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(Summer Camp Continued...)
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Sunday Morning:
Optional sessions offered on Sunday morning included: sparring
and takedowns, pressure points, and for the children, another
round of beanbag toss into the troll's mouth. At the
conclusion of the morning mini-sessions, everyone donned
their dobaks (uniforms), in preparation for the most
informative session of the camp weekend, to be taught by
Grand Master Benko.
Grand Master Benko took the entire camp constituency up
to the plateau directly above the cafeteria and gave
instructors and students alike an hour and a half long
introduction to some of the finer points of Hapkido.
Numerous joint locks, takedowns, and controlling techniques
were introduced and subsequently practiced. The
effectiveness of this Korean martial art was made clear as a
wide variety of techniques were deftly demonstrated by our
Grand Master.
In the final portion of this culminating
session, the cane was introduced as an effective weapon of
defense. Although time limitations did not permit as much
experimentation with the cane as many of the participants
would have liked, it was nonetheless an eye-opening
experience which will probably be developed further at Summer
Camp 2001.
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Grand Master Benko teaching Korean ji pang e (cane)
techniques, assisted by Alex Keller.
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Joan McDowell, Susan Whitman, Paul Christensen & Lawrence Bebout
practicing Kwan Jyel Sul.
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Paul Christensen practices Korean cane (ji pang e) techniques.
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Mark Mackie applies a Korean cane (ji pang e) technique to
Bill Stevens.
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Weapons Training:
The weapon featured this year was the tahn bong. Campers
received instruction from Paul Christensen (from Williamston, MI), ATA 4th Dan and also
from Sue Whitman of the KMAI, with Lincoln Eddy assisting. Opportunities to
work out one-steps and self-defense techniques with both single and double
tahn bongs kept the session challenging. Trapping and disarming techniques
were also practiced.
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Weapons Training this year featured
The Korean "Tahn Bong" Short Stick.
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Hill Training:
Perseverance is the tenet, which must be
remembered for THE HILL! In addition to the rigors of the
Hill, the campers had to contend with a number of unanticipated
adversities. Everyone on the hill was besieged by huge clouds of mosquitoes.
Not to be outdone by the mosquitoes a frenzied swarm of yellow jackets got
into the act when their subterranean nest was inadvertently disturbed.
Showing no respect for rank the crazed insects stung two of the
Senior instructors.
The campers were challenged to kick, log roll, run, low
crawl "up the hill and down the hill!" by Ron Jovanovitz, assisted by Casey
Czinski, Greg McDowell, and Eric Arms. Every year the Hill tests the camper's
endurance, stamina, and perseverance right to the limits.
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Gregory McDowell (front) leads participants in Hill Training.
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Night Training:
Night training was held relatively early at this year's
summer camp due to a forecast of severe storm activity. Instead of being
awakened from a well-needed sleep, as has been the norm in years past, many of the
camp participants had not made it to their beds yet when Master Westphal gave
the call to "get up and get at it."
Although distant flashes of lightening frequently pierced the darkness,
the storm never struck near enough to the camp to necessitate the cancellation
of any part of the night training. The traditional game of "Capture the Flag"
was held in the meadow. For the first time ever, it ended in a draw. The two
teams were apparently too evenly matched.
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