24.5.2004 / XV. Sonkal sportcamp

Informations and photo material from last Sonkal"s camp

On Friday (21st May) Sonkal convoy, formed by one bus and 3 cars left Černý Most driving at Česká Lípa. Venue of our next, 15th in Sonkal’s history, training camp was sport area in Zákupy near to Česká Lípa. Our trainers had done a control of accommodation and place quality, final test – our stay here – showed both advantages and disadvantages of this new location.

Accommodation was booked in plain, but absolutely accurate rooms. The only disadvantage
was the lack of space in some of them, where we had to add beds. We ate in local school canteen and for some „tapeworms“ snack that couldn’t be depleted was available .

The most important thing – Taekwon-Do practicing, took place in local sport hall. And we may say that it provided us perfect background for trainings of all 54 participants. Two times more would train there without any problems, so our tatami was loosing in such a huge place.

Finally, we had enough space to play football as u warm-up exercise – it was always impossible in locations we had visited before. Most of Sonkal members enjoyed football in a free time too. Seniors (by time they are practicing or by age) enjoyed upgraded version of game called „King of shooters“ . Our rules were based on taking off clothes. Unfortunately most of us practices Taekwon-do much better than we play football, result of what was that ending the game only in underwear was really common.

Training plan was about this: patterns practicing from Chon-Ji to Ge-Baek, improving jumping skills and special techniques training. In lower grade students mainly practicing various forms of sparring and kicking techniques drills on pads. Higher ranks practiced mainly sport sparring. End of training camp was dedicated to power-speed-endurance trainings. Last few hours were used to practice team patterns for upcoming Bohemia championship (we have female kids, female and male juniors teams) and to prepare our students for grading coming early after training camp.

Friday and Saturday evening was time learning Taekwon-do theory, focused on explaining applications of each technique.

Despite of fact that our time on camp was really „fulfilled“, we unfortunately hadn’t got time to practice all parts of Taekwon-do – mainly power breaking and self-defense. Much wider range of trainings is planned on summer camp, which is going to held at the end of August in Malé Svatoňovice (same location as last year).

Translated by Martin Svitek.