This was a trip to remember, because it not only was the 30th anniversary
of the karate club of Reykjavik, but also the first time that Higaonna
Sensei had visited Iceland. I must say that he was very excited about
this trip and asked lots of questions about the country. On arriving in
Iceland we were met by one of the members of the club and quickly made
our way to the hotel.
On retiring 
to
bed I thought I'd get a good nights sleep, was I wrong. It was still light
and you could hear a pin drop, and because I'm used to hearing police
sirens day and night in London, I felt like I'd gone deaf. The next morning
after breakfast we made our way to the sports centre, Iceland has some
of the best sports facilities I've seen in any country. On entering the
Sports Centre Higaonna Sensei was greeted by Mr.Hitoshi Abe the Mission
Chief of the Japanese Embassy in Iceland, and his assistant Miss Mikiko
Kogashi. The acting President of the sport and Olympic Federation, Mrs.
Sigridur Jonsdottir was also in attendance, she presented us with some
gifts and had warm and kind words for the work that has been done over
the last 13 years to help develop young people in the martial arts.
The schedule for the duration of our stay would be children first for
one hour, then IOGKF members for two hours, then all styles for two hours.
During the warm up Mr.Hitoshi, and Mrs.Jonsdottir joined in the exercise,
it was great to see to people that enjoy sport. Everybody was so impressed
with Sensei Higaonna, and his attitude towards karate-do. People were
coming up to me thanking me for the opportunity to train and meet such
a dedicated practitioner of the art.
I'm glad to say that the trip was not all about karate training for Sensei.
We did manage to find time to visit the wonderful Blue Lagoon which is
about 45 minutes drive from the centre of Reykjavik. The water here is
geothermally warmed and there 
are
many outdoor 'hot tubs' that one can completely relax in, especially after
training with Higaonna Sensei. Sensei Higaonna commented that in Japan
there are also many 'Onsen' (Hot baths), which as a young man he went
to, so this was a good time for him to reminisce and relax. The water
is pale blue in colour and pleasantly warm to the body. The minerals in
the water are said to be good for all sorts of ailments of the skin, so
we both endeavoured to cover our faces in the grey clay that rests on
the bottom of the lagoon, not that we need it because we are both so beautiful
as you can see in the photo.
After the training had concluded, everyone applauded and showed their
appreciation, then Higaonna Sensei said how happy he was to be in Iceland,
and spoke about the 'Values of Life' He thanked the organising committee
for such a wonderful time, and looked forward to 2005 when he will return
to Iceland once again. I take this opportunity to thank Atli, Altni, Gunnar,
and the entire Icelandic contingent for their support over the years.
The children with Higaonna Sensei after the course
Sensei George Andrews
Home | Articles
| Archive List | Top