Wednesday August 1st

Okamoto Sensei and Watanabe Sensei were at the dojo this morning when I arrived... Cleaning down the mirrors, washing the other Sensei's dogi's... all part of the job when you are a kenshusei.  I had a funny feeling that I had fought Watanabe Sensei at the All-Japan Championships in 2009...  He looked like the guy but I was never quite sure until this morning... He is missing his top front teeth!  Although I never knew who he was back then, Watanabe Sensei was very strong in kumite at that championship in 2009.  He beat Makita Sensei after he beat me and he went on to win bronze... Losing to Nagaki Sensei in the final!  Watanabe Sensei won the All-Japan kumite title last Sunday.  I have included a photograph of the two of us below after our fight in 2009.

I am pictured here with Watanabe Sensei at the All-Japan's in 2009

There was a man and woman seated in the reception area of the dojo when I entered this morning.  They seemed as if they were important.  I bowed, said "ohayo-gozaimas" and carried on to the changing room.  Kai Sensei and Inada Sensei arrived for the class.  It was only myself and two kids that were training this morning. I was the senior grade, therefore I lined everybody up and bowed in the class. So... Kai Sensei led the class and Inada Sensei, Watanabe Sensei and Okamoto Sensei all joined in.  Starting with kihon and ido-kihon.  Inada Sensei and Kai Sensei were giving out quite a bit to one of the kids.  His technique wasn't the best and he wasn't being allowed to get away with it!  I was feeling quite strong and sharp... all the time, Inada Sensei was prowling around and studying my every move!

After about 25 minutes of kihon training we progressed to some pad work.  I was paired with Watanabe Sensei first... 40 gyaku-zuki's... making sure you slide in with the front leg and push back out after executing the technique.  I then held the pads for Watanabe Sensei as he did the same.  Inada Sensei was standing right beside us... He must have been happy enough as didn't say anything to any of us.  The instructor's are never afraid to correct Watanabe Sensei during class.  We then did mae-geri... 40 times... Kizami gyaku-zuki... 40 times... and finally mawashi-geri... pull leg back every time... 40 times... All the time Inada Sensei studying our every move.  We then did one minute each where one person held the pads in various positions and the other person had to react.  We then rotated and I went on to Kai Sensei and finally Okamoto Sensei... I tried as hard as I possibly could and I was wrecked at the end... but felt great in a strange sort of way!

Kai Sensei and Inada Sensei then took me on my own for kata while Okamoto Sensei and Watanabe Sensei took the two junior brown belts.  Kai Sensei asked me what kata I would like to do and I said Sochin.  This was for two reasons... firstly we had practiced it yesterday with Nagaki Sensei and secondly I felt that I had a lot to improve on!  No pressure then as Kai Sensei and Inada Sensei looked on.... I must admit that I was both tired and very nervous at this stage... I did it twice to Kai Sensei's count and then once on my own speed and power.  I feel I still have a lot to work on.... especially focusing on correct form in my fudo-dachi through out.  Kai Sensei like Nagaki Sensei was stressing the importance of keeping the movements big while Inada Sensei was keen to have me executing the slow techniques with the correct timing.  Grea class!  I bowed out the class and led the dojo kun at the top of my voice... all the time Kagawa Sensei, Yamaguchi Sensei and Kanayama Sensei were in their office in the back.

So... the two people sitting at the front entrance... Nagaki Sensei was not training and he seemed to be showing them around the dojo... My impression was that they were insurance people possibly... Towards the end of class, Kagawa Sensei was having words with them... I got the impression that tensions were high among the Sensei's when our class finished.... I got a drink of water in thechanging room and came back outside to the dojo to stretch for 10 minutes or so.... This is the norm!  Almost immediately after I went back out into the dojo, Kagawa Sensei came out on to the dojo floor.  I bowed and he acknowledged... I had a gut feeling that there was something strange going on!  Kagawa Sensei doesn't usually come out on to the floor this early.  All of the Sensei's seemed to be nervous and on edge... I thought to myself.. "it's time to get the hell out of here..."!  So I went to the changing room and got changed as quick as I could.  I bowed to all the instructors as I was leaving.  I guess they were getting ready for the call from Kagawa Sensei to start "Instructor's Training".  As I left the dojo building the two people who I thought were insurance people were outside on the street on their hands and knees trying to sort boxes of items... So, I'm thinking that things possibly ended badly with Kagawa Sensei and that they were asked to leave.... That's all that I can make out of the whole situation!!  I belted off to Jonathan's for my lunch.  It was much easier to eat today for some reason!

I just think that the story above where I had a gut feeling that things weren't right and that I should leave the dojo is something very important... You really need to be "tuned in" as to what goes on in the dojo and what the atmosphere is like...  Respect and the hierarchy drive absolutely everything...

It was very nice to meet up with Nick Gardner and a buddy of his for coffee in the hot Shibuya sunshine this afternoon.  It's always great to meet up with Nick as you can ask him things about Tokyo life and he can give you a great insight as to what is happening around!  I was back in Nippori around 6pm and had intended to go back to the dojo for evening training.  However, I decided against it when I came back.  I'm going to train in the morning and evening tomorrow instead.  I hope to do the same on Friday.  I think that I'll be all set to go in to "burn out" mode next week then!  So.. I had a read of a newspaper for the evening and had another dinner in one of the local restaurants here in Nippori!