FWC Crete Camp, 13th - 20th July 2010
What the students thought...
Jeremy Mathieu
The Crete week is now officially my favourite time of the year! For the third year in a row I’ve joined Dennis on this trip and, yet again, have experienced a wonderful week. First and foremost, the training is great. For whoever has been on a Saturday camp with the chief will know the benefits of leaving the stress and worries of daily life behind to dedicate yourself fully and selfishly to yourself, your body and your kung fu. Everybody then drops their city life masks to reveal more of their true selves and feel a lot more relaxed and happy for it! Since everything is organised for you (from the fantastic food, times of training and everything else in between) you really don’t have to think or worry about anything at all, leaving you space to enjoy yourself, in the warm sunshine of this beautiful island!
Vinay Audipudi
I went to Crete with the hope that this would transform me. Before the camp I attended a couple of classes a week. When I went to Crete, I learnt how to train, everyone in the camp took care of me and ensured I could complete the training regime. Dennis is great, he loves to teach and will not accept 99% compliance - it has to be 100% and this is where the fun begins. After you warm up for the run with the group at 05:55AM in the morning and watch the seniors take off at 06:00, even the most unfit person like me is motivated to complete the course - and I did! I also learnt a lot - about good food, eating well, training well, being on time, being part of a team... the list goes on and on...... Since I have been back, I attend at least 5 classes a week and I am progressing at a much faster pace than before. I will ensure the Crete camp is part of my annual training camp and suggest everyone does so. The more the merrier. Food at Krystosf´s is fantastic, the beach at Kalives is cool and breakfast on the patio has breathtaking views of the hills. Do join in next year.
Urszula Wolski
I thoroughly enjoyed the Crete camp and thought it was over all too quickly. The place was beautiful – very picture postcard. The training sessions were quite demanding but rewarding, where the most difficult part was getting up at 5.30 in the morning for the run! However, once up, it was great to be out at that time in the morning, the sun rising over the mountains, and the quietness – well as all the ‘elite runners’ were way up ahead.
I missed a few days’ sessions on the beach, as I had an infected bite, still from home, so had to rest. But when I did take part it was fun, particularly enjoyed the sparring and being thrown, especially with having a soft landing on the sand! The swim in the sea after was a great way to cool down!
Evening sessions was spent at Dennis’s, learning and practicing patterns and listing to his stories and lectures. All was good until Dennis brought his stick out, and we all soon learnt to pull our bottoms in and lift our chests – correct posture!
With all the hard training followed some seriously hard eating! The food in plentiful supplies was absolutely scrumptious! Never knew so many different types of salads could be created.
With all this time training and eating, there was not much time left for sleeping. There are a lot of photos of people asleep, catching some winks at any available opportunity, as well as in their dinner plates! However, by the end of the week, I think we were all getting used to it, with some people opting to train on the rest day.
The week was made extra special by the people on the trip. We all got on really well, had some great times, lots of laughs. I never laughed so much in one week. I look forward to seeing them again, at training or over the dinner table!
In brief, Crete camp was an immensely enjoyable experience, where I learnt a lot, not just about Kung Fu, but also about myself. This is with thanks to Dennis, as well as the other campers for making this a wonderful, memorable trip.
Shortly after returning home, I felt estranged; I was having Kung Fu camp withdrawal symptoms!
Cass Dawson
I awoke to the sound of the rolling stones the silence interrupted by barking and groans
We gathered and whispered while Vamos was asleep the church bells chimed and the hill looked a bit steep!
Just when I panted and gasped for a drink I looked to my right and the mountains were pink
Breakfast was heavenly, fresh yoghurt and honey even if Frank mixed it up all funny
The sun rising revealed a great view while we went up for seconds, let the eating continue!
Throws, locks and hugs on the beach fresh watermelon, apricots and juicy peach
Tons of spaghetti and zorba the greek so much food we could barely speak!
Patterns practice and fruit you can pick Chief, hit me with that rhythm stick!
To Kristos' for the last meal of the day quality, quantity, variety, what more can I say
Eat, sleep, train and relaxation the feeling in Crete is one of elation.
Ben Snowman
Crete was a superb break away from everyday life. If summarised it comes down to three things. Food, sun and kung fu. The food was tasty and plentiful. The sun and climate were perfect - warm enough to remind you that you had left the gray and drizzle of London, yet gentle enough even for the most hardened wannabe vampire. As for the kung fu. Every day we learned something new - about the art, about ourselves and about our fellow kung fu practitioners. The week passed quickly and I came back with a new vigour and outlook on all aspects of my life.
Joshua Villar-Hauser
Crete was a very educational and enjoyable trip, it had everything I believe a good holiday should have; you couldn’t get bored because you were constantly being challenged physically and mentally by all the new techniques and theories you were learning, but you were also given a chance to relax in the warm sun and eat amazing food. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who wants to have a fun and interesting holiday. Without Fuijan White Crane Kung Fu I would definitely be a much skinner 17 year old and would probably be spending most of my time in front of the Xbox wasting my life away. FWC Kung fu is a constant challenge something that I will never get bored of or ever give up it has everything you need to become more physically fit and more mentally able and is something I plan to do for the rest of my life.
George Bahna
Crete camp is a fantastic opportunity to drop out of your life for a week and allow all your troubles, business and worries to melt away as if they never existed. It gives you the chance to focus purely on your own selfish personal development, for a long uninterrupted period. Having that in my life is invaluable. One can go on as many holidays as one likes, but personally I never find that I am able to just forget about everything as I can in Crete. I go there to do what I love, 100% of the time, surrounded by like-minded people who all want to learn and have fun together.