tanabata summer festival


summer festival
Originally uploaded by renfield.

P was at her junior high school reunion in Ginza, so the Tonchabeast and I took the bus back to Azabujyuban, had some chili at Cravings, and then walked home. As we passed Zenpukuji, there were little kids everywhere dressed for the summer. Must have been some elementary school kids' Tanabata special or something, because all the local teachers were dressed up in yukata as well and the kids were writing their wishes on colored paper and tying them to the tree set up just for that purpose.

doggie do!


doggie do!
Originally uploaded by renfield.

budo is...technology?

The Viriginia crew has come to town for next week's taikai, so we all went out to dinner with Gosoke and the rest of them. The Big S was in fine form and after several grapefruit sours he stood up and declared, in his best English:
"You know Asakusa? I am shitamachi boy, I am slum boy."
I explained that shitamachi in English is more colloquially "the hood", so he explained "I am Asakusa is my hood."

He then proceeded to explain that even with a broken toe he can persevere:
"I am konjo, you know?"
Acutally no, no one knows that konjo means "to overcome hardship." But you are now known as Konjo-san. I then explained that he broke his toe by goofing off and playing karate fighter with another of our 59-going-on-12-years-old members. Good to be young at heart, even if old of toe.

Finally, when he saw an awesome display of the brute power of our American brethren (that grapefruit half never knew what hit it) he announced:
"Budo is...technology, not power."
Uh, "technique", big guy. Technique, not technology.
However it was too late; a new t-shirt idea was born.


BUDO IS TECHNOLOGY, not power.
- by Mr. Konjo-san

only for parents

Testing my new cell phone's video capability, I present: Tonchan, sitting on the bed. And, not doing much:

beef tataki


beef tataki
Originally uploaded by renfield.

gyokufukai

Today was the opening ceremony for Gyokufukai, one of the branch organizations under Suimokai. Held on the 33rd floor of the Kasumigaseki Building downtown, I was asked to demo.
First I started with the standard jinrai:

Link to this video on youtube

And then I did a basic yokoichimonji. I like this next video because I screw up. Actually, I did the cut once (not in the video) but was too far away so didn't cut the target all the way through. And then I got a little peeved, so you can see that I'm not chill and I tense up my shoulder and just biff the second attempt big-time. So finally I take a second to calm down and just do it like we always practice and it went worked.

Link to this video on youtube

Also, I'm using Salty's sword, which is a seriously wonderful piece of steel. 950 grams, perfectly balanced, cuts like a light saber. Thanks Salty!