Sunday the 10th
What a couple of awesomely wicked days....pardon the Bostonian.
2 hours of some complex Nito-Ryu. Jumping into Kihon Toho with double blades is something quite foreign to me as I am quite a novice with stuff. Tricky enough maintaining control with one blade, now think about two! Onto Kata, which employ some exquisite movement (as most things) and trapping the blade, scissoring it, pinning it then entering with a cut. 30 plus minutes of that then 10-15 minutes of Randori. No, it may have been more. Will have to check my notes, but I might be under the vague impression that we may have performed Nito kihon toho, one kata and then randori in accordance with the kata for two whole hours. Now if that isn't technical fine tuning, then what is? I guess that's how we do it, eh?
Train into Tokyo, cruised through Roppongi, rubbed shoulders with the affluent Hills Zoku (tribe), and meandered into Azabu Juban intending to find a pick up point for my long time Tokyo mate Jacqui to come and meet me. After desperately searching for a pay-phone for a half hour and finally finding one, I am pressed to source a landmark to help me. I ask a Japanese man in 60's in my most polite Japanese to be only stumped with, "Ai amu souri, Ai amu kwaito sutrenjaa hia". Huh? He immediately repeats himself. "That's ok, buddy", so he repeats himself again. Ok, I get it and quickly duck into a nearby grocery store that has no distinct name of course. I ask and receive, "Gourmet City". Of course. I call Jacqs and, "Where the hell is that?" Ummm, in Azabu Juban. She finds me, after a couple of more phone calls, straps me onto the back of her bike and we blitz on out into the sunset and enjoy some sights and views from the Rainbow bridge. The Sky Tree, BTW, is rather tall. Don't get why that built it for, but hey, each to their own, right? Stop into Odaiba, head into ToysRus, ask for the little vinyl outdoor pool she was after but no cigar, Miss and we're poop out of luck. Jac, you see, was intending to erect a little outdoor pool in her outdoor balcony area to escape some of the summer heat. She decides that her next port of call will be CostCo. Not today though. Me is hungry.
Head back to Nishi Azabu and she shows me her sweet shared pad and all its benefits. I really like!
Next to feast on some YakiNiku. JoJoen is the place and what an ambience, peeps. Waitresses in Kimono, Waiters to the nines and then service just off this planet. Aprons to wear in case the meat squirts off the grill.
We chat about lots of stuff, latest happenings back home (carbon tax) and of course the earthquake and radiation.
2 hours later back on the train for an a hour or so ride and the 25 minute walk. To bed!!!
This morning up at 8, downstairs to vacuum the dojo, drenched and sticky without having gi'd up yet and Sensei and Iida san arrive. Warm up with Gyakute waza and onto geiryaku. Kaisoku, Iaifu and Kuryaku learnt. Iida san is a gun and he just keeps getting better, more confident and faster each time I see him. 58 kilos in weight and he picks me up on his shoulders to perform kata-guruma. THREE TIMES!!! That would be like me doing likewise with a 150 kilo opponent. Please line up!
We bow out, Sensei leaves and so Iida san refines some of Nito Kihon, kamae and to-ho. Infatuated!
A ride to the station, board the train and I'm on my way to the Jinenkan Tokyo Dojo run by Bob Gray. 1 hour of some quality instruction. Ukemi, Ura gyaku, Shato (Koto Ryu) and Ate Gaeshi (Sanbo). A good, humble crew who work hard and commit to focussing. After finishing we head to Bob's house to chill with his wife and son. I find it quiet easy regressing to a three years of age and as long as there's toys around, I'm a lost puppy. Rengo is tonnes of fun to hang with and quite an entertainer. Thanks, bud!
Lay day tomorrow, so off to the Sento, rest, shopping, Iai review and maybe meet with a friend.
2 hours of some complex Nito-Ryu. Jumping into Kihon Toho with double blades is something quite foreign to me as I am quite a novice with stuff. Tricky enough maintaining control with one blade, now think about two! Onto Kata, which employ some exquisite movement (as most things) and trapping the blade, scissoring it, pinning it then entering with a cut. 30 plus minutes of that then 10-15 minutes of Randori. No, it may have been more. Will have to check my notes, but I might be under the vague impression that we may have performed Nito kihon toho, one kata and then randori in accordance with the kata for two whole hours. Now if that isn't technical fine tuning, then what is? I guess that's how we do it, eh?
Train into Tokyo, cruised through Roppongi, rubbed shoulders with the affluent Hills Zoku (tribe), and meandered into Azabu Juban intending to find a pick up point for my long time Tokyo mate Jacqui to come and meet me. After desperately searching for a pay-phone for a half hour and finally finding one, I am pressed to source a landmark to help me. I ask a Japanese man in 60's in my most polite Japanese to be only stumped with, "Ai amu souri, Ai amu kwaito sutrenjaa hia". Huh? He immediately repeats himself. "That's ok, buddy", so he repeats himself again. Ok, I get it and quickly duck into a nearby grocery store that has no distinct name of course. I ask and receive, "Gourmet City". Of course. I call Jacqs and, "Where the hell is that?" Ummm, in Azabu Juban. She finds me, after a couple of more phone calls, straps me onto the back of her bike and we blitz on out into the sunset and enjoy some sights and views from the Rainbow bridge. The Sky Tree, BTW, is rather tall. Don't get why that built it for, but hey, each to their own, right? Stop into Odaiba, head into ToysRus, ask for the little vinyl outdoor pool she was after but no cigar, Miss and we're poop out of luck. Jac, you see, was intending to erect a little outdoor pool in her outdoor balcony area to escape some of the summer heat. She decides that her next port of call will be CostCo. Not today though. Me is hungry.
Head back to Nishi Azabu and she shows me her sweet shared pad and all its benefits. I really like!
Next to feast on some YakiNiku. JoJoen is the place and what an ambience, peeps. Waitresses in Kimono, Waiters to the nines and then service just off this planet. Aprons to wear in case the meat squirts off the grill.
We chat about lots of stuff, latest happenings back home (carbon tax) and of course the earthquake and radiation.
2 hours later back on the train for an a hour or so ride and the 25 minute walk. To bed!!!
This morning up at 8, downstairs to vacuum the dojo, drenched and sticky without having gi'd up yet and Sensei and Iida san arrive. Warm up with Gyakute waza and onto geiryaku. Kaisoku, Iaifu and Kuryaku learnt. Iida san is a gun and he just keeps getting better, more confident and faster each time I see him. 58 kilos in weight and he picks me up on his shoulders to perform kata-guruma. THREE TIMES!!! That would be like me doing likewise with a 150 kilo opponent. Please line up!
We bow out, Sensei leaves and so Iida san refines some of Nito Kihon, kamae and to-ho. Infatuated!
A ride to the station, board the train and I'm on my way to the Jinenkan Tokyo Dojo run by Bob Gray. 1 hour of some quality instruction. Ukemi, Ura gyaku, Shato (Koto Ryu) and Ate Gaeshi (Sanbo). A good, humble crew who work hard and commit to focussing. After finishing we head to Bob's house to chill with his wife and son. I find it quiet easy regressing to a three years of age and as long as there's toys around, I'm a lost puppy. Rengo is tonnes of fun to hang with and quite an entertainer. Thanks, bud!
Lay day tomorrow, so off to the Sento, rest, shopping, Iai review and maybe meet with a friend.
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