Karate training camp

[Avatarless]

Hi guys I am new in this forum and I would like to seek some advice regarding organizing a karate training camp. How does the schedule normally like for a 3 days camp?

Campers will come in at 6pm on the first day and leaves at 12pm for the last day. I planned to insert some leadership and "budo" elements into this training camp. Any kind of comments are welcomed. Oss

[DWx]

Welcome to the forum Avatarless

I helped organize a TKD camp for a couple of schools last year and have been on a few too. Don't exactly know what a typical Karate camp would consist of but I'd imagine ours wouldn't be far different. Alongside your traditional Karate elements like Kihon, Kata and Kumite training sessions, you could add in other components such as runs, fitness challenges and maybe some fun stuff too. Our schedule usually runs roughly as follows:

Friday evening:

Runs: we usually do 2 or 3 groups depending on numbers and ability, usually a 5K and a 10K course.

Some light training, I'd suggest kihon or kata

Sat morning:

Some sort of fitness: in the past we have done hill sprints, sand dune running, army assault courses at a local barracks (great for team building / leadership etc.), circuit training

Maybe some further kata training or kumite?

Sat afternoon:

Up to you but we've always done something non-training like paintballing, Go Ape (treetop obstacle course), even surfing one year.

Sun morning:

Hard traditional training usually encompassing sparring and tuls (our equivalent to kata).

Are you preparing your own food? From experience this is something you definitely want to get right. Depending on how many people you have and what if can be a real pain to try to cook a lot of food and cook it fast. Having stuff that you can prepare beforehand or can shove in an oven with minimal effort is really going to help you. Stuff like pasta can be quick to cook and if you pre-prepare a sauce the day beforehand you can warm it back up easily. Same goes for stuff like chili.

Good luck

[sensei8]

Welcome to the forum Avatarless

I helped organize a TKD camp for a couple of schools last year and have been on a few too. Don't exactly know what a typical Karate camp would consist of but I'd imagine ours wouldn't be far different. Alongside your traditional Karate elements like Kihon, Kata and Kumite training sessions, you could add in other components such as runs, fitness challenges and maybe some fun stuff too. Our schedule usually runs roughly as follows:

Friday evening:

Runs: we usually do 2 or 3 groups depending on numbers and ability, usually a 5K and a 10K course.

Some light training, I'd suggest kihon or kata

Sat morning:

Some sort of fitness: in the past we have done hill sprints, sand dune running, army assault courses at a local barracks (great for team building / leadership etc.), circuit training

Maybe some further kata training or kumite?

Sat afternoon:

Up to you but we've always done something non-training like paintballing, Go Ape (treetop obstacle course), even surfing one year.

Sun morning:

Hard traditional training usually encompassing sparring and tuls (our equivalent to kata).

Are you preparing your own food? From experience this is something you definitely want to get right. Depending on how many people you have and what if can be a real pain to try to cook a lot of food and cook it fast. Having stuff that you can prepare beforehand or can shove in an oven with minimal effort is really going to help you. Stuff like pasta can be quick to cook and if you pre-prepare a sauce the day beforehand you can warm it back up easily. Same goes for stuff like chili.

Good luck

Solid post!!

Did the campers have to have camping permits? Did you have to have a permit to allow them to camp where they camped? Also, did you have to have a fire permit to allow the campers to make a campfire? Did you have to provide portable-bathrooms? Did you have to have a trash collection permit?

[DWx]

Solid post!!

Did the campers have to have camping permits? Did you have to have a permit to allow them to camp where they camped? Also, did you have to have a fire permit to allow the campers to make a campfire? Did you have to provide portable-bathrooms? Did you have to have a trash collection permit?

For us? We actually rented a lodge each time. Stay in Scout huts or recreation centres. They usually have several dormitories, a kitchen and then one or two recreation rooms and a good number of bathroom facilities. Unfortunately no campfire for us either. We have considered doing proper camping but the hassle of having to put up tents swayed us to the dorm type "camping".

[sensei8]

Solid post!!

Did the campers have to have camping permits? Did you have to have a permit to allow them to camp where they camped? Also, did you have to have a fire permit to allow the campers to make a campfire? Did you have to provide portable-bathrooms? Did you have to have a trash collection permit?

For us? We actually rented a lodge each time. Stay in Scout huts or recreation centres. They usually have several dormitories, a kitchen and then one or two recreation rooms and a good number of bathroom facilities. Unfortunately no campfire for us either. We have considered doing proper camping but the hassle of having to put up tents swayed us to the dorm type "camping".

I really do like the mindset that you had here in organizing the entire camp. Dorms outweigh having to camp outside, and in the USA, it would eliminate getting any permits that most certainly would've been required, and the Rangers would've been making sure that said permits were in order, at all of the time.

Very smart of you!!

[Kusotare]

We've been having camps with our dojo for the best part of 20 years.

We pitch up, light a fire and put the potjie on and watch it cook slowly whilst we drink beer!

k.

[DWx]

Solid post!!

Did the campers have to have camping permits? Did you have to have a permit to allow them to camp where they camped? Also, did you have to have a fire permit to allow the campers to make a campfire? Did you have to provide portable-bathrooms? Did you have to have a trash collection permit?

For us? We actually rented a lodge each time. Stay in Scout huts or recreation centres. They usually have several dormitories, a kitchen and then one or two recreation rooms and a good number of bathroom facilities. Unfortunately no campfire for us either. We have considered doing proper camping but the hassle of having to put up tents swayed us to the dorm type "camping".

I really do like the mindset that you had here in organizing the entire camp. Dorms outweigh having to camp outside, and in the USA, it would eliminate getting any permits that most certainly would've been required, and the Rangers would've been making sure that said permits were in order, at all of the time.

Very smart of you!!

I think it promoted more team building too as you were in a dorm room of around 8-10 people so you got to know the others in your room really well. And since you're almost guaranteed some rain, it kept everyone drier and happier.

In Britain you would really have to go to a proper campsite and book a pitch - compared to the US we don't really have national parks or places you can just go camping. Unless you knew someone that had a field or something.

[Avatarless]

Thanks for the ideas guys. First of all I am a senior scout and I do think about real camping like building up a fire and cook. But I do not know whether my university allows it or not because due to our budget problem (we're still a new club in my university) we decided to make the entire university the campsite. Basically I do not need to worry about all of the facilities because the university has given us permit to do whatever activities in the university compound. You name it, they have it. That is why we choose to organize the camp in university compound. As long as we keep it clean then it should be no problem. If not, our club will be fined.

Thanks DWx for giving me such solid ideas. My current schedule (draft) also sounds like yours. Just we don't have any paintballs or military stuffs haha. I've been no numerous camps as well as karate training camps but I found all the camps are too typical which they stick to hard training. Hence I would like to introduce something different among the karatekas from various universities.

Also thanks to others for commenting here. But I don't think we are allowed to have beer in our camp hahaha.

[tallgeese]

Sounds like a good time. I always enjoy these kinds of get togethers. You've gotten a ton of good advice. I'll just throw in a couple of thoughts.

I always kind of like having a fun thing on the first night. For most people, this is sparring or open mat of some sort. A short instructional portion followed by open mat is a great way to get everyone into the weekend and having fun. It's also a good icebreaker if you have people from outside your circle there.

You mention doing something different, the long day of training is the perfect time to mix things up a bit. Start with some instruction from one of your instructors. Do a block of that. Then, have an instructor from another style come in. Something very different. Reach out to a BJJ club, or capoeria group, or mma club, something different.

Heck, do an mma block, go back to karate on a different aspect of training, then do something else to close out the afternoon. Maybe even a weapon art. The trick is to find some good instructors that will play well with your group and have them come in for a couple of hours to augment your normal training.

This kind of thing can offer real growth in what you're doing already for attendees AND introduce them to other aspects of the arts.

Good luck and let us know what you end up structuring and how it goes.

[Nidan Melbourne]

What we do is:

Friday night:

Grading for students. But cost extra for Dan Gradings

Saturday:

6 am training session

8:30 breakfast

9:30-1 training session

1-2 lunch

2-5:00 training session

5-6 break

6-7 dinner

7-10 Karate Idol (basically like Australia's got talent)

10:30 lights out.

Sunday

6-8 training session (intense)

8-9 breakfast

9-4 tournament

4-5 break

5-8 last training session

8 finish up

Each session everyone are in groups doing different things. is one group doing kata, another kumite, basics, weapons etc.