Last weekend we had the yearly autumn camp in School of Empty Cup led by Saar Avivi himself. Like last year we went to the local but remote area called “Kilsbergen”, only 20 minutes from Örebro but has the feeling of being far out in the wild. This year we extended the camp by arriving already on friday evening for two hours of training followed by a dinner and unwinding. Personally I had the best sleep in many days that first night, that and waking up in that calm area really allowed me to stay clear, present and focused the following days.
Saar had the camp well planned (as always) and instead och rushing through tons of material it was focused on fewer parts but with a lot more details and new but clear connections. We went through the squared and round short form, footwork and different relationships, two man sabre, two man spear, some stick work and much more. Many inputs and detours occurs naturally while practicing in this manner and just like having a conversation it can end up far from where it started, but still the same conversation.
To sum it up it was a fantastic camp in every aspect. The people, the teaching, the nature, the weather, the food and the escaping of the everyday habits. I already look forward to next year’s camp! We might make a few changes for that one, we’ll see, but trust me, you don’t want to miss it!
