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Japan, The Hombu and all that Stuff (Part Two) Thursday 12th We all got up late but I can’t possibly think why! A very late breakfast for all of us, so late were we that in fact that we were perfectly in time for the lunch menu. The lads were off on another Tokyo jaunt. Michelle and I went for a wonder and to change some money for a promised Noda Special sword set at the Post Office. Goodness me! What a palaver even after the twenty minute patient wait to be served. Eagle eyed Michelle once outside realised that we had been short changed quite considerably as the Japanese assistant had done the maths with the Euro in mind. So, back in for another long silent wait only to be left with another financial cock-up from the poor girl but this time we got an extra 4000 yen than we would have expected or calculated. We thought about it but on balance decided that we could not be bothered to wait out lives away in Japanese Post Office so we hung on to the minor windfall. It was a much better class for Nagato sensei as the student numbers had dropped significantly. During the tea break he Joined Michelle and I for a chat and he seamed genuinely interested in the health and well being of all our offspring! In Saizeria we met up with Richard Leech and Jonno his antipodean sidekick who turned out be an interesting dude. Ryan, Michael and Alex appeared as if by a Ninja mind trick and stayed long enough for minor refreshments as Ryan joined Richard, Jonno, Michelle and me for the Naguchi sensei class. More fun taijutsu with a small grey Japanese master. A lively walk to the Very but still no Alex as it turned out he had been dealt another blow from the Man Flu. The BWS gang of four drank his fair share of beer and then retired to the Ichidai bar for some fabulous food. On the way out we were accosted by a small goggle eyed King Charles spaniel that looked like it had died the day before but smelled as though it had been much longer. Big plans for tomorrow alarm set for 7am.
Friday 13th Sadly the day was Friday and as it turns out the Imperial Palace is shut every Friday as it is every Monday and every public holiday. In fact reading the small print on the signs you would be hard pushed to find the place open at all because even when it is open it shuts early. As we were there we decided to take a stroll around the outer wall of the beautiful Palace, we got some really fabulous photos because every few yards another fantastic view emerged to kick you in the teeth. It was a memorable walk and a bloody long way around but had it not been for the fact that the main gates were locked we would in all probability never bothered to walk round, so on balance I am glad that it was shut. It was a long way round though with mystical views of the average Japanese destitute hobo sunning themselves along the multitude of park benches including one poor old gent whom I am sure his foot was rotting off. I did take a photo but it did not turn out too well, remarkably just like his foot so I cannot show it but you will have to take my word for it that it was indeed a manky and a skanky foot. Also there were many more large Japanese spiders to be avoided which proved quite difficult when their webs so easily stretched across the only footpath. In the moat we saw the biggest koi carp in the world either that or they were just average size dolphins. I had to constantly lie about the time to Michelle in order to hurry the gate on those little legs, she was none too pleased when she found out but by then we were back on the train.
We found a slightly quicker way back. Gloucester beat Bristol 65 – 25 in the EDF cup! Playing Worcester tomorrow in the Premiership should stuff them too. Hatsumi Soke at 8pm just time to relax the feet before we head off. Ryan has gone exploring to Nikko and I shall be surprised if he makes it back tonight but he has money and he knows the Japanese for HELP! A very busy Hatsumi class, now there is a surprise even though he was a little late arriving. More intricate footwork and deft handwork from Soke, I was a little lost as usual but I was in good company as I looked around. Refreshing to witness a good Godan testing session at the end of the class… no one passed as they were not up to it. The class finished late. Michelle, Michael and I were joined by Richard and Jonno at Saizeria. Ilja wafted by with Brian Duckers and Simon Gaunt. I have had a really good day. More of the same for tomorrow please.
Saturday 14th Another sizable turnout for Senou sensei and he was at his usual smiling assassin best despite his comical habit of forgetting the techniques halfway through the teaching of them. Lunch at the usual with Ilja, Richard, Jonno and Michelle and as usual we all pooled our experiences to put the world to rights. After Michelle and I headed for the tabi shop to stock up a little and then bought the two promised Noda Specials. Soon after we decided to leave early to travel to the Nagato sensei class in Tokyo, as it would be the first time we had been. Last time in Japan we managed to get to his very excellent Thursday class which I hear is now cancelled through lack of interest! As it happened Nagato himself gave me precise directions to his dojo at Asakadai. This was indeed the easiest way, the easiest way to describe and direct but sadly it was the very long way round and the most expensive way of getting to Asakadai. Well, now at least I know that as I am not likely to forget. It took us well over two hours with four train changes! The journey no matter how arduous was well worth it and there were only about twenty students in all including Brian Duckers, Andy Whally, Simon Gaunt and Ilja. At the break Nagato called me over to sit next to him which I did, he then proceeded to read his book for about five minutes in contemplative silence while I sat there thinking that I had just misread his hand gesture and feeling every so slightly stupid. Just as I was craning my head towards Michelle for some kind of support Nagato closed his book and began talking to me. He asked if I had my own dojo in England and so gradually he learned all about Budo Warrior Schools and he seamed to be genuinely impressed and had a discussion with one of his Japanese students in Japanese and then leaned over to tell me that the only person that they knew who had a larger student base was Pedro and of course Hatsumi at which point the gentle laughter broke out. To round off another excellent lesson my favourite German and great buddy Ilja Hoffmann was awarded his 8th Dan. Ilja flushed with his deserved success escorted us back to Noda via the cheap and quick route. We decided to stop at Kashiwa station for burger type refreshments. By this time it was 11.45pm and the station was still like at rush hour and the burger bar was pretty full but the food and service was top notch as it always is in Japan. We were all very hungry and were amazed how busy it was for the time and everything was still so clean. When we got back Michelle and I discovered that Ryan and Michael had both gone to Ichidai and it proved Ryan’s turn to get pissed. The fact that he was indeed well oiled was not in dispute but there turned out to be a major discrepancy in their individual accounts as to how much was drunk and by whom. The fact that the discussion got mildly heated only set to prove that they were both in all probability well sloshed! Alex was still flattened by the Man Flu and did not venture out in the evening but he had gone out in the day with Ryan to Asakasa market in Tokyo while Michael had a gentle time in Noda.
Sunday 15th The pressure was now on to get the required nominations before the end of the Hatsumi Soke class that would begin as soon as the Nagato class had ended. I felt very self-conscious but I decided to ask the every smiling Sharaishi sensei who seemed only too pleased to be asked and he at once went to his bag for writing materials to pen the epic letter. Fabulous, I was in the groove and I needed another senior master instructor who knew me well enough to be able to supply a written recommendation. Luckily for me Sveneric had arrived in Japan with the lovely Marriette a day or so before and we had chatted happily and so I decided to ask Sveneric. He too was pleased to recommend me but he had no pen or paper… I now had a further challenge and now the Hatsumi Soke class had been called to order and was about to start. In the break I got pen and paper and my sanity back after Sveneric had worded his nomination. I thanked him graciously just as I had done to Sharaishi sensei earlier. At the end of the class Michelle and I went to say our goodbyes to Hatsumi Soke and Nagato sensei who were standing together. As Hatsumi shook my hand he said that I should be 10th Dan and then Nagato stated that he had already recommended me and so smiles all round. Hatsumi Soke went on to say that Michelle and I was a very nice couple and that he looked forward to seeing us again soon, which was really pleasant thing to hear from such a man. Nagato sensei said a very jolly goodbye and told me that he would also hand his written recommendation in. All that was left to do was to hand the paperwork in and in the corner I saw Normski Smithers and Duncan taking the training fees and organising forms and stuff. Duncan seamed the busier and so I left the paperwork and my yen with my old buddy Norman. That was it! This Japanese excursion was almost over and because of our pin number fiasco we spent very little money and that was a bonus. A jolly last night in the Very and Ichidai was the perfect end to another fantastic experience. Just have to say the steaks in the Very are amongst the best I have ever had. I awarded young Michael his 4th kyu as he had done Michelle and me and Budo Warrior Schools proud. We all got a little drunk and I left Ichidai at about 1am but the rest moved on to the Casual Bar until just after 3am. So, what did I get out of this trip? My 10th Dan of course and I am very humbled to have reached and climbed this hurdle and on my next trip I will have time to put my name on the board in the Honbu dojo and I shall do that with immense pride in Budo Warrior Schools. At Budo Warrior Schools our standard of training holds up very well against the best in the world and I believe that Ryan, Michael and Alex can see that also. I have also the walking and breathing excises from Sharaishi Sensei and enough new tricks to keep me in lessons till next year.
Monday 16th By the time we got to Kashiwa station Alex was turning white and had slept the entire 30 minute journey and so without hesitation he headed for the nearest toilet and what we discovered then was that the Japanese are still very quiet even when they are panicked as was the case in this event when Alex vomited in the sink. He cleared that Japanese toilet of its cliental quicker than Indian snake up Jade Goody’s leg but Alex did look much better for it and he had regained his power of speech and it was at this point that he owned up to the fact that he had also vomited in the bin in his bedroom at Ashibe just before he left, yuk! Poor little Japanese cleaner. We could have been forgiven for thinking that our joint adventure was over but oh no we had yet to land bank in Shri Lanka…. To be continued. |
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