It is 6:20 a.m. and I'm sitting in front of the ryokan
because it's the only place to get wifi.
Des Tuck Sensei is wandering about the parking lot with his tablet,
still in his yukata robe from the bath.
All the gaijin here in quaint little Omagari is very interesting for the
locals I'm sure. The folks here are
extremely helpful, friendly, and courteous.
I've been up since about four, since that's when it gets
light here in the summer. Already bathed
and soaked and am trying to get the body together after yesterday's hard
training.
The first hour of training is always the hardest because
the sweat begins to pour and you're thinking, hummmm, only 6 more hours. You just have to be able to go within
yourself and just stay in the moment. I
have already learned so much and gleaned more of the nuances that make goju-ryu
so incredible.
There are some very tough characters training this
year. A dozen Slovaks are here and quite
a few Aussies, all of whom are very big and don't mind whacking each other
around in the kumite drills. What I've
noticed is that when you are only intent on power, you miss out on what Goju is
all about. Shihan Fujiwara is the
perfect example of how speed, tai sabaki, movement, and finesse can stand up to the biggest
and strongest.
We worked several hours of kumite drills and made it up
through Seipai kata. The last hour is
especially difficult as you have to dig deeply to keep going when the body -
especially the joints -- are screaming for you to STOP! This morning I am feeling the cumulative effect
and am looking forward to tomorrow as it is our mid-training rest day. I'm pretty certain I'll be toast come
tonight.
Last night after dinner, many of the senior instructors
sat about the dining area chatting and having a bit of wine. Fujiwara Shihan joined us for the last
hour. What impresses me is the amazing
variety of people in this organization.
It is an honor to be a part of it.
Demo'ing kumite drills.
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