This was my third visit to this island in paradise namely Koh Samui with humidity and temperatures reaching the upper 30’s training was a struggle but after a few days people seemed to acclimatise and pace themselves.
The children of Samui Dojo are of high standard and have a great future; I congratulate their instructor Sensei Geoff Pickup on his hard work and effort It is difficult to promote Karate in Thailand because Mauy Thai and Taekwondo are the most popular martial arts.
However, there is a community of foreigner’s that encourage their children to practice Karate for routine and fitness which is ever growing, so it will take time but there is a future for Karate in Thailand. Regular attendees to the Gasshuku are from Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong and preparations are already being set for 2010.
After the Gasshuku had finished we had a goodbye party at the Jungle Zen Café where the décor is amazing. The food was delicious with chicken in coconut sauce, spicy prawns, fried vegetables and a special sea food cocktail with an ice cold beer to wash it down.
My special thanks to all the people that made this event a successful Gasshuku.