* Harry Cheng presenting his group assignment

Experience During the 2022 5^th International Youth Online Martial Arts Camp

Harry Cheng,

Participant of the 2022 5th International Youth Martial Arts Online Camp

If you ask me what the most unforgettable memory of this 2022 summer vacation is, it would definitely be the martial arts camp held by ICM.

First off, I would like to thank my Jujitsu coach, Mr. Sung, for recommending this camp to me, and also my most sincere thanks to Miso Lee, team E instructor Chaiyoung Yun, and all the mentors of this camp; without all your help and guidance, we wouldn’t have such great camp experience and satisfying online lessons.

Through this camp, I understand that martial arts isn’t just about mastering techniques, but developing a proper mindset is important as well! I used to only learn about how to do jujitsu techniques, but through the meditation session on the last day, it totally blew my mind! Never had I ever tried meditation, the session gave me a sudden peace in mind and time went by so fast, all there’s left is a calm heart and a peaceful mind. I think maybe in the future when sparring with my opponents, I should always meditate in advance!

Of course, there are also hard challenges for us too. For group presentation, we discussed about “Real practices and ideal suggestions on sports for development and peace”, it was definitely a hard topic for everyone. However, with my brilliant teammates and group mentors’ guidance, we brainstormed in zoom and discussed through social media, we came up with a great presentation eventually. As the saying goes “Teamwork makes the dream work”, I can say it without a doubt, it was all thanks to my great teammates and great partners, the presentation went smooth! Also, after hearing other groups’ presentation, my jaw nearly dropped to the ground. Some of them even prepared a video with subtitles and background music! Everyone put so much effort in it, and make me want to improve myself and be better, this is the kind of thing that you couldn’t find in other camps!

We also learned how to make our own stamp and Korean art craft, Hanji. It was the first time I got to experience foreign cultures, and it was such a great experience. Although we couldn’t finish all of it in time, just being able to enjoy the process was pretty fun already! Now I use my handmade Hanji to keep my keys every day.

In conclusion, I think the best part of the camp is letting us be a world citizen, connect to the world and be a part of this fast changing society; learn more about martial arts and try to apply its value in to our lives. I think this is the camp that can broaden our horizons, and a great opportunity to step out of our comfort zones and try to make a difference in our lives. I am thrilled to be a part of this camp this year, and I look forward to joining again in the future!

※ Views in this writing are the author's own.