.

The summer camp never meant to me as a tour to Digha and its wonderful sea-beach. I was waiting for this for almost last 4 years. This time it brought with it yet another challenge: The brown belt gradation test. This camp was a time to prove myself.

And perhaps I did it

I had started to prepare myself mentally and physically from a week before my departure. I tried to concentrate on a single thought: “I’ll have to make it.” I restricted my diet, avoided all physical cultures that had the slightest possibility of the most minor physical injury.

(to de continued......)