Kyoto Bound

I'm heading to Kyoto tonight on an allnighter bus. I'm meeting a friend from Oklahoma and we hope to take in the sites and do some training. Aikido related, I plan on training two or three times at the Kyoto Budo Center. Two teachers have a class there: Okamoto Yoko Sensei and either Nomura Kazuo Sensei or Nomura's group. I've heard many good things about Okamoto Sensei. More about her can be found here: http://www.aikidokyoto.com/. I will be missing two days of training at my regular dojo but I hope to balance it with 2-3 more days of training while I'm travelling. We're also going to drop by the storefront of Tozando.com and see if they have anything good for sale.

Kokyu huh?

I made it to Saturday's and Sunday's classes. I woke up both days feeling kind of blah. There's a good chance it's from the sakura blossoms. I didn't feel like going on either day but I pushed myself and made it. I won't get better at it if I'm sitting at home. Now that today's class is over I know that since I went today, feeling so rotten, that I have no excuse on other days when I feel fine. That's a good lesson in itself.

It's a good thing that we went today. The only other two people there were Nishimura Sensei and his son. I'm not sure what dan either of them are but one rarely gets to have what feels like a private class with yudansha. Noriko and I would just change partners for each technique. Nishimura Jr. is in his twenties (my best guess) and he won't just let you have the technique. He makes you earn his ukemi. That reminds me. At yesterday's class, Jr. was gone but Nishimura's daughter came. I guess it's just one happy aikido family.

Nishimura Jr. has two things he always tells me: Rirakkusu shite (Relax!) and "Kokyu!" Kokyu is one of those things that I've found hard to learn. Either that, or it's hard to teach me. It sort of means "breath power." So, for the most part, when someone blurts out "Kokyu!" it's mostly just a chance to hear the word from a native Japanese speaker. The first time he told me to relax I thought he was trying to mix Japanese and English. I was proud of him for trying. Later, I found out that is one of the words from English that Japanese has borrowed.

Noriko finally made it back to class today. I'm envious that she is being shown concepts like kokyu and has a clean slate. Maybe later she can teach me. But, the more I get to do things like tenchi nage, the better I'll get.

I pace my attacks during atogeiko now, so I'm never quite as winded. Don't get me wrong, I'm still panting but at least I'm able to walk back to my place on the floor. And, I'm taking 30 ukemi instead of 20.

Until next time, Relax and Kokyu!

Going to Kanazawa

It's going to be quiet around here for the next few days. Well, more quiet than usual. I'll be missing two days of training. We are going to Kanazawa for the weekend. It's the vernal equinox and I guess that's kind of a memorial day over here. We'll be going to the cemetary of J-pop's J-pop in the morning and then heading out on about a 6-7 hour drive. The daughter of Tokuji-sama lives in Kanazawa and her husband is a monk there. His temple is where we're having some kind of ceremony for J-Ma's father. The map is messed up but the red wording says Kanazawa. The words on the right says Tokyo. I live south of Tokyo. As you can see, it will be from one side of Japan to the other. I will see you in a few days!

Tools of the Trade

From top to bottom: Tokuji's kendo bag, sho-to, and shinai, J-Pop

s bok-to that is now a sho-to, and my purchased bok-to and sho-to.

After the last two classes, I've fared a little better after atogeiko. Either I'm getting more conditioned or I'm controlling my attacks and ukemi a little better. Maybe both. But I still wake up sore and tight the next day! I decided to practice my Japanese a little with Aoki Sensei. He wanted to know about the time I first saw aikido. I also showed him my gifts from Uncle Tokuji and the sho-to that I made from J-Pop's bok-to. Also, he said my aikido was "smooth." If that's a good thing, "Thanks Mike Sensei!" If that's a bad thing, "Sorry Mike Sensei for doing it wrong!" I also can't seem to get my dogi pants to stay securely on. I told Aoki Sensei that I've lost a little weight since I came to Japan, so I have a tough time keeping my pants up. We also had a visitor from Numata's dojo: Akaboshi. His name means red star. Cool name.

I feel like, sometimes, it's important to do what i call "capturing the opponent's mind." That's just what I've seen from more talented people doing jiyuwaza and randori. I can't do it. It could be a finger flick to their eyes or a kick to their groin. Anything that makes them react and create an opening. Some people actually strike at their opponent. If they react or block then an opening is created. If they do nothing then they get hit. I'm still waiting to see this done in my current dojo. It is definitely something that is safer to do at a higher level. Hopefully, I will see it later.

Note: I looked up the brand of the shinai that Tokuji-sama gave me. A new one is over $200.00!

Tokuji-san: A family heirloom.

J-Ma told us that her uncle (by marriage) Tokuji-san (78 years old) used to do kendo and iaido. As a fireman, he was required to participate in some kind of martial art It had been about 3 weeks since I first met him. so we wanted to see him and show him my new iaito. We also took him some dango (a Japanese sweet dumpling made from rice flour) as a treat. He quickly ushered us in out of the cold and to his cozy sitting room with kotatsu.
Our visit really seemed to energize him. He left the room to rummage around in a small shed in his front yard and returned with his iaito. J-Ma remembered correctly. Tokuji-san is a 4-dan in kendo and a 2-dan in Omori Ryu iaido. I asked him if I could take a picture and he was more than happy to pose. He explained that he'd do a couple of standing techniques. I was able to snap a few pics of him in action. I asked him if he'd like to have a student and he just chuckled and shook his head. Maybe I'm supposed to hang outside his house now, practicing my overhead strike, until he takes me in.

Tokuji-san demonstrating

The proper way to hold a katana

After about another hour of chatting, he offered us some tea. He left again and returned with a sho-to. It's the one that he used for his kendo 1-dan test. He presented it to me and told me it was for me. I didn't know what to do, except bow and say "Domo arigatou gozaimasu." To which, he replied, "Ganbatte!" We sat and talked for about another hour. He explained that while kendo, judo, aikido and iaido are all different, they share the same bushido kokoro. He left again to rummage around in some closet and returned with two weapon bags. One held his tournament shinai and the other one held two of his other shinai. He told me that if I did 100 daily suburi with his tournament shinai that it would help my iaido. He then told us to take it too. I didn't really know what to do but bow some more and tell him thanks for everything and how much I appreciated it. Before we left, he gave us a towel to wrap my iaito in. He said that in the past, policmen used to practice iaido and could tell the difference between a real sword and a practice sword. Now they don't, so it's illegal to walk around with a sword that's not in its case. He probably just saved me from getting arrested. So now, in addition to J-Pop's warped bok-to, I have Tokuji-san's shinai, bag, and sho-to.

For a little more on Tokuji-san, see this entry at my other blog: http://muskogeeyokie.blogspot.com/2006/03/uncle-tokuji.html

Don't Cry for Me Nishimura!

Afterhours school hallway leading to the dojo

Today started the first day of our cramming session. First, I got lost trying to find the alternate dojo. Some kendo room in a local jr. high. I persevered and made it. I did have to stop and ask a local, though- such a great way to test language progress.
Aoki Sensei wasn't there so Nishimura Sensei was leading class. He has the nicest and kindest face. That's the last thing you see during atogeiko right as he throws your @$$ to the ground- twenty to thirty times as fast as you can get up again. You can always count on atogeiko ("after training") to push you to your limits. Everyone gets the same treatment appropriate to their level. Whether you are head student or a beginner, you are exhausted afterwards. He sort of talks to himself or to you ( I don't know for sure since I don't know what he's saying) while you get thrown about. He "helps" you practice breakfalls and things like that you might not do on your own during class. Like, as you do a roll he might hold onto your hand forcing you into a breakfall. Hey is my pinky broken? I don't think so. It's always kinda bent. Arigatou Nishimura-san!

Iaito... Iaito... IAITO HOOOO!

We went to Yokohama yesterday and found a good deal on a used practice sword for iaido. It was considerably cheaper than a new cheap one and much much cheaper than the local dealers were selling them for. At the moment, I don't know its length or weight. Plus, I don't know what the menuki are (two different ones). I'd mess with the binding but with "mess" being the key word, I'd ruin it. As you can see below, the tsuba is also pretty plain. The camera malfuncioned in the first pic but it managed to capture the subject.

Iaito
Menuki

Tsuba
Menuki

The store was pretty small but it was full of swords, coins, and stamps. Occasionally I feel too large for Japan. I stretched my arms over my head and burned my hand on a lamp that was hanging from the ceiling. Actual swords were $5000.00+. Smaller ones were still over $2000.00.

Seagal Spotting

I hopped on the train yesterday and as the doors closed, I was face to face with one of the most famous names in aikido: Steven Seagal! I was kind of shocked. This poster is advertising the movie Into the Sun. I saw it in America about 9 months ago. Of course, it sucked. As all of his movies suck now. I mean, they weren't exactly good to begin with. But Out for Justice and Marked for Death at least contained aikido techniques. And those movies are responsible for many westerners to find a dojo and start training. I've always wished he would make a good aikido movie. Something historical, maybe about O Sensei or something. Of course Steve would play the part. He looks really good in this rendition. They've taken off about 20 lbs and 20 years. But look how white he is!

Miteya!! Watch it!!