News 2007

4th national team selection camp 9.-11.3.
News 2007 >>

Usually the national team posse has gone for camps to Tampere, since most of the group comes from southern parts of Finland. This time, however, we drove to Virrat, which is located about a 100 km's from Tampere, to The Youth Centre of Marttinen. The competition group of Tampere Taekwon-Do club had gone there for camps already before and the experiences were good. We took the trip by cars and the first training was almost immediately when we had carried our belongings to the accommodation. We stayed in very nice log cottages or villas, which had four bedrooms in two floors and beds for eight. In addition the house had a sauna, staying room with a tv and a couch plus a cabin kitchen with a fridge, stove, microwave oven and dishwasher. In our bachelor box lodged four men - Mikko, Vesa, Aleksi and me - plus Joonas, who's not yet counted as a man, even if he performs in trainings already quite manly . In the first training the women did team patterns with Mariusz and the rest sparring exercises with Pekka. Since Linda Urbanski broke her knee in the Finnsh championships and her season ended there, time had to be used for finding a substitute for her in the female patterns team. In the sparring training we kicked a bit and opened our muscles and joints after the trip. My right foot toe was still in bad enough condition that I didn't kick anything with it at the camp. But at least I was able to do something with the left. Punch-emphasized weekend did probably only good for me anyway. After the training we heated up the sauna and chatted this'n that in the staying room before hitting the sack.

Saturday - fun for three trainings

Saturday was kick-started with a fabulous breakfast in the main building. Everything needed for a proper breakfast was served, and more. The most important of course porridge. In the morning training the group was divided into sparring and patterns groups. I twisted myself in the patterns group under the supervision of Mariusz. Again we went through different kinds of mental excersises. I felt somehow weak, and didn't find the proper relaxation and power. That's just how it's felt lately with the patterns, I hope I'll get the knack by the end of May. And why wouldn't it? There's still time...

After the training we had a tasty lunch and got to accommodation to take a rest. A short "death-in-between" before the 2nd training was indeed needed, though some time for socialising with the roommates was also found. In the second training we concentrated in sparring. We had some audience too, as Tommi "Killeri" Kiviranta brought half a dozen kids to watch the training as a part of their weekend of experiences. Tommi himself was really at work at Marttinen. His daughter Tiia represents Finland first time this season in the junior Championships and Tommi had a good opportunity to watch her daughter's performances in the day's training. The man himself is an ex-national team member and intensively into Filippine martial arts and self-defense nowadays. I'm sure they had lots to talk about at home. After the training there was dinner and then again mellowing out in the cabin. In the politically aware group we discussed Aleksi's experiences of getting mistreated by a member of Parliament and wondered the results Joonas had had in a website where people can compare their views over political issues with the candidates for Parliament. Also the mystical mute skier stopped by but luckily it didn't stay for a longer time. All in all the group that happened to get into the same accommodation was excellent, and we had good time together. On the other hand one would have had good time in any group what so ever, after all the whole national team group are good people. Plus Pekka.

The third training was free for those who wanted, but everyone participated except Matti Miinala, who's knee refused to co-operate again in the previous training. Matti stayed at the apartment heating up the sauna and using all the warm water, which his room mates bitterly felt later. The punks got what they deserved  I used the evening training for video taping some of my patterns and techniques, which is always instructive. It's easier to understand the advices of coaches and team mates when you see the mistakes you make with your own eyes. Some others got their patterns filmed too. The female team went through team patterns again and some did sparring excercises with Pekka. After the training we heated the sauna, Aleksi acted as the "sauna major". We had well enough warm water and neighbour apartment's Lasse took advantage of this by entering our building through the backdoor and dashing to the upper seat like a young puma. There was a lake about 30 meters from our building and me and Mikko went dipping ourselves in the ice-cold water. It's a common hobby in Finland to go swimming in a hole or "pool" in the ice. I hate cold so much that I consider being able to do this as a heroic act. Winning yourself is always great, so I think it was worth it. Besides you feel warm and good afterwards. After the sauna we had a social evening with the whole group in nice surroundings of an old building. It was nice, with chatting, light snack and bad jokes of a tired group. We had to get back rather early, though, for we were tired after the day's work.

Sunday started again with a great breakfast. Specially worth mentioning is the cold smoked salmon that "melted in one's mouth". These delicious meals have the one fault that they make me eat more than necessary and the feeling in the training might easily be something else than light'n easy. In the training we again had two groups with sparring and patterns. In patterns we had quite wild mental excersises to make our expression more emancipated. In addition we went through Kwang Gae and Po Eun tuls more thoroughly from the wish of the new black belts. The rest could have gone through their own patterns too, but it seemed that everyone had the will to hear sabumnim Mariusz's views on the patterns mentioned above. Before the end of the training the female team worked on their team patterns, juniors went through Ge Baek with Mariusz and the rest did their own stuff. At this point I actually got good contact to the power and rhythm of patterns for the first time during the weekend. So I believe I'll find what's needed in time.

After the lunch we packed the stuff in the cars, cleaned the accommodations and prepared for the last training of the camp. The subject was sparring and especially situations in the corners. In the end we took a couple of rounds of normal sparring, which in my case ment hand sparring. I managed with my toe quite well wearing shoes, even though icepacks were needed after every training. After the training the posse jumped in the cars and started to head back homes. Since the Bad Diver of Valkeakoski, Timo Tikkala, had left already in the morning and the Shaman of Lapland, Vesa Laurila took a ride with Mikko, I made the way with Joonas. And the drive home was nice, at least after I left Joonas to Nokia. In the evening I still went nordic walking to recover and after sauna and stretching I felt rather finished. The summary of the camp was a small strain in my back, good trainings, accurate feedback and a portion of good spirit (not booze). Hopefully we get more of these!