CONGRESO PANAMÁ KJN Patricio Saavedra

PANAMA CONGRESS

By KJN Patricio Saavedra

I would like to tell you about our event that we held in Panama last October, It was our first in-person event after the pandemic, and we are looking forward to the day we can meet with the instructors we have known for years and the new ones that have come to the organization. The place chosen in Panama City was the Central Park Hotel in the El Dorado area, a very beautiful and central area in Panama City, two blocks away is the El Dorado Mall and around a very large variety of restaurants. The first instructor to arrive was Professor Melisa Mulet from San Juan Argentina, then Professor Oscar González from Colombia, then Professor Héctor Grandon from Chile, Mary Cayte Reiland from USA, Lucas González from Mexico and finally Professor Juan Pellegrini from Argentina. . The owners of the house, Sahbumnim Edgar Quiroz and El Kyosanim Eloy Tapia, completed the list. On Thursday night we started with an informal practice, we reviewed some forms with weapons and some advanced combinations, this practice was out of the plan, but the desire to train and share together was stronger. Friday morning Professors Quiroz

and Tapia had prepared a morning of Tourism for us. We started to visit the Miraflores locks in the Panama Canal where we could appreciate this marvel of engineering, the Bridge of the Americas, the Amador Coastway and finally the coastal strip where we could take a photo that for me is very beautiful since that all the instructors from the different countries appear in the letters of the word PANAMA. On Friday afternoon we began with the training and training, the topics of teaching martial arts for children from 3 to 5 years old were touched on. In addition to marketing in martial arts. On Saturday, extreme Bong and Nunchaku weapons were seen, as well as Kali techniques for students and instructors. On Saturday night, the gala dinner was held where recognition was given to all the instructors who participated in the congress. At the end of the dinner, the country where the next congress and world championship would be held was announced, and the chosen country was Colombia. In addition, the closing of this event was the delivery of the KOKORO AWARD, a special award from our organization for an instructor who through these years has shown hard work and loyalty. Kokoro in Japanese means heart mind and soul. That's why we chose that name for the award. The Kokoro was awarded to Professor Melisa Mulet from Argentina for being with us for more than 20 years, always loyal and willing to help. Sunday was the day for the black belt exams, on this occasion they gave Sbn Edgar Quiroz (Panama) for 5th Dan, Sbn Hector Grandon (Chile) for 5th Dan, Ksn Eloy Tapia for 3rd Dan. Ksn Juan Pellegrini (Argentina) For 2nd Dan. At the Middle the activities were already closed. On Monday the instructors began to return to the different countries. Everyone came back very happy to have made new friends and full of new stories and anecdotes to tell. I cannot close this note without thanking Mrs. Jessica Carmona, wife of Sbn Edgar Quiroz, who was a key player in the organization of this event. Without her, this event would not have been as successful as it was. We will meet again in Bogotá Colombia in November 2023, Tang Sooooo!