The US Embassy residential complex had their annual 4th of July celebration today and we were asked to demo iai. One of our guys is in a HOG (Harley Owner's Group) club and he and his teams always join the parade, and this year we were asked to do a demo.
We got to the compound at 8:45am and saw all the Harleys. Oh. My. God. There were two main groups: the first group all drove white Harleys tricked out with blue lights and POLICE stickers, and they all wore uniforms like American cops...sort of.
The second group drove tricked out bikes. And when I say tricked out, I mean tricked out like this. My favorite was the side car with a big gold buddha statue on it, but they were all amazing.
We wandered the compound a bit while everyone was setting up. It was basically America inside a big wall, in the middle of Tokyo. Very freaky. All the food stalls were run by large, well spoken military and their families, or large well spoken support organization (Lions, Free Masons, etc.) members and their families. Kids everywhere of course.
And it was really, really hot. We weren't demoing until noon, so we hung out and grabbed a little food, checked out the dojo at the rec center next to the pool, got changed, and prepped for our demo.
It went well, besides being really, really hot. Did I mention it was hot?
We did some kata, and then Elvis and I ran through some kumitachi. Not sure if people were into it, but at the end of the last kata when I deflect Elvis' cut and take his neck from behind, a couple of "OH! Got him!" came from the audience, and there was some nice applause. Never had anyone applause during kata when I "got 'im", but I guess that means they had fun.
When it was over, we changed out, got some more food, and took off. I didn't actually stay for the Harley parade because I didn't want to hang out for another hour in the heat, so I headed back to Hombu, dropped off my stuff, and met P and Tonchan at Roppongi Hills, then walked down to the DoCoMo shop to get a new phone. I have gone back to NEC after trying to Sony. I never should have cheated on NEC, my first and only true love. My new phone has 3D surround sound, a huge 3 inch wide screen, full internet browser, 3.2 megapixel camera, and superfast data.
sushi
sushi
Originally uploaded by renfield.
Took Eimisho out for sushi to thank her for writing my mu. We went to Rokuroku on the 6th floor of the Grand Hyatt in Roppongi Hills. Confusing building; when we got off the elevator we were in the Oak Door restaurant and had to walk past the bar and across the balcony seating to get to the sushi place. And of course no signs. I seriously think Roppongi Hills was specifically designed to confuse the hell out of you. But damn the sushi was fine!
soro
After class (huge showing, 11 on the floor at once!) went to Soro in Roppongi to check out the food and chat w/the owner about the demo we have to do on Saturday morning. Seems it's the American Embassy employee apartment's (several weeks early) fourth of July celebration, and for some reason we'll be doing an iai demo. Classic American; no planning no schedule, show up at 8:30, probably demo "first in the afternoon". Love that USA planning! Hopefully there will be some classic US style BBQin' tho, so Elvis and I are looking forward to that.
tokonoma
P1000912.JPG
Originally uploaded by renfield.
A proper photo of the mu displayed in the tokonoma at home. All bow down to Boba Fett!
6 months
P1000928.JPG
Originally uploaded by renfield.
Tonchan had some friends over to celebrate their collective 6 month birthdays. Actually it was more an excuse for moms to congratulate themselves on surviving, and for the dads to congratulate moms for surviving.
congrats salty
Salty took his Denshobu test this evening. I got to the dojo early and he was practicing cutting so I watched and gave him some pointers. I haven't cut in nearly nearly a year, but he's got a great sword -- light (only 950 grams) and well balanced-; perfect for both kata and cutting -- so I borrowed that and tried a few cuts. Managed to cut pretty well, especially since I haven't cut in so long.
For the test, he cut, did the 20 kata, and then we ran through 15 kumitachi. He's solid, and moves well, just got some issues with blade angle that he needs to clean up. And he needs to slow down sometimes; he gets too anxious at times. But he's good and will get better, and I'm glad to finally have someone in Denshobu now.
After the test we went Ninjin by Kanda station for some gnarly greasy Chinese food. Haven't had it in a couple years. Ah, sweet and sour pork, chili prawns, fried rice...so greasy, so gooey, so good. As expected, I didn't sleep very well because my stomach was gurgling all night...but it was worth it!
For the test, he cut, did the 20 kata, and then we ran through 15 kumitachi. He's solid, and moves well, just got some issues with blade angle that he needs to clean up. And he needs to slow down sometimes; he gets too anxious at times. But he's good and will get better, and I'm glad to finally have someone in Denshobu now.
After the test we went Ninjin by Kanda station for some gnarly greasy Chinese food. Haven't had it in a couple years. Ah, sweet and sour pork, chili prawns, fried rice...so greasy, so gooey, so good. As expected, I didn't sleep very well because my stomach was gurgling all night...but it was worth it!
pork, pork & natto
pork, pork & natto
Originally uploaded by renfield.
Went to Dorobushi for lunch and had the madly delicious pork, pork, and natto. P got the veggie special. Then we walked up to Omotesando to check out Suruga Isho, which was having a sale. Chatted with the architects about possibly building a custom TV stand book shelf thingie...mmm, custom furniture...
mu
mu
Originally uploaded by renfield.
Eimi-chan, whom I work with, has been doing Shodo (calligraphy) for 20 years. When I told her I had a tokonoma (display area) in my new place that needed a kakejuku (hanging scroll), she wrote this mu for me.
Mu is the first character in Mugairyu, and it means nothingness. Ooooh, deep...
father's day gift (early)
Last Sunday we checked out the Tiffany's in Roppongi Hills and P hooked me up with some sweet cufflinks:
Technically it's a bit early for father's day, but these are just too cool.
Technically it's a bit early for father's day, but these are just too cool.
late night training
Big turnout in class today -- 10 on the floor and so no room for me.
We started with some stepping variations:
ayumi ashi: normal stepping; left right left
okuri ashi: shuffle stepping; keeping the forward foot forward
yose ashi: bringing the feet together (back foot to forward foot) before stepping out again with the forward foot
The point is to focus on balance and moving from the center. It's far too easy to just be lazy and "kick" with the back foot, extending the ankle (technically contracting the calf muscle, since using a muscle meaning contracting it, not stretching it) and using that to push the whole body forwards. But it's a silly way to move; the lower leg muscles are pretty small, and with all the weight on the back foot, it's gotta do the double duty of both holding up the body and moving it forwards. Much more efficient to move from the center, basically move out with the hip (not the leg or foot) of the non-supporting leg. Imagine trying to keep the weight evenly distributed on both legs, then bend the knees to give the hips room to move, and push the right hip forwards. The right leg is connected to the hip and therefore steps out. The back (left) supporting leg doesn't "do" anything; it just sits there supporting the body, staying flexed. Since the hips are connected, if the center of the body moves then eventually the whole body including the supporting left moves forwards. Not really magical, but certainly not the kind of movement most folks these days are used to doing. With the strong muscles of the body (back, thighs, etc.) moving the whole body as one, it's easy to translate that into the sword, so cutting out far, fast, and strong is easy, without relying on the small muscles of the arms.
I certainly don't move how I want to move, but I can feel some progress and I can see how others are still forcing their bodies to move, pushing and pulling with small muscles, arms fighting legs, momentum carrying the body out of balance. It should be smooth and easy, but of course getting to that point is the hard part.
After class Salty and I ran through a bunch of kumitachi for an hour. He moves well on some kata, needs better timing on others. I feel like I'm stuck in tar sometimes, just not getting my arms and legs coordinated, but in general it's all working, kind of. Will be good if I can keep pounding away every week. Salty can almost keep up with me, but he's got serious limits on the speed at which he can react and I'm really not that fast, it's just that I have better (well not better, but more effective) timing versus how he moves against my attacks. But he'll get there, he just needs to be pushed. I'm lucky in that I spent alot of time working with the young and fast who weren't afraid to really rip into me, and of course Gosoke taught me all the kumitachi personally so having him knock my sword into my own foot is a good way to learn.
We started with some stepping variations:
ayumi ashi: normal stepping; left right left
okuri ashi: shuffle stepping; keeping the forward foot forward
yose ashi: bringing the feet together (back foot to forward foot) before stepping out again with the forward foot
The point is to focus on balance and moving from the center. It's far too easy to just be lazy and "kick" with the back foot, extending the ankle (technically contracting the calf muscle, since using a muscle meaning contracting it, not stretching it) and using that to push the whole body forwards. But it's a silly way to move; the lower leg muscles are pretty small, and with all the weight on the back foot, it's gotta do the double duty of both holding up the body and moving it forwards. Much more efficient to move from the center, basically move out with the hip (not the leg or foot) of the non-supporting leg. Imagine trying to keep the weight evenly distributed on both legs, then bend the knees to give the hips room to move, and push the right hip forwards. The right leg is connected to the hip and therefore steps out. The back (left) supporting leg doesn't "do" anything; it just sits there supporting the body, staying flexed. Since the hips are connected, if the center of the body moves then eventually the whole body including the supporting left moves forwards. Not really magical, but certainly not the kind of movement most folks these days are used to doing. With the strong muscles of the body (back, thighs, etc.) moving the whole body as one, it's easy to translate that into the sword, so cutting out far, fast, and strong is easy, without relying on the small muscles of the arms.
I certainly don't move how I want to move, but I can feel some progress and I can see how others are still forcing their bodies to move, pushing and pulling with small muscles, arms fighting legs, momentum carrying the body out of balance. It should be smooth and easy, but of course getting to that point is the hard part.
After class Salty and I ran through a bunch of kumitachi for an hour. He moves well on some kata, needs better timing on others. I feel like I'm stuck in tar sometimes, just not getting my arms and legs coordinated, but in general it's all working, kind of. Will be good if I can keep pounding away every week. Salty can almost keep up with me, but he's got serious limits on the speed at which he can react and I'm really not that fast, it's just that I have better (well not better, but more effective) timing versus how he moves against my attacks. But he'll get there, he just needs to be pushed. I'm lucky in that I spent alot of time working with the young and fast who weren't afraid to really rip into me, and of course Gosoke taught me all the kumitachi personally so having him knock my sword into my own foot is a good way to learn.
heavy load
Ah, the joys of parenting. For those without children and/or those not interested in stories about baby bowel movements, stop reading now.
So I was just about to get dressed to go to work when I heard a blood-curdling exclamation from P. Fearing the worst, I ran into the bedroom to behold...P holding a smiling Tonchan, attempting to remove Tonchan's clothes to reveal an absolutely overflowing diaper.
I helped pull the clothes off and jammed them in a bucket in the laundry room sink, along with the freshly-stained quilt that Tonchan was lying on. Back in the bathroom I held Tonchan as Hiroko stripped her diaper and hosed her down. Tonchan giggling and having a great time with all the attention.
It seems that if one has a stupendously large bowel movement, and then one rolls around on one's back excitedly, one's diaper is unable to contain the contents and one resembles a pig frollicking in its own feces.
Gotta love babies.
So I was just about to get dressed to go to work when I heard a blood-curdling exclamation from P. Fearing the worst, I ran into the bedroom to behold...P holding a smiling Tonchan, attempting to remove Tonchan's clothes to reveal an absolutely overflowing diaper.
I helped pull the clothes off and jammed them in a bucket in the laundry room sink, along with the freshly-stained quilt that Tonchan was lying on. Back in the bathroom I held Tonchan as Hiroko stripped her diaper and hosed her down. Tonchan giggling and having a great time with all the attention.
It seems that if one has a stupendously large bowel movement, and then one rolls around on one's back excitedly, one's diaper is unable to contain the contents and one resembles a pig frollicking in its own feces.
Gotta love babies.
bye bye japan
Papa and banAna came back from a few days in Kyoto and we had a final dinner at our place. They got us a wicked cool kairagi dish -- looks like tree bark and is perfect for a big grilled fish.
They took lotsa photos with Papa's sweet camera, so I expect to see some good stuff soon.
They took lotsa photos with Papa's sweet camera, so I expect to see some good stuff soon.
late night kumitachi
Feels like I hadn't been to the dojo in weeks because...I hadn't. Big turnout, lots of beginners, so spent most of the time on the basic basics, and thinking in three dimensions, trying to keep balanced front-to-back, left-and-right, and up-down. After class, ran through the kumitachi with Salty a number of times. We're practically the same height which is good. He's better than I am at a couple of the kata and I'm better at the others, so we train well together. He's smooth and trying not to muscle through his cuts, and his maai (distance and timing) is excellent sometimes, but he also sometimes doesn't commit, or gets too anxious. I guess anxious isn't really the word; one of the problems with knowing the kata is you know what you're partner is going to do, so you move understanding how he will move. But that's different than moving with him or in reaction to him. If I change up the speed or angle or timing a little bit, he gets totally thrown off, which is excellent practice for him so I like to keep him on his toes.
He trains alot and somehow manages to remember all the different variations of the kata, so it's good to go through them all and play around. Still not feeling particularly threatened, but I think if we keep practicing a few more times he'll loosen up and really start swinging for the fences. First time he clips me in the head will be good (for him at least) as that will show him were the timing and connections are. We played a bit with the habiki, but one of them is so beaten up it's about to snap in half, so we stopped and went back to wood.
After we trained, we went with Karachan to get some late-nite food and smacktalk until the wee hours. Sleepy at work today, but it was good to get out and do some training for a while.
He trains alot and somehow manages to remember all the different variations of the kata, so it's good to go through them all and play around. Still not feeling particularly threatened, but I think if we keep practicing a few more times he'll loosen up and really start swinging for the fences. First time he clips me in the head will be good (for him at least) as that will show him were the timing and connections are. We played a bit with the habiki, but one of them is so beaten up it's about to snap in half, so we stopped and went back to wood.
After we trained, we went with Karachan to get some late-nite food and smacktalk until the wee hours. Sleepy at work today, but it was good to get out and do some training for a while.
wake up!
The Tonchanbeast has a new game. At 8pm, when P puts her to bed in the crib, she goes to sleep fairly easily. Then, several hours later she gets all grumpy and wakes up and will only fall asleep again if P puts her in the bed.
Then about 3:30 in the morning Tonchan is awake. And bored. And wants to play. So she reaches out with her meaty little palms and starts smacking me in the face. And she reaches out with her meaty little feet and starts kicking me in the neck. If I roll over, the assault continues on the back of my head. If I open my eyes facing her she stops, smiles her evil little princess/angel smile, and gurgles something like "Daddy! You're awake! Play with me!"
I love my little Tonchasaurus. But I also need to be reasonably functional at work. So I give my little smiling bundle of love a kiss, grabbed my pillow and alarm clock, and went into the other room to sleep.
Sorry P, I am sure the ninjaTon launched a full throwing-stars attack that kept you up, but at least you can nap when Tonchan naps -- I have to stay awake (mostly) at work!
Then about 3:30 in the morning Tonchan is awake. And bored. And wants to play. So she reaches out with her meaty little palms and starts smacking me in the face. And she reaches out with her meaty little feet and starts kicking me in the neck. If I roll over, the assault continues on the back of my head. If I open my eyes facing her she stops, smiles her evil little princess/angel smile, and gurgles something like "Daddy! You're awake! Play with me!"
I love my little Tonchasaurus. But I also need to be reasonably functional at work. So I give my little smiling bundle of love a kiss, grabbed my pillow and alarm clock, and went into the other room to sleep.
Sorry P, I am sure the ninjaTon launched a full throwing-stars attack that kept you up, but at least you can nap when Tonchan naps -- I have to stay awake (mostly) at work!
sun day
Another beautiful day, so we headed to Shibuya and walked up through Harajuku. Checked out the crazy kids in front of Meiji Shrine, then walked down to get some gyoza for lunch. Did some shopping at Oriental Bazaar and picked up a nice indoor kimono (thick soft cotton, more like a robe) whilst papa got some knicks and knacks. Tonchan was gettin' hungry so we went to CrayonHouse for dessert and took a wee break on the patio. Hiroko had the tomato fantasy, and then we walked back to Shibuya, loaded up on supplies for dinner, and headed home.
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