(So many pictures) Clutzy--and more flashback! "After I Arrived/to the Dojo"
Kids class today went well overall--there was one high-ranked kid who wanted to give me a bit of a hard time, but we ended up getting along well overall (I ended up getting paired up with him during munetsuki yonkyo, jajajajaja!) *evil grin* ((don't worry, I was actually pretty nice)) I also picked up three fun things to try with our kids back home.
The adult class, though, I felt like clutzilla; my right wrist is still weak from Hombu Dojo and my strange partner there, so I could tell I shouldn't trust it during dive-rolls, which are part of every adult class's warmup. As such, I braced the wrist the first time, and the second time I veered slightly right--which ended up pile-driving the top of my foot into a doorframe on the wall and making me spin out sideways of my roll. I actually probably looked reasonably graceful as most didn't notice and only one or two realized I'd modified. I don't know how many saw me even hit the wall. My foot knew it had been driven into the angle edge of a door frame with my full body-weight spiraling directly into it, though, and it let me know it was pissed at my 'decision'. I tended to agree with my foot.
After watching the first technique, I hobbled up and began doing it with my partner (you also always practice in pairs with rare exceptions here), and I was able to focus away from the pain and even have good technique the rest of the night (very good technique with Hiromi-san, one of my favorite uke/nage to work with)--until suwariwaza. This wasn't a clutzy thing--more of a thing that happens when you train in dry environments. The bottom edge of my big toe was quite upset at me suddenly--because it clearly had a pebble lodged under the skin. I paused and grabbed the pebble to pull it out, and lo and behold the pebble was a pebble of my still-attached skin! Those of you who do martial arts know what I am talking about--when deep ribbons tear out of your toe callouses and they only keep getting deeper and wider as they tear. Those things on my toe--with my left foot swollen and bruising from it's forceful introduction to the doorframe, my right foot's big toe felt left out of the attention limelight and decided to get 'those things'. Anyway, the Sensei clearly understood what 'those things' are and said 'ah--daijobu desu' (or it's ok/it's alright) and motioned to the first aid kit. I taped them up so they wouldn't tear deeper and start bleeding. Of course, with all the foot-sweat of a hot practice, the first tape job fell off. The second briefly left my toe purple, but then it got feeling back and was fine--plus the tape didn't fall off.
(Those Things)
Thankfully we switched to jo work and free practice with a jo (good topics for roughed-up feet). Then we decided to have free regular practice sans weapons... not as good a choice for my feet. However, my partners were fun (one is a 7th dan who has taught in South America and a few other places, the other is an older gal in hakama whom I think might be his wife. After class, I helped clean and then got to be the main guy serving tea--which meant 20 minutes of seiza with my feet silently murdering me with their disagreement at my decisions that evening. On the plus side, we had delicious lemon shots (non-alcoholic), which was a small conciliation.
Anyway, after class I decided to continue updating you about my adventures, so on to the flashback "After I Arrived!"
After taking the train from the airport to what seemed to be the right stop (by the signs--Google Maps was WAY off on where I was and re-routing), I wandered awhile until a train station attendant stopped me and told me where to go (which matched with what I thought and not with Google Maps current directions). I took that train and wound up at Shinjuku station. Once there, I followed Google Maps to my hotel and checked in. Thankfully, the attendant spoke some English and was able even to point me to some restaurants.
I also got the interesting experience of using a Japanese Toilet! These things are interestingly complex and very classy. Upon seeing it, I said, "I'm not in Kansas anymore, Toto!" (primarily because the brand was "Toto"! I also learned that it isn't a toilet, it's a 'washlet!'
The instructions are simple and easy to follow:
The control rod is conveniently next to your lower right hand and prepped with intriguing imagery:
The top of the toilet has a water fountain:
and the whole thing looks pretty epic:
Upon using this little bad boy, I discovered that it has seat heat that kicks in when it senses your weight on the toilet (no joke--and it's strangely nice). It also comes with not one but THREE ways to clean your butt with jets of water. The first image stops the water, the second is a straight up stream, the third is an angled stream, and if you click the first one twice it goes into pulse mode (like those massaging shower heads). Don't ask me how I know this, and don't judge! You only get one chance to satiate your curiosity sometimes...
After unloading my luggage in the room, I headed out to get that supper--despite speaking very little of the language. As luck would have it, there was no English on the menu at all, and the special, which I arbitrarily picked based on how tasty the picture looked, was not available that night. I picked the thing next to it and was provided with a somewhat obvious meal and a raw egg in a bowl. Observing those around me, I figured it out and ate (you mix up the raw egg with your fork like you are scrambling it and dip the fried meat in it, apparently). Then I headed back to the hotel and got some sleep (finally!). (photos near Shinjuku can be found on my earlier post about safely arriving in Japan).
The next morning I got up quite early and repacked to be ready for a dojo lifestyle; I also got some work done online for back home. (Here's how my bag looked packed with my gi, hakama, belt, sandals, water bottle, face towel, etc.)
Then I headed out--on the way Kassahara Sensei messaged me--I replied and figured out the stops.
(The Train)
Once off the train I had a satellite image map to figure the way out, but I was also encouraged along by these cute little signs.
And then I was at Tokorozawa dojo!
At the dojo, I met Kevin, a 20-year old half-Japanese half-Swiss shodan who will be testing for his nidan later in my stay (head uchideshi at Tokorozawa Dojo), O-san (Chinese name is Wan, he's a 24-year old 1st kyu prepping for his shodan test, and he's extremely, almost excessively nice), Lin-san, a 27-year-old Chinese shodan who's been uchideshi for almost a year and is translating Kobayashi Soshihan's book into Chinese, and Anya, a 20-year old Russin 1st kyu who is prepping for her shodan (she doesn't speak much Japanese and speaks only a little more English). All of them were nice, and all of them were notably younger than me. They also all came on the Misubi fund, meaning that they didn't have to pay like I did and had extra requirements (I only found that out today). As such, they are uchideshi like me, but there is still a difference between all of us.
Kevin-san was very helpful and immediately began showing me how cleaning and preparation went. Then Kobayashi Soshihan arrived and taught class. In retrospect, I'm not sure why he traveled to Tokorozawa to teach as he usually exclusively teaches at Kodaira (his house is above that dojo; his son, Hiroaki Sensei has his house above Tokorozawa Dojo). He has an excellent energy for his age, and I loved training under him. It was a great treat to have him for my first class.
I definitely have more to share, but I'm already late for bed (it's 11:40PM and I have to get up before 5AM for tomorrow's morning class), so I'll call it a night and wish you all well!
The adult class, though, I felt like clutzilla; my right wrist is still weak from Hombu Dojo and my strange partner there, so I could tell I shouldn't trust it during dive-rolls, which are part of every adult class's warmup. As such, I braced the wrist the first time, and the second time I veered slightly right--which ended up pile-driving the top of my foot into a doorframe on the wall and making me spin out sideways of my roll. I actually probably looked reasonably graceful as most didn't notice and only one or two realized I'd modified. I don't know how many saw me even hit the wall. My foot knew it had been driven into the angle edge of a door frame with my full body-weight spiraling directly into it, though, and it let me know it was pissed at my 'decision'. I tended to agree with my foot.
After watching the first technique, I hobbled up and began doing it with my partner (you also always practice in pairs with rare exceptions here), and I was able to focus away from the pain and even have good technique the rest of the night (very good technique with Hiromi-san, one of my favorite uke/nage to work with)--until suwariwaza. This wasn't a clutzy thing--more of a thing that happens when you train in dry environments. The bottom edge of my big toe was quite upset at me suddenly--because it clearly had a pebble lodged under the skin. I paused and grabbed the pebble to pull it out, and lo and behold the pebble was a pebble of my still-attached skin! Those of you who do martial arts know what I am talking about--when deep ribbons tear out of your toe callouses and they only keep getting deeper and wider as they tear. Those things on my toe--with my left foot swollen and bruising from it's forceful introduction to the doorframe, my right foot's big toe felt left out of the attention limelight and decided to get 'those things'. Anyway, the Sensei clearly understood what 'those things' are and said 'ah--daijobu desu' (or it's ok/it's alright) and motioned to the first aid kit. I taped them up so they wouldn't tear deeper and start bleeding. Of course, with all the foot-sweat of a hot practice, the first tape job fell off. The second briefly left my toe purple, but then it got feeling back and was fine--plus the tape didn't fall off.
(Those Things)
Thankfully we switched to jo work and free practice with a jo (good topics for roughed-up feet). Then we decided to have free regular practice sans weapons... not as good a choice for my feet. However, my partners were fun (one is a 7th dan who has taught in South America and a few other places, the other is an older gal in hakama whom I think might be his wife. After class, I helped clean and then got to be the main guy serving tea--which meant 20 minutes of seiza with my feet silently murdering me with their disagreement at my decisions that evening. On the plus side, we had delicious lemon shots (non-alcoholic), which was a small conciliation.
Anyway, after class I decided to continue updating you about my adventures, so on to the flashback "After I Arrived!"
After taking the train from the airport to what seemed to be the right stop (by the signs--Google Maps was WAY off on where I was and re-routing), I wandered awhile until a train station attendant stopped me and told me where to go (which matched with what I thought and not with Google Maps current directions). I took that train and wound up at Shinjuku station. Once there, I followed Google Maps to my hotel and checked in. Thankfully, the attendant spoke some English and was able even to point me to some restaurants.
I also got the interesting experience of using a Japanese Toilet! These things are interestingly complex and very classy. Upon seeing it, I said, "I'm not in Kansas anymore, Toto!" (primarily because the brand was "Toto"! I also learned that it isn't a toilet, it's a 'washlet!'
The instructions are simple and easy to follow:
After unloading my luggage in the room, I headed out to get that supper--despite speaking very little of the language. As luck would have it, there was no English on the menu at all, and the special, which I arbitrarily picked based on how tasty the picture looked, was not available that night. I picked the thing next to it and was provided with a somewhat obvious meal and a raw egg in a bowl. Observing those around me, I figured it out and ate (you mix up the raw egg with your fork like you are scrambling it and dip the fried meat in it, apparently). Then I headed back to the hotel and got some sleep (finally!). (photos near Shinjuku can be found on my earlier post about safely arriving in Japan).
The next morning I got up quite early and repacked to be ready for a dojo lifestyle; I also got some work done online for back home. (Here's how my bag looked packed with my gi, hakama, belt, sandals, water bottle, face towel, etc.)
Then I headed out--on the way Kassahara Sensei messaged me--I replied and figured out the stops.
(The Train)
Once off the train I had a satellite image map to figure the way out, but I was also encouraged along by these cute little signs.
And then I was at Tokorozawa dojo!
At the dojo, I met Kevin, a 20-year old half-Japanese half-Swiss shodan who will be testing for his nidan later in my stay (head uchideshi at Tokorozawa Dojo), O-san (Chinese name is Wan, he's a 24-year old 1st kyu prepping for his shodan test, and he's extremely, almost excessively nice), Lin-san, a 27-year-old Chinese shodan who's been uchideshi for almost a year and is translating Kobayashi Soshihan's book into Chinese, and Anya, a 20-year old Russin 1st kyu who is prepping for her shodan (she doesn't speak much Japanese and speaks only a little more English). All of them were nice, and all of them were notably younger than me. They also all came on the Misubi fund, meaning that they didn't have to pay like I did and had extra requirements (I only found that out today). As such, they are uchideshi like me, but there is still a difference between all of us.
Kevin-san was very helpful and immediately began showing me how cleaning and preparation went. Then Kobayashi Soshihan arrived and taught class. In retrospect, I'm not sure why he traveled to Tokorozawa to teach as he usually exclusively teaches at Kodaira (his house is above that dojo; his son, Hiroaki Sensei has his house above Tokorozawa Dojo). He has an excellent energy for his age, and I loved training under him. It was a great treat to have him for my first class.
I definitely have more to share, but I'm already late for bed (it's 11:40PM and I have to get up before 5AM for tomorrow's morning class), so I'll call it a night and wish you all well!
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