July 6th, 7th and 8th 2012 - Weybridge, Surrey

Check out the link under the Main Menu for full details. However, this year is going to be a fantastic Camp as always with both new and returning Guest Instructors and friends already confirmed. The quality and level of instruction/seminars combined with all the students who have attended over the past 11 years has given the BKKU Camp the renowned reputation it now has and we look forward to welcoming you all to this year's event :-)

BKKU Summer Camp Martial Arts for All !!

This year's Instructors confirmed thus far:-

Need help making up your mind then read the article below written by Simon Augustus who attended the 2011 Camp and reported for Combat Magazine:-

The BKKU’s Summer Camp is a Rare Experience

Simon Augustus reports on the British Kenpo Karate Union’s summer camp and their refreshing approach to training and teaching.

“To obtain enlightenment in martial arts means the extinction of everything which obscures the ‘true knowledge,’ the ‘real life.’” – Bruce Lee

Sensei Kevin Mills, Head of the BKKU, is the physical embodiment of the above quote. Built like an ox with strength to match, his presence commands the room, but he has an aura of calm and thinks little of himself as an instructor. His only wish is to pass on his knowledge and help students of martial arts discover what is useful in every style, and throw away anything that is unnecessary to their development and training. His summer camp, held for the last eleven years, is an expression of his philosophy.

When I arrived at the clearing in the middle of a forest somewhere in a sleepy part of Surrey, I was expecting to see the usual sights at martial arts camps: Students in white Gis doing line work with senior instructors. I should have known better from the expected line up of Masters who had been invited to the event. Masters such as Leroy Epperson, 8th degree black belt and founder of Gaijin Ryu Jiu Jitsu and creator of the M.A.S.T.E.R system, who taught street fighting joint locks.

His sessions were the most difficult, really setting the standard of training at the camp. He taught students how to use the minimum of force to prevent an attacker from causing harm to anyone but themselves. I left the session bruised and battered and a little disconcerted by the sound of cracking joints that filled the room after Sensei Leroy subjected everyone to another technique.

Master Leroy has a unique approach to martial arts, always looking for the realistic applications of any technique. “It’s not just the fight you have to worry about, it’s everything after: like the courts and police!” A common problem for us martial artists is the legal ramifications of defending ourselves, but Leroy has this all figured out. He showed me some simple combat techniques that look like a victim trying to protect themselves but actually work as strong attack techniques, so no one would mistake you for the attacker after taking control of a deadly situation.

I was treated to a crippling shoulder lock that completely disabled me in the blink of an eye. The move creates tension in the shoulder that makes it impossible to throw punches. Master Leroy explained that the lock would work as pure self-defence, meaning if the attacker tried to throw a punch and consequently broke his own shoulder, he was responsible for that. He combines a little bit of acting with a lot of forethought and martial skill.

Later that morning I had a chance to talk and train with Sensei Hans Hesselmann; a Kenpo master with 43 years of experience in various styles of external and internal fighting systems. Despite beginning his training in the Dutch military commando, he prefers the human touch when teaching and not the drill instructor’s heavy handed approach.

Standing outside under the sun, Sensei Hans taught us about the need to combine our internal Qi (Ki) energy with our external power. With a smile and easy-going personality, I was not expecting this 64 year old unassuming man to be so swift. I am still unsure what surprised me more – his ability to throw me, a twenty-three year old, like a rag-doll or the fact that he did it all with a look of absolute serenity on his face.

Sensei Hans explained to me that the BKKU summer camp was the first real place that had managed to bring together so many like-minded students and instructors, managing to perfectly create an energy that nothing else can match. He went on to discuss the ways martial arts, and events like the BKKU, can harness a person’s potential and “build them up,” instead of knocking them down through keeping them chained to one style, one way of thinking, and one school. Sensei Hans is an unassuming man, calm and completely centred - it is easy to see why he is such a highly regarded master.

Shifu Tony Felix, who has been practising Gong Fu San Shou alongside internal Gong Fu and Indonesian Silat, also contributed his skills and knowledge to the Summer Camp. Besides his incredible martial skill, he brought a spiritual element to the weekend.

Tony Felix has travelled the world on a quest to learn more about himself through the spiritual application of martial arts, and this flowed through his teaching. His journey is an interesting one, as I learnt from my time with him sitting under the drooping branches of a Weeping Willow in the last few hours of sunlight. He brings something that none else could – Gong Fu and Tai Qi literally saved his life when he was dying from cancer. Ever since his recovery, training has taken on a new meaning to him, and his humble personality is that of a man who has deep experience and knowledge of himself.

We all have our own reasons for taking up martial arts. Some of us are born into it and cannot remember a time when we were not practising punches, kicks and forms. Others take it up as children after deciding to take a stand against bullies. Some of us even find something spiritual about donning our Gis and robes. We can quickly forget the reasons we took up martial arts and not realise it. The BKKU summer camp, with its unique approach to teaching, unmatchable masters with their own distinct personalities and skills, is a gift to everyone involved. I learnt a few new techniques, saw some incredible displays, but most of all I took away a renewed love for all styles and found my direction on The Warrior’s Path once again.

To register email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or telephone 0560 3319 558