It's all about distance. Someone came to check out iai last night, so Yasuda-san had three of us run through all 20 of the forms. Man, lemme tell I suck!
Afterwards, Ando-sensei gave us some drilling, mostly on distance. Visualizing the opponent, picking the target, and hitting it. Extending is all well and good, but not when you go blasting past your opponent! Also gotta keep working on my horizontal cuts; the timing's all wrong.
#26
Went to Dr. Suzuki, my belov'd dentist today. Had my teeth cleaned, and the one molar on the upper left turns out to be a receding gumline exposing a wee bit of tooth root. Not fun, but not too painful. It's tooth #26: the top right teeth are 10s (10-17), top left are 20s, bottom left 30s, and bottom right 40s.
Also went to Zennittoko (Zen Nihon Toko) to buy a new scabbard and had a lovely chat with the crazy old man who runs the place. Got me thinking about changing all the fittings on my sword...
Taught the student's practice for the first, official time. Worked hard on the basics; slow and careful, focusing on where the opponent is, hands and hips, and only two kata. I ended up talking too much (as I always do) and it was COLD. Everyone was shivering, so next week, less talk, more movement; will try to run through basics in less than an hour, and then get through at least 10 kata.
Also went to Zennittoko (Zen Nihon Toko) to buy a new scabbard and had a lovely chat with the crazy old man who runs the place. Got me thinking about changing all the fittings on my sword...
Taught the student's practice for the first, official time. Worked hard on the basics; slow and careful, focusing on where the opponent is, hands and hips, and only two kata. I ended up talking too much (as I always do) and it was COLD. Everyone was shivering, so next week, less talk, more movement; will try to run through basics in less than an hour, and then get through at least 10 kata.
the ends justify the means
That's what I was told when I finally successfully cut jinrai. My first 2 attempts where pretty sad, as I was really nervous. But Naganuma-sensei told me to take a deep breath, keep my hands where they should go, and then I finally nailed it.
The day was spent practicing and then in the afternoon a bunch of testing, including 4th and 5th dan testing.
Then everyone went to a local bar/restaurant and got rallyingly tanked; Tanaka-sensei and Naganuma-sensei having a grand time, and everyone having fun with Andrew, trying to set him up with the various drunk females.
The day was spent practicing and then in the afternoon a bunch of testing, including 4th and 5th dan testing.
Then everyone went to a local bar/restaurant and got rallyingly tanked; Tanaka-sensei and Naganuma-sensei having a grand time, and everyone having fun with Andrew, trying to set him up with the various drunk females.
gyoza
Once again it was a successful gyozafest. This time we cranked out about 500 skinfuls of delight, including tomato & beef, shrimp, tofu, & cabbage, pork & burdock root, and the traditional pork & cabbage.
Baby Amy enjoying some of the fine gyoza (ok it's actually banana.)
Baby Amy enjoying some of the fine gyoza (ok it's actually banana.)
drivin' like jehu
Besides being the name of one of those college bands that I was SURE was gonna make it big, like The Mr.T Experience, LAWSUIT, and Green Day, it's an accurate description of me on my mighty steed, Boing (thusly nam'd because of the AMIGA sticker affixed to the left rear panel.)
On Wednesday I rode from Ebisu, trough Azabu, past Shinbashi, through Ginza, and all the way up to Akihabara on the 15/17. Surprisingly easy, and how quick and easy it is to weave between the cars! Tonight I'll give a whirl up the same route, this time stopping just before Kanda Station, to attend Niina-gosoke's practice. BTW, it seems I am officially on for demo-ing the elusive jinrai cut on Sunday in front of everyone at the promotions exam, as a way of practicing for the Kyoto Butokusai (Traditional Martial Arts Demonstration.)
Last night Hiroko and I went to Omotesando and got haircuts from the illustrious Ozawa-tencho, store manager extraordinaire of UR. Then we walked down to Nishi Azabu Crossing and had some yummy curry at Kenbokke.
On Wednesday I rode from Ebisu, trough Azabu, past Shinbashi, through Ginza, and all the way up to Akihabara on the 15/17. Surprisingly easy, and how quick and easy it is to weave between the cars! Tonight I'll give a whirl up the same route, this time stopping just before Kanda Station, to attend Niina-gosoke's practice. BTW, it seems I am officially on for demo-ing the elusive jinrai cut on Sunday in front of everyone at the promotions exam, as a way of practicing for the Kyoto Butokusai (Traditional Martial Arts Demonstration.)
Last night Hiroko and I went to Omotesando and got haircuts from the illustrious Ozawa-tencho, store manager extraordinaire of UR. Then we walked down to Nishi Azabu Crossing and had some yummy curry at Kenbokke.
blood blood blood!
It's all about nosebleeds these days. I have, since an early age, been a nose-bleeder. I seem to recall my mother telling me once that she too, was a nose-bleeder. I have many nose-bleed-related memories:
Once in elementary school I remember going to our family doctor (in the strip mall near the Radio Shack I think) who looked in my nose and declared something to the effect of "You have so many capillaries right up there on the surface, we couldn't cauterize them all without burning your whole nose off."
I remember visiting New York in the sweltering heat of summer, staying at Aunt Emily and Uncle Dolf's place in the village, and waking up in the middle of the night with two-nostril flood. I immediately woke up my mom, who sat bleary-eyed with me on her lap and her fingers a vice on my nose until it stopped, a good 20 minutes later.
There was that time I was staying at my friend Sonny's house and, right before we were going to go to Splash Mountain, the water park, I got a nice trickler. His mom was a doctor, but for some reason it was his dad who swabbed my nostrils with a vaseline-laden q-tip and reminded me "Keep the nose moist. Dry makes it bleed."
And of course this morning, for the third time in as many days, I was washing my face in the sink only to see watery-red trails splashing all over the basin.
Whenever I get a nosebleed in the shower, I immediately pretend I'm a famous boxer at the tail-end of a mediocre career, who's maybe got one last fight in him. It's the 8th round, and both I and my opponent have been to the mat twice. Points-wise, I'm behind, but if I can get through his barrage of jabs and plant a couple of solid body shots on his punished ribs, I can finish him with a KO uppercut. But those jabs are making blood pudding out of my nose. I stare at myself in the mirror on the shower wall; guard up, blood running down my face and framing my lips, eyes focused, feet dancing, watch his left, watch his left, duck and cover, guard up, in with the left-left-right to the body, then he drops his elbows and I see my opening, streaking my Anvil Uppercut into his unsuspecting chin. He stumbles back, reaching for the ropes, but drops on his back, arms flailing. The ref counts...8,9,10! KO! And I raise my arms in victory, my face bloody as I shout "Adrian!"
And then Hiroko yells at me to clean the blood off of my face and stop messing around, she wants to wash her hair.
Once in elementary school I remember going to our family doctor (in the strip mall near the Radio Shack I think) who looked in my nose and declared something to the effect of "You have so many capillaries right up there on the surface, we couldn't cauterize them all without burning your whole nose off."
I remember visiting New York in the sweltering heat of summer, staying at Aunt Emily and Uncle Dolf's place in the village, and waking up in the middle of the night with two-nostril flood. I immediately woke up my mom, who sat bleary-eyed with me on her lap and her fingers a vice on my nose until it stopped, a good 20 minutes later.
There was that time I was staying at my friend Sonny's house and, right before we were going to go to Splash Mountain, the water park, I got a nice trickler. His mom was a doctor, but for some reason it was his dad who swabbed my nostrils with a vaseline-laden q-tip and reminded me "Keep the nose moist. Dry makes it bleed."
And of course this morning, for the third time in as many days, I was washing my face in the sink only to see watery-red trails splashing all over the basin.
Whenever I get a nosebleed in the shower, I immediately pretend I'm a famous boxer at the tail-end of a mediocre career, who's maybe got one last fight in him. It's the 8th round, and both I and my opponent have been to the mat twice. Points-wise, I'm behind, but if I can get through his barrage of jabs and plant a couple of solid body shots on his punished ribs, I can finish him with a KO uppercut. But those jabs are making blood pudding out of my nose. I stare at myself in the mirror on the shower wall; guard up, blood running down my face and framing my lips, eyes focused, feet dancing, watch his left, watch his left, duck and cover, guard up, in with the left-left-right to the body, then he drops his elbows and I see my opening, streaking my Anvil Uppercut into his unsuspecting chin. He stumbles back, reaching for the ropes, but drops on his back, arms flailing. The ref counts...8,9,10! KO! And I raise my arms in victory, my face bloody as I shout "Adrian!"
And then Hiroko yells at me to clean the blood off of my face and stop messing around, she wants to wash her hair.
the slump continues
Ran through a few forms last night at the student's practice. I supposed to take over officially in March, but next week Kanai-san can't make it, so I'll take over from next week. Then again, we only have one practice the first week of March due to the unavailability of the gym, so it's a mild start. And yes I'm still slumping. I thought I'd work on my cutting for a while, but word from Tanaka-sensei and Naganuma-sensei is that we won't be having cutting sessions for the time being until they work some things out -- been getting a bit too loose lately and, although it is fun, it's also a serious martial art and the most dangerous part at that, as everyone is using sharp blades and swinging hard to cut targets. So I guess I'll work on my basic techniques, though I need to find out if I'm still supposed to demo cutting this weekend at the promotions exam and and/or in Kyoto in April -- if I'm still expected to perform, I need to figure out how to practice cutting!
slump
Naganuma-sensei said it would happen, and it has. I am in a serious slump. Did ok at cutting practice on Sunday, but yesterday at practice I just couldn't do anything right. I spent the first 30 minutes teaching the basics to a couple of beginners, so I didn't really warm up too much, and then when we started to do forms, I was just all over the place. And from March I'll officially be in charge of teaching the Tuesday students' practice, which means even less time for my own practice...a long road indeed.
chop chop
Had a sweet cutting practice -- managed to successfully cut jinrai twice, though of course the second cut always comes out as a shallow diagonal cut instead of the straight horizontal it's supposed to be.
Took some videos of Sano-san, Tamitsuji-san, and Gojyaku-san. I tried two full rolls at once but could barely get into the second one. I realized that strong shoulders aren't enough and I've got to work on my speed as well, especially for horizontal cuts.
But the best was, in the afternoon when Gojyaku-san showed up, he gave a hakama! He's the kimono-king, and I guess he's trying to support and encourage my kimono habit. It's not how well you cut, it's how good you look!
Took some videos of Sano-san, Tamitsuji-san, and Gojyaku-san. I tried two full rolls at once but could barely get into the second one. I realized that strong shoulders aren't enough and I've got to work on my speed as well, especially for horizontal cuts.
But the best was, in the afternoon when Gojyaku-san showed up, he gave a hakama! He's the kimono-king, and I guess he's trying to support and encourage my kimono habit. It's not how well you cut, it's how good you look!
shopping
Hiroko and I had a Shibuya date -- went to Loft and Tokyu Hands to get some supplies (wood putty and black tape to fix my sword scabbard) and look for furniture. We need a couple of small tables, one for next to the couch and another for the bedroom. Failed to find anything decent, but did stuff ourselves silly at T.G.I.F.'s.
Lucky
Valentine's Day, and also our 5th anniversary! Went to Kubota-sensei's practice in Nagatacho for the first time in a while (no Niina-gosoke practice) and then met Hiroko at Lucky for dinner. Mama wasn't there, but someone called her and told her we came in. She was really busy and couldn't come back to the restaurant, but she did give us a Happy Anniversary message and of course they gave us some free food -- I love that place!
quilt
Remember when I said my dad is cooler than your dad? Well, my mom is cooler than your mom and dad put together, eating sushi and riding Segways.
My mom maid me the coolest quilt on the planet. First, it's huge, dwarfing our queen-sized matress. Second, it's made with all the cool Japanese fabrics I've been collecting over the years and sending to my mom. Third, it's mostly blue, a color which, as you know, is superior to any other color in the universe.
As soon as I overcome my stupendous laziness, I will download the photos from Hiroko's digital camera and put them up.
Oh yeah, I've just been officially told that as of March I am to be lead the Tuesday student's practice. I guess this means I will get my assistant teaching credential soon, too.
My mom maid me the coolest quilt on the planet. First, it's huge, dwarfing our queen-sized matress. Second, it's made with all the cool Japanese fabrics I've been collecting over the years and sending to my mom. Third, it's mostly blue, a color which, as you know, is superior to any other color in the universe.
As soon as I overcome my stupendous laziness, I will download the photos from Hiroko's digital camera and put them up.
Oh yeah, I've just been officially told that as of March I am to be lead the Tuesday student's practice. I guess this means I will get my assistant teaching credential soon, too.
movie and noodles
Saturday Hiroko and I went to see Bowling For Columbine. Excellent flick. Asks the tough question: what's up with Americans killing each other? The murder rate in the US is 10 times more than in any other first-world country. So what gives? Violent history? How about Germany and Japan. Proliferation of guns? Canada's got 10 million households and 7 million guns, but they don't shoot each other in large numbers like Americans do.
After the flick we got some dame fine udon; fat noodles nice and al dente.
On Sunday I went to Nippon Budokan to see the 26th All Japan Traditional Martial Arts(kobudo) Demonstrations. Pretty cool; 30 or so different martial arts, from ancient rifles to spear, sword, naginata, and weaponless arts. Some cool highlights: women in kimono practicing naginata forms from 400 years ago. Best move: woman's naginata gets entangled by attacking guy's sword, he knocks her weapon from her hands and goes in for the kill, but she grabs the short sword in his belt and kill hims with his own sword. Also some cool kusarigama versus sword where the weighted chain is used to wrap up the swordsman's foot or neck.
Much of the sword work was...different than what I'm used to. Alot of it was very slow and deliberate, but maybe it was just my ignorance about other styles. Some cool samurai arts done in full armor, including knife work with takedowns.
After the flick we got some dame fine udon; fat noodles nice and al dente.
On Sunday I went to Nippon Budokan to see the 26th All Japan Traditional Martial Arts(kobudo) Demonstrations. Pretty cool; 30 or so different martial arts, from ancient rifles to spear, sword, naginata, and weaponless arts. Some cool highlights: women in kimono practicing naginata forms from 400 years ago. Best move: woman's naginata gets entangled by attacking guy's sword, he knocks her weapon from her hands and goes in for the kill, but she grabs the short sword in his belt and kill hims with his own sword. Also some cool kusarigama versus sword where the weighted chain is used to wrap up the swordsman's foot or neck.
Much of the sword work was...different than what I'm used to. Alot of it was very slow and deliberate, but maybe it was just my ignorance about other styles. Some cool samurai arts done in full armor, including knife work with takedowns.
workin' late
Went to practice and came straight back to the office. Ordered some pizza from Brendan's Pizzakaya and cranked out some major intranet turnovers. Amazingly, things went fairly smoothly. Incredible how weeks of planning and preparing can help make a project run smoothly and finish on-time.
funky dreams.
Two nights ago I dreamt I was in high school, flying. I woke up face down, right arm stretched out above my head, left arm stretched out to the side. My left clavicle hurt all day.
Last night I dreamt I was in high school (again) taking final exams. Everyone else was taking finals to get into college, but I was taking the written test for the driver's license exam. And when I was handed the test, I also mistakenly was given someone else's test that had already been graded and corrected. I managed to check out the first question, which was multiple choice: A,B,C,L. I thought the answer was either L or A, and looking at the corrected exam, L was marked incorrrectly and A was written next to it.
If flying means a longing desire for something unfulfilled, what the hell does cheating on the driver's license written high school exam mean?!
Last night I dreamt I was in high school (again) taking final exams. Everyone else was taking finals to get into college, but I was taking the written test for the driver's license exam. And when I was handed the test, I also mistakenly was given someone else's test that had already been graded and corrected. I managed to check out the first question, which was multiple choice: A,B,C,L. I thought the answer was either L or A, and looking at the corrected exam, L was marked incorrrectly and A was written next to it.
If flying means a longing desire for something unfulfilled, what the hell does cheating on the driver's license written high school exam mean?!
jack valenti
Is either an idiot (doubtful) or a liar.
Some of the quotes in that are just brilliant:
"We now lose $3.5 billion a year in videocassette analog piracy." -- but don't bother counting the fact that movie studios make more money selling tapes and DVDs than they do on theater showings!
"What is fair use? Fair use is not a law. There's nothing in law. " -- excuse me? Copyright law Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 107.
"But you've already got a DVD. It lasts forever. It never wears out. In the digital world, we don't need back-ups, because a digital copy never wears out. It is timeless." -- oh right, I forgot, DVD's last FOREVER. Data NEVER WEARS out. I guess he's never scratched a CD, or had a hard-drive fail...where can I get me one of those infallible discs?
"I think lobbying is really an honest profession...Money, however, is negative--it's corrupting the body politic." -- so he's opposed to the millions of dollars he and the MPAA spends lobbying Congress? So stop paying!
More comments from the interviewer, Derek.
Some of the quotes in that are just brilliant:
"We now lose $3.5 billion a year in videocassette analog piracy." -- but don't bother counting the fact that movie studios make more money selling tapes and DVDs than they do on theater showings!
"What is fair use? Fair use is not a law. There's nothing in law. " -- excuse me? Copyright law Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 107.
"But you've already got a DVD. It lasts forever. It never wears out. In the digital world, we don't need back-ups, because a digital copy never wears out. It is timeless." -- oh right, I forgot, DVD's last FOREVER. Data NEVER WEARS out. I guess he's never scratched a CD, or had a hard-drive fail...where can I get me one of those infallible discs?
"I think lobbying is really an honest profession...Money, however, is negative--it's corrupting the body politic." -- so he's opposed to the millions of dollars he and the MPAA spends lobbying Congress? So stop paying!
More comments from the interviewer, Derek.
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