Center Parcs

Weekend Intensive Training

Unfortunately due to lack of interest, we have not generated enough numbers to attend centre parcs in August 2009. Discussions will be held soon between all the club instructors regarding this issue. Please speak to your Sensei if you have any questions about this.

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It began with six, men on a mission to practice the art of being not becoming, Zen. It has been a success, so much so that in 2008 we will have been attending the Zen residential course for 6 years. A big part of Zen is meditation training and there is not just one form of meditation but many, each one can be helpful in areas such as problem solving, increased learning ability and information retention.

Focussing the mind also improves technique and control, helps relaxation and enhances sleeping. Meditation can be used to understand more about oneself and others and within the arts leads to increased awareness of other’s intentions. Students bring a stone, a piece of string, golf ball, candle and paper to help with gaining the correct state of mind and focus for meditation training. The schedule for the weekend normally does not change much and here is an example of one of the days from a previous year.

07.00: Get ready, showered, have a light breakfast (important).
07.30: Meditation practise at Kris's villa.
09.00: Main breakfast at individual villas.
10.00: Training outside near the villas.
12.00: Go swimming / chill out.
15.00: Training outside near the villas.
17.30: Freshen up ready to go for our group evening meal.
19.00: Evening meal at one of the restaurants on the complex.

After the meal we tend to start making our way back to the villas (remembering we are up early in the morning for meditation practise).

Essential stuff to take for those attending the course:
Chiller bag (for the food you take for the weekend).
Swimming trunks.
Don't forget the basics.
Bring your A.M.A license book (it gets stamped).
Small note pad and pen. (essential for all the information you will receive).
Loose clothing for training (gi bottoms, tee-shirts and old training shoes preferred).
Your own food and drink (breakfast food i.e.: sausage, bacon, bread and cereal).
Your own bath towels and hand towels (as they are not supplied at the villas).
A rucksack (essential for use on the bikes), (put your swim gear and towel in the rucksack separately from your other luggage ready for swimming on arrival on Friday as we can not unpack until 3.00pm at the villas), (if you don't do swimming there is a bar which serves soft drinks and food inside the swimming complex).

For combat training:
An old hand towel

For meditation practise:
A polished stone or pebble - approx size 25 mm diameter.
A shoe lace 24 inches long
A golf ball.
A tea light candle.

Guideline on spending money:
If you ask students that have been before, most will tell you they have spent roughly about £100.00 on the three evening meals and the drinks at the bar, so this should be more than enough to take as spending money. If you want to be on the safe side there is a cash machine at the swimming complex. We use the parks own hire bikes only (to keep the group spirit everyone should use the high tech centre parks bikes!). It is a bad idea to drink too much Friday and Saturday night as you are up early the next day training. (Meditation practise requires a clear head). No martial art belts or weapons to be taken under any circumstances. After training hard all weekend training those who would like to have a little drink!, will get their chance on Sunday night, as we as a group for the last time go back to the villas to have a drink and a laugh as there is no training Monday morning.

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For details contact Paul Judd

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