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 25 & 26, 2013 - WAKAYAMA

I haven't been able to post anything the past couple of days as it is almost impossible to find any wifi connectivity, which is surprising in such a technologically advanced country.  My observation of Wakayama is that it's a little bit backwater, here in the shadow of Osaka...mostly working class and not too tecnically educated a city.  In most of Japan you can find people who can communicate the basics in English, but very few here.  Of course, we could learn Japanese if we really want to communicate, but then that would require effort.

Our hotel, the City View Wakayama, is nothing out of the ordinary,  It's older and could be considered a typical 'salaryman' business hoteru.  There is, however, a pretty awesome bathing area in the basement with hot and cold baths, and the hotel offers and a free breakfast.  To get even weak wifi, I've had to climb out my window onto a service balcony with air conditioners and plumbing pipes just to send an email.  And, it has to be between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. before the weak network becomes overwhelmed.  The temperature and humidity combination here is nothing short of unbearable.   I am constantly wet any time I go out.  It is so bad I have pretty much decided to head north again on Sunday just to escape the oppressive climate.

Our JKF seminar was all day yesterday and the senior senseis tried their best to run us into the ground physically for a while,  but Mr. Fujiwara had us prepared well.  Shiomi Shihan, the coach of several world champions and himself an amazing physical speciman for his age, was talking about the importance of core strength and off-handedly told us to do five minutes of plank pose on our elbows and toes.  I really don't think he thought any gaijin could do it.  Six did, and five were Seiwakai.  Go team!  Try it. I did just over two and a half minutes. 

                                      The JKF Gojukai International Seminar group shot

We worked kata in the afternoon, then broke into groups by rank to again work our prescribed grading katas.  We rokudan were lucky to be assigned Mr. Muramatsu, head of the technical committee and an outstanding teacher.  In front of an entire group he comes on like a lion, but with our small group of 6th dans, he was more like a friendly coach and imparted much insight and detail. 

We finished the day by again performing the entire Goju Ryu kata syllabus, from Sanchin to Suparempai.  My legs felt good and later I thanked Fujiwara Shihan for preparing us so well and he just smiled. You can see how soaked my dogi is in the photo of he and I below.  It was a really good day. I went to dinner with my Aussie family and was asleep by 10:30 pm.

             Fujiwara Shihan, Head Instructor of Seiwakai, and I.  Check out the sweat on me.

Today, July 26, was grading day.  I was in unfamiliar territory with the 6th, 7th, and 8th dan group.  We were grading with the Japanese, so were amongst the highest echelon.   We bowed in as a group and I calculated maybe eight for Hachidan, twenty-two for Nanadan, and there were eighteen of us for Rokudan.  Rokudan candidates were first and our group was split, ten in the first group and eight in the second.  Glenn Stephenson Shihan (Australia) and I were in group two, so we tried to stay loose in a warm-up training room upstairs for an hour and a half while the first group graded.  Then we were called down. 

Glenn was #1 and I was #8, so we gaijin had first and last positions, with six Japanese instructors between.  We start with Sanchin kata, gi tops off, and run two at a time.  It is amazing, when you are well-trained, how you just go into yourself when it's showtime and remember almost everything you were ever taught -- similar to high-level competition.  The most senior seven Gojukai Shihans are on our grading panel and they are totally unreadable. I felt pretty good in my Sanchin.  Then it was gi tops back on and on to Tensho in pairs. Good again.  Lastly was Seisan individually.  I had to really snap my kensetsu geris (knee kicks) and, despite the hip probs I've been experiencing this trip, I thought it was pretty good, but not great. 

 American/Australian Gothic: Glenn Stephenson Shihan and I after our grading. The brace is for resting my knee.  Observe the typically wet shirt from the heat and humidity.

        My grading buddy from Kyoto.  We ran Sanchin and Tensho together before the Board.

 Then the group is dismissed.  We will not be told immediately to save face if we did not pass.  Sometimes only 25% pass, so who knows.  Since none of my seniors are here to leak news, we don't know any results.

I am bushed and now officially a tourist.  After posting this, I am going to clean up and go find chow.  Had my first cheeseburger, french fries, and coke at Lotteria for lunch.  Oh my God it was awesome. 

 Outside the Big Whale Training Venue in Wakayama.  The sign announcing the 39th annual Gojukai  Competition.

  Other sport training simultaneously going on in the training hall.  No air conditioning in this big gym and had to be well over 100F within.  The fencers had on full gear.  Everywhere in Japan we saw young people training.  Impressive!

Peace.