Thursday August 2nd

A day of mixed emotions...!  It's a real love / hate relationship here in Tokyo!

Yamaguchi Sensei took this mornings class at the dojo.  There were only four students training (including myself)... so the kenshusei (Watanabe Sensei & Okamoto Sensei) and Kamal, Kai and Nagaki Sensei's joined in as well.  We started off with some kihon... punching from shizentai position... mae-geri from hesoku-dachi.... Then progressing on to kizami-gyaku-kizami from zenkustsu.... kizami-mae-geri, mae-geri from zenkustu... all techniques 40 times each side... Feeling good and sharp at this stage.  Yamaguchi Sensei then got us to stand feet together, crouch all the way down, keeping feet flat and we commenced mae-geri from this position.... 30 times... Extreme burning and pain in the legs... It was so difficult to maintain posture and as the legs became tired it was very very difficult to snap back (hiki-ashi) the leg correctly.  We did some ido-kihon up and down the dojo after this.

Next up was kata... All the junro kata... Twice to the count and then once one count.  I picked up a few things... One example was the second move in Junro Nidan... Rather than bringing the uchi-uke hand back to the hip in preparation, Yamaguchi Sensei told me to make the transition from gedan-barai to uchi uke position more natural and not bring the blocking hand all the way back to the hip.  Lots of other things were emphasised.  When we had gone through all the Junro kata, Yamaguchi Sensei called them all out at random and we had to do them with speed and power.  It was all very sweaty at this stage!

With about ten minutes left in the class we were invited to take our first break and we were asked to fetch our kumite mitts.  Yamaguchi Sensei paired me up with Watanabe Sensei... the new All-Japan kumite champion.  First off we did one minute each where one side attacked and the other defended... Bang, bang, bang...!  I'd say Watanabe Sensei still thought that he was on the tatami at the national championships!  I held my own and blocked as much as I could.  He is very very fast and strong! I was next up to attack... I kept on the front foot and threw as much as I could at him while trying to stay controlled and relaxed at the same time...  We then finished up and it was time for Jiyu-kumite... Free sparring.

At this stage, Inada Sensei, Yamaguchi Sensei and Kanayama Sensei were all glued to myself and Watanabe Sensei.  I think the other instructors were sparring with the other student's... I couldn't afford to look around.  This two minute spell was probably the hardest bout that I have ever had... one exception might have been some Jiyu-kumite I did with Yamaguchi Sensei last year.  Watanabe Sensei literally wanted to take my head off with every punch and kick that he threw.  It was so difficult to try and contain him.  For me, this wasn't dojo kumite... Watanabe Sensei was in competition mode... In - bang, bang and Out.... In - bang, bang and Out!  I kept blocking and countering as best I could but Watanabe was bossing the fight... I didn't feel that it was an even playing field... I couldn't risk throwing myself at him with the same lack of control that he was using...  This is their dojo... I'm only the visitor!  On a number of occasions he tried to come inside me and take me down with a foot sweep... I was all tuned into this and avoided his leg sweep everytime... If he did take me down, I was going to bring him to the floor with me.  I was too strong and clever for him when he came inside... I was so frustrated with him at one stage that I just wanted to ram him against the mirror and burst his head off it... But of course I didn't... that would be very foolish! 

Finally with about 10 seconds left in the bout... BANG!  He hit me with such a blow to my chin with a punch that I thought my jaw was broken.... Luckily he met me square on... It was lights out for me.... Yamaguchi Sensei immediately called "Yame"... Game over... I couldn't catch my breath...  It wasn't because of tiredness but the shock of that final blow.  I bowed to him and shook his hand.... In my mind I was calling him every name under the sun....!  We bowed out the class and somehow I had enough breath the shout out the dojo-kun as loud as I could... I wasn't going to let it be shown that I was in trouble...

Still struggling to catch my breath, I got changed and bowed to each of the instructor's as I bowed out.  I made a special effort to bow to Watanabe Sensei and say "arigato-gozaimusta" with complete composure... If only he knew what I was really thinking..! As I walked down through Sugamo as I was doing my best to try and get my breathing right... There was so much water running down my face...  Sweat AND tears!  When I arrived at Jonathan's I kept wiping my face with a towel... I was totally wound up at this stage... Every thought running through my mind... But one thing was for sure... I was going back to the dojo this evening... I was not going to give in to them!

When I got back to my apartment I tried to get some sleep.  Not a chance... Still wound up and replaying everything in my mind...  I'm here to practice karate, train hard and learn!  I am in awe of these instructor's... Why do they need to do things like this?  Basically the answer is.... the likes of Watanabe Sensei went to university for four years with one purpose... to practice karate everyday at Teikyo University, get on to the Instructor's programme at the JKS Hombu Dojo and make a living from karate.  I went to university to get a degree and a Ph.D.. 

I had a fair idea that it would be Kagawa Sensei and Yamaguchi Sensei teaching at the dojo this evening...  I had a couple of gifts for them so I brought them along with me.  I arrived at the dojo around 6.20pm to observe the 6-7pm class being taught.  Kagawa Sensei seemed in very relaxed form... as did Yamaguchi Sensei.  Both greeted me with a smile when I bowed towards them..  There was six students (including myself) training in the 7-8pm class.  Yamaguchi Sensei took the first 40 minutes as Kagawa Sensei looked on.  This was a brilliant class and Yamaguchi Sensei really spiced things up.  Kihon, working on different angles and movement.  Out of all the Sensei's, I think Yamaguchi Sensei has the most creativity in his teaching.  He was placing a lot of importance on the role of the standing leg when performing mae-geri and ushiro-geri.  A straight leg is no good.  The leg must be bent initially and then use this potential energy to explode everthing forward.  We also did lots of spinning techniques and the main thing that Yamaguchi Sensei was emphasising was the importance of turing in a straight line and not around.

Kagawa Sensei took the last twenty minutes where we practiced Junro Shodan and Junro Nidan.  It was fairly hot and sweaty and this stage but Kagawa Sensei was in relaxed form.  He was emphasising the use of the whole body for every movement and keeping relaxed.  He pulled me out in the end and got me to do Junro Nidan as far as the first kiai.  He seemed happy enough with my movement but was concerned that my shoulders were a little too stiff... I need to relax more!  Class over at this stage... Delighted that I came :)

After we cleaned the floor I went to Yamaguchi Sensei and gave him his gift.  It was a Waterford Crystal minature harp.  I then told him that I also had a gift for Kagawa Sensei.  Yamagauchi Sensei went into Kagawa Sensei in the instructor's changing room.  Kagawa Sensei invited me in and I gave him the gift and told him what it was in Japanese.  A Waterford Crystal paper weight with a harp sandblasted underneath.  Kagawa Sensei jokingly asked if it was "magic crystal" with "powers" and I had to assure him that it wasn't!  He then asked me why I was "only" staying for three weeks and I told him "job Sensei"...!  Both himself and Yamaguchi Sensei thanked me and I left the changing room bowing respectfully.  I never thought that I would see the inside of that place!

I treated myself to a high calorie snack (picture below) after training... I think I deserved it!  Back in the dojo again tomorrow.  A day of very mixed emotions but I'm glad that I'm going to bed satisfied!