【NEDERLAND】Report of JKA Nederland 10th Memorial course.
Neerbeek, 02-12-2022
It was November 2012 that JKA Nederland organized the first edition of the JKA Nederland Memorial course. The course was organized to remember the founder of JKA Nederland: Peter Wewengkang sensei, who has passed away earlier that year.
This year(2022) it was allready the 10th edition and the line up was excellent. JKA Nederland invited four highly ranked JKA HQ instructors for this anniversary:
Okuma Shihan, Nemoto Sensei, Shimizu Sensei and Kurihara Sensei arrived in the Netherlands on 23 November. This was the start of a wonderfull week with activities and of course JKA karate.
Special needs.
Thursday the sensei’s were invited at the JKA Nederland honbu dojo, to watch a special training for special needs kids. Paloma sempai was teaching these children. At the centre of JKA Nederland dojo, every one is welcome and even you have special needs: you can do JKA karate. The daily routine of these kids is 45 minutes of karate.
It was a special surprise that the “real Japanese masters” came and visit their class. The kids were so excited and very happy they were able to show their karateskills and hand out a gift to the sensei’s.
At Friday Sawada shihan (from Europe) arrived and the instructors were complete. Friday evening the gasshuku started and after there was a nice get to gether in the local Chinese restaurant.
Saturday the day started with a lot of participants and the organization was very proud and happy to announce that after the 2nd training the 400th participant registered! For the first time in the 10 years history of this gasshuku JKA Nederland welcomed so many people from 9 different countries!
JKA Nederland gives a special thanks to all participants.
Special ceremony.
During the small break between two courses Sawada Shihan and Okuma shihan organized a small ceremony for Tamara Wewengkang sensei.
Tamara practiced JKA karate since she was 5-years-old and trained together with her brother Ramon Wewengkang sensei (chiefinstructor JKA Nederland) under the watchfull eye of their dad and sensei Peter Wewengkang.
Tamara used to be member of the JKA Nederland junior and senior squad, became an instructor and is A rank referee for JKA WF. She was referee at 3 JKA World cups and many JKA Europe cups. In 2009, 2011 and 2017 she organized with her JKA Nederland team the JKA Europe championships in the Netherlands. Unfortunately she recently got serious ill and her body couldn’t do the physical karate anymore. Even though her body suffers this disease, she didn’t gave up and with her strong mind she is “back”in the JKA Nederland activities.
During the ceremony she was assigned her rokudan from the JKA Headquarters. The certificate was given by Okuma shihan and Sawada shihan. JKA Nederland and ofcourse Tamara Wewengkang are very grateful fort his special ceremony.
After this beautiful and emotional moment, there was plenty of training again. Saturday evening the organization organized an evening diner and at least 76 gasshuku participants joined the diner. It was a lovely night.
After the dantest on Sundaymorning the participants were waiting to enter the sportshall and start training. In total 6 training over 3 days, with 6 different senseis: the biggest event of JKA Nederland ever.
JKA Nederland is looking forward for the next edition in November 2023.
