During the weekend 23-25th August, The 7th edition of Camp Banzai, Sweden was held. This time with highly interesting guest from Kazakhstan, Kaisar Team Astana.

First ting first – once again, the eminent organizer, Banzai Karate Kai pulled of a great event! The Banzai team continues to bring in instructors which is highly relevant within full contact karate fighting. An extra edge to the whole thing in this year’s edition was to bring in athletes and coach from Kazakhstan.

For a Nordic country (or European country for that matter) these are athletes you usually only see during world championships due to regional division. In other words, Kazakhstan is not in the European Championship since they belong to the Asia region. And what do a coach and athletes do when, as a 20-year-old, you can fight against the very best in the world?!

Anton Zimarev and Anjey Kinzerskiy made a huge impression last year, especially during the 13th World Open Championship Shinkyokushin. It is clearly “a scoop” to get these two athletes to the camp, and to crown it all with their coach Zhanbolat Sultanbekov.

Friday, 1st day of the camp was lead by Banzai’s own Kenneth Karlsson ⇑, (national coach of the Swedish youth team) mixing it up with a recap from previous camps, and use the group to sparring – after divided into groups based of level and experience. This was a great way to kick off the camp, and warm up the competitors for day 2… (Team Norway ⇓ )

Saturday, day 2 of the camp was the day that the camp was most visited, and among 120 Karatekas was lined up waiting in excitement. The Nederland, Denmark, Norway and of course Sweden supported the camp this year.

So – the first session was a fact, an if someone still was tired due to an early start, the Kaisar Team from Kazakhstan erased every doubt about being sleepy! During the camp, participants gained an insight into how the training was carried out in Kazakhstan, technically as well as physically. And if there is anything that has changed in recent years, it is, among other things, how complex the physical training is.

Physical training only for the training itself is not enough at the top level. You can see that when you have athletes at this level who were instructors at the weekend. Despite their young age, the athletes are very well all-round trained, and athletic as never seen before (or in environments at a lower Karate level)

Performing movement patterns related to the sports / style you are training for, rather than isolating a single muscle group, functional training that involves full body movements and works on core, stability, and mobility – connected to the technical aspect. Coordination and mobility, with a correct trained body gives you unlimited possibilities when it comes to fighting.

In the second training technical build up started, and this lead to training-drills, with different task to try in easy sparring, in the lead of Zhanbolat Sultanbekov. During these drills, one was also lucky to get some of the special combos and set ups that Anton Zimarev and Anjey Kinzerskiy use with great success.

The third session of the day was held after a very effective (and good!) lunch. This session was dedicated to mitts work, and the legs was more in the air than on the ground! With so much kicking, and kicking combos – the physical aspect was again a topic. Not only heavy bag-work, but this kind of leg-work really works your mobility as well as your stamina – all tied together with technical variations.

3rd session done, and the day was still young!

The “Hill” is the team-building tournament held in the park nearby Banzai Karate Dojo. On a steep incline, the trail goes through the park, but interspersed team exercises – preferably of the physical kind! Later after the dinner, the team will also have to preform a little sequence, taken from the camp – and do a little play with the humor in focus.

Sunday – and off we go again! The camp continues to build further on the topics of the day before. Some pad-work, drills, light sparring and some exercises to keep everyone warm.

Camp Banzai 2024 had among 120 participants, and we believe that it was one of the largest edition – if not the largest. The  “Karate scheduled” offer so many events around, and it will always be a question of what concept will have the right to live. In our opinion Camp Banzai – with the core with the consistent values of Banzai Dojo and members ​​”everyone can join”. This is often seen in the context of tournaments – but it goes without saying, it is not possible to mobilize the same number in a tournament as at a camp.

Perhaps there are fewer top fighters at this type of camp, but this is where you bring more to recruitment (and increases general knowledge) e.g. tournaments. A type of Camp such as Camp Banzai is a stepping stone to further activities, as well as a unique opportunity to train under some of the world’s best athletes and coaches. And let there be no doubt, even if the camp appeals to the general Karate man/women – there is an enormous amount of information for those with good experience too!

Next year, 2025 – it will be ten years since the 1st edition. That edition was held in the Dojo.. the same place where Banzai Open started (as Oki Kodomo) It seems clearly  that everything grows out of its framework when it is started in Banzai!