I have made a few comments about Warrior Camp and how amazing it was, and I have a lot of people asking me first of all what it even was, and second of all, how good it was.
To make it simple, Warrior Camp (officially World Warrior Camp 2010) was a 3-day, all-hours-a-day martial arts training camp located at 4-H Camp in Riverhead, NY from September 10-12 this past weekend. It was headed up by Soke/Sijo Thomas Gettling, Sijo James Robinson, and Shihan Frank Bonano. My Sensei, Renshi Ross Greenberg, and my good buddies Guru Aaron Berrios and Sifu Roger Martinez were also instructors there. There were also 10 or 11 other teachers there for the camp which included San Lung Tao, Ju Jutsu, Judo, Ninjitsu, Ninpo, Kung Fu, Jeet Kune Do, Tai Chi, Shuriken, Shotokan Karate, MMA Self- Defense, Archery... and I am sure I am leaving something out! In short, it was a JAM PACKED weekend of non-stop training, bringing people from all over the country, and some from Canada!
I could go into how amazing the seminars were, how much pain I am in for trying to attend every one (even the 5am classes), or I could even go on about how I hit a bullseye in archery (see picture above). But what really stood out was the honor.
Honor. A word we throw around in discussions about religion, war, family, and of course the martial arts. I saw a new respect for the art this weekend though. I saw 16 or 17 teachers, well beyond black belt, who not only stepped up to teach pretty much for free, but walked alongside us for many hours at a time, even SERVING us! There was no ego in sight. There was no pride in any technique or meeting. Every second of training, eating, and fellowship was engulfed in HONOR.
The Holy Spirit was there too, speaking to me when seeing the highest ranks in the martial arts on Long Island serving us. It reminded me of Jesus' command to wash the feet of your disciples, and if anybody wants to be great in the Kingdom of heaven, he shall first be like a servant (John 13:1-17).
I was also asked to speak on 9/11 - to give a eulogy of sorts and to pray for the nation. It was a high honor, one that I will never forget. I stood in front of about 15 veterans and 60 martial artists who have not served in the military. Both people groups understood the heaviness of the day, and I made a point to say that God's love was not separated from us on that day (see also Romans 8:31-39). We then trained to protect ourselves, our families, our friends, our communities, and our nation, as we remembered one of the most tragic and unifying days the United States has ever seen.
Not only was the training great, but the conversations and fellowship of martial artists was great for me. People of all walks of life and of all races came together as a family, as one. The friends I made and the relationships that were established will stay with me for a lifetime.
The weekend was amazing. It was filled with respect, honor, and great training for self-defense. Warrior Camp truly embodied all three of the core values of ANY martial art: mind, body, and spirit.
To every teacher and participant of Warrior Camp 2010, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing that time with me welcoming me as family. Osu! CANNOT WAIT FOR WARRIOR CAMP 2011!!!
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