Friday August 3rd

Visiting Japan for training is difficult....  when you travel on your own it is a lot more difficult.  I have visited Japan on two occasions with groups led by Scott Sensei.  It is a fantastic experience coming here with a group.  You get a feel for the dojo, the intensity of training and life in Tokyo.  When you're here on your own it is a different kettle of fish.  Nobody can motivate you to go to the dojo only yourself.  You wait for the class to begin and you wonder if you are going to be the only person training.  The classes are generally very small at the dojo... Five or six student's training at most... There is no place to hide... Every weakness is spotted... You are constantly being watched!  If I was training here with a group of foreigeners, I doubt if I would have had the experience I had yesterday morning.  Oh... that was a pretty big shake... Earthquake!  First big one I felt since I arrived...!  Thankfully it has passed...!  I have decided that if I need to run out of the building that I must just remember to bring my wallet and phone!  No need to run outside this time.  The last time I did that was March 11th, 2011..  You can see below that the earthquake I just felt was a 4.9 magnitude with the epicentre near the south coast of Japan.  You can see all the lastest earthquakes at http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.html .  There has been some activity around Japan this evening... I must have been in the dojo when the previous one hit!

Anyway... getting back to the dojo...!  I didn't train this morning.  I decided that I would give my body a rest.  I had a pain in my head and my jaw was sore when I woke up.  I must admit that my decision not to go "all out" and train every single session this week is paying off.  I am feeling fit and strong.  It has been a gradual progression.  My fitness wasn't as good as it could have been before I arrived... I'm not too far away from being where I want now!




Entrance to the JKS Hombu Dojo in Sugamo, Tokyo

When I arrived at the dojo this evening, it was Makita Sensei who was teaching.  Kanayama Sensei was there as well.... armed with his shinai and correcting the kids who were training.  The kids at the dojo are so good!  Most of them train every single day from 6-7pm.  They are very sharp and relaxed.  There is one girl in particular who seems to struggle a little... She is about 5 or 6 years old and very petite...  A white belt, beginner... She does every technique very gracefully... She doesn't panic...  You can tell all the Sensei's are mad about her... Even Kanayama Sensei!  He gave her a really hard time in class tonight.  Constantly giving out to her and keeping her on her toes!  At one stage he said something to her and she appeared to lash back with some words... She seemed frustrated!  The other kids started smiling as did Kanayama Sensei and Makita Sensei!  There always seems to be one or two kids who are struggling and look as if they would prefer to be elsewhere..! However, they always seem to come good!  This is for a number of reasons... the pressure put on them by the instructors, the interest they show in them, the amount of times they train every week and above all their parents!  The parents of the younger kids are always sitting in the reception area of the dojo.  You have to admire them for perseverence in bringing their kids to training... It really pays off!  I often thank my own parents for doing the same for me!
Makita Sensei took the 7-8pm class.  There were only five of us training.  We started the class with squats... lots of squats from shiko-dachi!  When we were finished these we stayed down in the squat position for 60 slow counts.  Then 40 squats from shizentai position.  Again staying down in the end for 60 slow counts... Then 60 lunges... After these we did mae-geri (to the front), yoko geri (to the side) and mawashi-geri (to the front).  30 kicks each side... After this we did some ido-kihon up and down the dojo... Particular emphasis was on techniques with neko-ashi dachi and spinning techniques also.  Makita Sensei was stressing the importance of hamne / shomen ... contraction / expansion.

We did kata for the last twenty minutes... I was feeling pretty good at this stage... I was able to recover quickly between drills.  We did Junro Shodan and Junro Yandan... Nice and relaxed at first... Applying what Makita Sensei was stressing in the kihon training... Makita Sensei asked me to go to the back of the class to lead two of the brown belts and one beginner as we were faced down the dojo... We then did our Tokui Kata... Favourite kata... I stayed with Junro Yandan as I wanted to practice it... Firstly, the brown belts and beginner went out on to the floor.  Then Kasuya-san and myself did our kata.  Kanayama Sensei was looking on all the time as was Makita Sensei... I felt I did okay... My technique was clean and sharp but I would like to feel a little more relaxed in my shoulders... Total relaxation is made more difficult when the eyes of two of the best karate instructors in the world are watching you!  But that's what makes training here so great!  We did this tokui kata twice and the clas finished up.  I noticed that the other students were absolutely wrecked after the session.  I was drenched in sweat and tired but I still felt strong!  Time to push on harder next week and up my training! 

I'm pictured below with Makita Sensei after tonight's class.  He is former world kata champion.  He is technically brilliant and he has an excellent knowledge of kata.  His eye for detail is second to none and he is always very encouraging.  I think that he might have some administrative duties in the JKS headquarters office because he doesn't appear to be at morning training every day.  An exceptional talent.




Makita Sensei (Headquarters Instructor) and myself