The 2019 JKA-SKDI Summer Camp was held from July 10th to July 14th in New London, Connecticut, USA. It marked the 50th anniversary of the camp and commemorated Mori-Sensei who passed away last September. Many students came to participate from all over the USA as well as from other countries such as Canada, Haiti, Columbia and Bahrain.

The theme of the camp was “Returning to the Basics” which is something Mori-Sensei has strongly emphasized throughout his teaching career. In alignment with this theme, the guest instructors, Ogura-Sensei and Chubachi-Sensei from Headquarters in Tokyo, gave heartfelt and enthusiastic instructions and teachings emphasizing the importance of the basics and of always returning to the “Beginner’s Mind.”

Yano-Sensei, Shiina-Sensei and Shimizu-Sensei came to last year’s camp which was the very last camp attended by Mori-Sensei. Even though Mori-Sensei had been suffering with declining health, he participated and taught with a stronger sprit than ever before. Sadly, we could not celebrate the 50th anniversary together with Mori-Sensei this year. However, everyone trained very hard at his/her very best remembering Mori-Sensei’s teachings.

On the last day of the camp, Ogura-Sensei gave a memorable talk reminding us of the importance of passing down the legacy of Mori-Sensei to the next generation. He inspired us by introducing a Japanese proverb, “Shin Jin Ichi Nyo” or “Body and Mind as One,” which echoes Mori-Sensei’s teaching.