Eleven members of our women’s class made up MAUL’s first continental training camp in early July. Three of the group even flew in from beyond England to enjoy four days of training and team bonding together.

Where did we go and what did we do?

The picturesque beachside town of Dinard made for an excellent base. Training barefoot on the sand was interspersed with breaks in the shade and swimming in the sea. We were a mixed ability group, lead by Instructor Wendi, with white through black belt members so there was plenty to occupy our training time – both learning from one’s seniors or helping belts lower than one’s own.

The early birds among us enjoyed some morning jogging and stretching on the beach before meeting up with the later sleepers over breakfast.

Being a MAUL group, we also enjoyed the local eateries, with a particular emphasis on Nutella, and a team meal at one of the seafront restaurants on our last night. As they say in France: Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup.

Photo by Dina Ashour