A Little Treat from Japan: Chihiro Yamanaka, Jazz Pianist

I was walking the streets of beautiful Matsumoto when I heard some awesome jazz piano wafting from a musical instrument store.  Wow!  Sounded great.  Inside the storefront window was a TV playing a concert of this woman, Chihiro Yamanaka, live in Tokyo concert.  Take a listen.  She is pretty amazing.

Click on the photo below to follow the link:

JAPAN TRAINING - July 27, 2013 - WAKAYAMA

Although I will be glad to leave this hellishly hot coastal plain, I`ve been so focused on the grading and then spending yesterday recovering, I haven`t even made any plans.  Check out time was 10 a.m. and there was no way I was going to be packed and ready to hop a train, so I extended for another night, which seemed to be the path of least resistance. 

Most of the karate folks did check out and were heading to either Tokyo or Osaka to fly for home.  I spent the morning looking at my Rough Guides - Japan book to figure where I wanted to go.  Since I don`t particularly like the big cities, and want to escape the heat and humidity, I`m opting for the mountains.  I`m drawn to a castle town called Matsumoto in the central Honshu highlands not far from Nagano.  Nagano is ski country in the Japanese Alps and Matsumoto is in the foothills, surrounded by mountains.  It has the oldest castle in Japan and was home to Dr. Suzuki, who originated the Suzuki method of teaching children to play classical music.  There is also a major Japanese woodblock print museum there.

If it is too warm in Matsumoto, I`ll keep ascending!  It is closer to Tokyo, where I need to wind up in order to fly out on Wednesday evening.  Truth be told, I`m ready to get back home to be with Terri and Jacob.  I want pizza and smoke-free restaurants.

We had our JKF Gojukai dinner last night at a swank hotel (very unlike the non-swank hotel we`re staying in).  There were probably 150 people in attendance, mostly Japanese karate sensei and some other guests.  I was fortunate to sit next to a local businessman who took great care of our table.  The food was pretty awesome -- about ten courses of everything from delicious sashimi to prime rib.  Some courses, like the cold milk curd & mushroom soup were pretty unique, but every bit of it was over-the-top great.  There was also a taiko drumming performance which was as good as I've ever seen/heard.  Of course there were all the typical speeches and multiple kompai!!!! toasts.  They had the different countries come up on stage and the head cheeses make a speech.  I forgot I was the head cheese by default until someone at my table elbowed me to go to the stage. The remaining USA group consisted of myself and Johnpaul Sensei from San Francisco -- pretty weak when you consider that Iran outnumbered us.  So I gave my  impromptu spiel successfully without any major breach of etiquette -- no easy task with people continually filling your beer or sake glass. 

                                                      My table mates at the banquet.

                                       The banquet menu and a Wakayama area guide map.

                                  Just one part of ONE course.  Exquisite food, every bit of it.

                     Our local table host, who took wonderful care of our table.  Thank you, sir!

And still no word about the grading from Fujiwara Shiahan or anyone.  Kind of a pisser really.  A senior Shihan unofficially told Glenn Stephenson, from Australia that he and one Japanese had passed rokudan (out of 18).  That`s an unbelievably low percentage and makes me wonder just what the criteria is.  Johnpaul told me this morning he heard 4 passed to rokudan -- still a crazy low percentage.  It costs 20,000 y just to enter the grading ($200), so I`d say it is a cash cow for the Gojukai.  It is irritating that no one will let you know even that you failed or what you night need to work on.  At this particular moment, I doubt I will participate in the ordeal again to be honest.  I enjoyed the experience of the grading, but the training pretty much took all I had.  I`ll spend the $200 on Lotto tix and maybe have a better chance...  But like childbirth, we forget the pain and remember the best of the experience and I probably WILL do it again.  As Tobias Wolff wrote,

"We are made to persist.  That's how we find out who we are."

I`m in the hotel basement internet area with the ever-present smell of cigarette smoke and the sounds of some private karaoke rooms filtering in even with the door closed.  There is no real wifi to be found anywhere here in BFE and I feel incommunicado with the world.  I`m using today as another physical recovery day and am just happy I didn`t have to board a plane today and sit with my knees bent for 15 hours.  They would have had to bring me a wheelchair to the jetway!

I have about a ba-zillion photos to upload when I return, which won`t be a moment too soon.  Here`s hoping the central mountains will be cooler.

Yours from the land of the rising sun...

JAPAN TRAINING - JULY 19, 2013 - OMAGARI

I am writing this part of the email update on our lunch break, sitting in the Budokan lobby with a small bit of breeze coming through.  The first two training days were rainy days, so cooler even though humid, but today the heat has come back with a vengeance.   I'm also suffering from some gastro problem which is making me pretty miserable.  I didn't even make it through the first 45 minutes of warmups and moving basics before my body began cramping up.  Misery.

But as Demura Sensei says, "It's okay to quit...you just can't be first."  So you press on.  I stopped to get something for my stomach at a convenience store and had an interesting pantomime routine with the lady clerk with much pointing to stomach and butt and gesturing. She was very perceptive and found something that at least calmed me down.

The three hour morning session consisted of many many repetitions of Sanchin and Tensho kata before we were divided up into those testing and those not.  Of course, the folks grading get to be on the front row where nothing escapes the eyes of Shihan Fujiwara, Lipinski,  Rasto, Naidoo.    Many repitions of Tensho and Sanchin and many many corrections as those two kata are 60% of the grading.  If you don't show well there, you are failed.  The nuances I'm picking up from Fujiwara Shihan, and how they apply in defense application are incredible.  It's nice to feel like a student and not an instructor.

There are low windows and high windows in the Budokan (see the photo) and outside there is an elementary school and some beautiful gardens.  After many reps of kata and heat you get into a trance.  I swear I was watching the garden grow and the reflection of the sunlight on the floor was like another bank of windows.  Very strange.    More later.

Tough day so far.  I start to compensate for my bad knees when they become sore and less flexible as the hours of constant training role by, and when I do, something else goes south.  As I mentioned, I was cramping up immediately this morning, and after lunch my left hip seized up and  I could barely stand because of the pain.    Sorry, Demura Sensei, but I did have to sit and stretch while the group pressed on through and hour or better of spirited kumite drills.  Then it was back to more kata for the final hour of training and I'll be damned if I was going to keep sitting, so joined back up with the 6th dan bunch for Seisan kata.  It's amazing how much you learn about kata and application after 30 or so reps with Fujiwara Shihan instructing and  then watching us like a hawk to make sure we put his instruction into it.  My hip actually felt much better.  Not good, mind you, but I was standing!  I'll take that!

Dinner tonight at the ryokan was absolutely incredible: miso soup, agedashi tofu, a curry with beef and potatoes, pickled veggies, a semi-baked fish, watermelon, and of course, a big mug of Kirin draft beer.  Afterwards, many of us sat around the dining room having good company and telling many tall tales.  At the table were USA, Canada,  India, Aussies, Slovakian, Brits, and no doubt one or two other countries.  You can imagine the accents.  It is like having a huge extended family and great fun.   You always tell yourself that you will only have a beer or two, but everyone who drops in seems to have brought something to add to the liquor smorgasbord.   You know that between the hot bath and the training you will sweat it out quickly.  I'm actually trying to be quite moderate, but you learn quickly to leave drink in your cup or glass or someone will fill it again.

I'm now in the laundromat (as usual) and it is about 6:30 a.m.  Today we are taking a couple of busses to some place in the mountains for "waterfall training".  So much for our day off.  I'm sure it will be enjoyable, but my body would prefer doing nothing at all.   Tonight is our Seiwakai party which s an amazing affair of food and karaoke.  More on that later.

 

 

The Incredible Floor Cam.

 The windows and reflections in the Budokan

JAPAN TRAINING - JULY 17, 2013 - OMAGARI

I am in the little laundromat across the street from the Fujiwara ryokan, as washing after training is absolutely necessary because your karategi is trashed from all the sweat and a little blood here and there.  After a day of training, my gi weighs at least three or four pounds (yes, pounds) heavier from all the water weight.  You will drink fluids at every break and never need to pee.  No exaggeration.
This morning it was raining quite heavily but there was a slight break about the time to start for the dojo -- about a 25 minute walk -- so I chanced it and did just make it before the sky opened up and it poured until lunch break, which meant the humidity was sky high and within 10 minutes of starting training we were all drenched with sweat.  That's about the time you begin to question your motivation.

The training is always excellent with Fujiwara Shihan and this year is no different.  We began with many repitions of various moving basics then returned to Sanchin and Tensho.   Shihan always mixes in plenty of kumite based partner drills so your arms begin to acquire a plethora of beautiful purple bruises.  Fortunately I had a partner from Vancouver, BC who has good kime, so we are not too beat down.

In the afternoon session, we worked our way up through Sanseiru kata, always working numerous repetitions slowly, then moving on to normal speed.  Trying to do kensetsu geri (kicks to the knees) very slowly when your own knees are so tired they wobble is a special torture.  By the time five o'clock arrives you are more than ready to shed the wet karategi!  I always try to walk to and from the dojo just to keep my knees lubricated, even though the walk back seems to take twice as long.

The Fujiwara ryokan has a wonderful bath area with a very hot soaking tub.  After washing yourself, to immerse your tired body in the extremely hot water is a delicious treat.  The water is so hot that once immersed, you try not to move because it feels even hotter.  I like  to soak then shower again with cold water.  Then repeat three or four times and the aches are gone.

The ryokan is also very well known for its food. I can see why.  Every meal is scrumptious and presented in beautiful fashion, usually with a big mug of draft beer.  I think they know what we karateka need after a long day of training.

I made the mistake of laying down on my futon and the next thing I knew it was 4:30 a.m. and I was still in my yukata robe. Of course by 4 a.m. it is completely light here in the land of the rising sun.  Time to begin again!

That's it for now.