Preparing for Master Chai's Oregon Training Camp

[chalambok]

1036 hours, Saturday?????

sawasdee khap everyone. This has been a very smooth camp so far. Minor dog problems quickly cured, both ovens working again, berry cream pie for the cooks from Bruce Raymer's wife Jan. (Sorry campers, but she just cannot cook 40 pies lol) Very few injuries but most are walking stiffly by now, many openly limping. I do not see a lot of bruises though, and the ice packs seem to be doing their nightly duties. I got to do Friday morning workout thanks to Master Chai telling me at 0337 am that I should do the easy morning so he could check me a little bit. LOL It was easy. But in the afternoons the campers have been working hard as any camp ever. Yesterday they did 85 rounds, and the fight group did another 4, plus the finish, which is 30 bodybuilders, staying down for 10 seconds at the 5 position after 15 reps. It was appreciated the drum section, which showed up to play for the afternoon. Friends of Dan Burke, it was once again Don Griswold but instead of a drum kit and some congas, this year he brought more congas. Everyone got to help at times, including Nina and Gunnar Nelson, surprisingly quite rhythmic. Yesterday was the written test, and a few students had to do the 3 mile run, 100 situps, 100 pushups and some had to then do squat jumps. No one quit, but it was hard. If you have not been to the camp it is hard for you to totally understand. Some are pulled along by the momentum of the group far beyond where they may have taken themselves before. Despite yesterday's hard, hard day, many if not most stayed up until about midnight talking and relaxing around the fireplace. This afternoon is another hard workout but after will be the ceremony. Camp is almost over already. BUT, many people have told me they will send in their stories to this thread after they return home. So we all can truly enjoy this year's camp. And you who wish to come next year, hey, just remember one thing

They can do it, you can do it

[Szczepankiewicz]

The pictures Chalambok sent me are now posted (7-28)!

[Brian]

Stories From the Road

So another Thai Camp has come and gone. So many memories, lessons, and experiences still fresh and hanging in the mists of my mind like the scent of eucaliptus before the 6:00 am strech and head count.

First let me extend a deep and heart felt sentiment of gratitude towards, Khru Carver, Khru Nelson, Khru Nat, Khru Bernales, Khru Scott, Khru Walwrath (and his faithful team of students and instructors), Khru Wilson, Khru Leonard Trigg, Khru Bernales (for sponsoring me once again and instructing me all these years), Khru Mateo, Net and the cooks, as well as Annete and Ken, and of course Ajarn Chai for another experience at Silver Falls that I will never forget. I loved the camp and couldn't have had a better time or learned more.

For those of you whom I talked with about the idea for my book. I started my first pathetic and fledgling attempts at organizing my thoughts and evaluating the scope of this project today. There is a long road ahead yet but on the journey of 10,000 miles, I've taken the first step (feeble and tentative as it may have been).

One of the stories that I am debating to include is one I heard during the wee hours of deep midnight the third day of camp as I sat and enjoyed the warmth of the central fire, listed to the wisdom of the quiet, the occasional pop of the coals and the voice of a man whom I've come to respect and admire. A friend, a senior, a man of many tallents. A man who can bake a mean donut, beat the milk money outchya pants, and wash that donut down proper all in the same breath. A man I shall call SugaTooth.

As I placed another log on the fire, he conveyed to me a story from his youth. A fighter (of relative experience) had taken an interest in this SugaTooth's sister and approached to see if SugaTooth would assist in introducing the fighter to his attractive sibling. SugaTooth's reply was "I tell you what man. You fight me in the ring and if you beat me, I'll let you date my sister. If not then you'll have to be on your way." The fighter agreed and a few moments later they were in the ring having at each other.

With his experience (which entailed a number of full contact Muay Thai bouts, quite a few more than SugaTooth had under his belt at the time) the fighter was getting the upper hand.

The fire cast a muted light on SugaTooth's face, raising it from the darkness that insulated our conversation. SugaTooth, looked at me and let out a little chuckle. "Between rounds, I said to myself, I don't care how many fights this guy has, there's no way in Hell I'm going to let him date my sister." And right there SugaTooth said, "I decided that I was going to win that fight."

SugaTooth gazed at the fire, and watched in silence with a contented look on his face as the block of timber melted into the orange glowing heart of the firepit...

I didn't need to ask, I've seen him work on the thai pads, seen him thow guys twice his size into the callous dirt of the field of screams like toddlers learning to use their legs for the first time, he hits the heavy bags with such veracity and relentless intensity that you'd think Mighty Joe Henry had entered the room and begun to drive spikes into the concrete floor with his double sledge hammers, but no, you'd turn and it would be SugaTooth barraging the bags with his hop double kicks (and this would be well into rounds 70 and 80).

But, it didn't seem right to let it go unsaid. I didn't want to deprive SugaTooth of the satisfaction of answering my obvious question. "So did you finish the job" I asked. SugaTooth gave me his very distinctive grin "Are you kidding me? He never even got my sister's name."

I asked SugaTooth how his sister felt about his screening methods and with another chuckle SugaTooth replied "To this day, she doesn't know it ever happened." The fire began to die and in bunks above us, a sleeping fighter shouted "TANG!" in his sleep. We looked at the clock whose weary hands were winding past 2:00 am. We smiled and went to our bunks, role call would be in less than four hours and there was still a full day ahead. The daily 3 mile morning run, the extra rounds for Fight Group, the 30, 8 count body builders and the nostrils filled with blood, sweat, tears and dirt were all awaiting us and Ajarn had warned that the big wave had yet to crest.

I fell asleep and tucked another great memory into my expereinces at the TBA North West Muay Thai Fighter/Instructor Camp.


--Well what do you guys think? It was a true story by the way. Would you buy a paperback filled with stuff like this? or should I put my pen back into my nerdy notebook and go back to hitting the focus mitts?

Take Care and remember to be excellent to each other.

Sincerely,
Brian Yamasaki

[terry]

Very nice, Brian. Why don't you write something up for Ajarn Chai's website? I'll post it for ya.

Terry

[Brian]

I'll do my best... It's difficult though, trying to figure out what type of story to write for the official TBA website.

Any suggestions?

I might like to write about some of the many non-technical lessons I've learned over the years at Thai Camp. Lessons on the side, about politics, conduct, ethics, and leadership from Ajarn Chai, Khru Leonard Trigg, Khru Greg Nelson, Khru Jeff Jones, Khru Bernales, and Guru Dan Inosanto (the politics lessons having nothing to do with the very sensitive issue at hand now on the East Cost).

Stories about things like how Khru Nelson told us about how he felt about being promoted to Black Belt by Professor Sauer. The seriousness with which he took this charge, the weight ("ten thousand pounds around my waist) that he feels comes along with it, the role I percieve that he feels he has now with his Black Belt Status, the way he is trying to fill the shoes he's been given.

And about things like how Ajarn Chai sent two of his instructors form the same area (who where squabling about business and had since refused to talk to each other) over to a log and commanded that they stay "ober der" until they had worked out of their differences. How he did this in front of the entire camp so that we could learn that politics should not be placed before our relationships as members of the TBA family.

Things of that sort.

What do you think Terry?

Sincerely
Brian Yamasaki

[terry]

Just follow your own heart.

[Tim Mousel]

Brian, you're a great writer...I think you should pursue the book.

Tim

[Szczepankiewicz]

The final picture has been posted for the camp! I hope you all enjoyed the show. Next year I hope we can get ALL the pictures up and running as the camp is going.

Somebody will have to kick chalambok in the rear so he remembers!

Great camp I hear, wish I was there (to watch)

Spanky

[Trace]

Brian,
I think that your story was excellent, and it would be awesome for you to document experiences from the thai camp either in a book or in the newsletter. Go for it.

[Trace]

TBA Instructor Camp

If anyone wants to see additional pictures of Ajarn Chai's 2003 Camp, they are posted on Guro Dan's website, www.inosanto.com.

[delbert]

whoevers out there. this is delbert. alot has happened to me in the last year. i joined this forum to say to all i missed you very much this year. the only thing that keeps me going sometimes is the arts.
steve,
i know that you did a kickin job of setting things up once again. i looked at as much as i could on the web. hopefully next time i will be living in oregon and be a even bigger part than usual.
be strong as a diamond and keep your hands up,
delbert

[gregimotis]

Preparing for Master Chai's Oregon Training Camp

I'm just back from my second camp. Anyone have any stories or thoughts on this year?

[chalambok]

What It Is

'It was prettily devised of Aesop: "The fly sat upon the axle-tree of the chariot-wheel and said, 'What a dust do I raise!'" So are there some vain persons that, whatsoever goeth alone or moveth upon great means, if they have never so little hand in it, they think it is they that carry it.' - Francis Bacon
"There is more politics in martial arts than in the White House." - Surachai Sirisute

[Ice]

...and what it be like.

Now that I've peeked behind the curtain, I'm not sure I'll look at some of the posts here quite the same again, having seen the 'Wizard' as it were.

A word to the wise: Run everywhere, always bowing, whilst reciting Thai phrases and terminology lest you pay the price for your ingnorance.

Not too seriously,

W2

[siampugilist]

this one time.. at thai camp.

I was enjoyed my first thai camp. The hospitality was excellent.. & the training wasn't half bad either. Although I will have to work my 8 count body builders if I attend next year . Trigg & Nelson were terrific.. i would enjoy seeing more technique type instruction from chai, but i wouldn't want to be the example

All & all i would say its money well spent & would recommend it for all levels.