Not too long ago, I started shootboxing training. Even though it’s a relatively unfamiliar arena with a different rule system than what I am used to, it’s interesting to see how I can adapt what I know to this particular combat situation, and I can still fight with a fair degree of confidence.

The funny thing about it though, is that this confidence and adaptability didn’t come from from my record of competition wins- it came from overcoming a major loss. Several years ago, I was asked to do a kickboxing match here in Tokyo. As I was the “big mean foreigner” against a local Japanese opponent, the fight’s promoters, (and seemingly everyone else involved) thought it necessary to make sure that I didn’t win. The rules were skewed in his favor, I was asked to lose an obscene amount of weight, and I was made to wear heavier gloves. The fight went as can be expected, but it was still a painful loss to suffer nonetheless.

The sting of racial prejudice hurt- but I’d dealt with that before, so that wasn’t the worst part of it. The worst part was the myriad of regrets I had after the fight was over. There were mistakes I made both in how I trained, and how I fought. There were things that I tolerated in the fight set up that I shouldn’t have. During the fight, instead of fighting to KO my opponent, I resigned to not getting knocked out myself or taken off my feet.

After the match (and for quite a long time afterwards) all these things kept resonating throughout my mind, and I just couldn’t seem to let go, and get over it. It was difficult to keep my head up- not just as a fighter, but as a foreigner living in Japan. It was also difficult not to succumb to reverse racism, and hate back.

At the same time though, looking back on that experience, I wouldn’t take that loss (or the period following it) back for anything. The pain of that loss drove me to not just examine the inherent flaws of the particular martial system that I was trained to fight in, but also the psychological flaws that I as a fighter, (and a person) would need to overcome in order to adapt to situations like that.

The internal battle I faced to not hate back, caused me to grow to be a bigger person, and pushed me to develop an even deeper understanding of the cultural psychology of Japan- a process that is responsible for a lot of the success I have today. The lack of good representation I had during the fight made me realize how important it is to be able to communicate on one’s own, and drove me to not just enter two Japanese language programs at once, but also to resume my study of Korean (previously my strongest foreign language).

Looking back, I can say in all honesty that the gains that I made as a person by losing that fight far outweighted the gains that I would have made by winning it.

In the poem, ‘If ‘ Rudyard Kipling states:
If you can meet with Triumph and disaster, and treat those two imposters just the same [you'll be a MAN, my son!]

Although I read this quote years ago, it took me until now to truly internalize what he meant- that ultimately, life isn’t meant to be fair; live is meant to be lived. This is the case regardless of the circumstances we may have to face.

While it may be the victories that give us confidence, allow us to silence the mind, move without thought, and discover the artform in all things, it is the loses that are our greatest teachers, and the process of fighting our way past them that gives us strength, character, and wisdom. As such, they are of equal importance, and equal value, and we cannot grow as people without a fair amount of experience in both.

Since that match, I have never seen or met my opponent again. As he lives outside of Tokyo, and I only know his first name, it’s unlikely that I ever actually will. If I ever get the chance to however, at this point, I can be proud that I could calmly shake his hand, I could articulately speak to him in his own language, and do so with an understanding of the cultural background that he comes from …and I could kick him in the head.

The more I spend time in Tokyo practicing at the Aikikai, the more I realize that the world of Aikido is indeed very small. The beauty of this is that it is during random encounters and acquaintances that we make the most crucial experiences for our personal development. Such an acquaintance happened once again on the tatami of the Aikikai Hombu Dojo. Today, I would like to take you for a journey through time, to the discovery of a discipline which is the ancestor of Aikido. Those of you a bit more erudite on the subject know of course that I am talking about the Daito-ryu Aiki- jujutsu.

It is the end of my first week of intensive daily practice and while I am enjoying the 30 minutes break between the Doshu’s and Yokota Sensei’s class, I see approaching a tall, well built gentleman who looks kind of familiar. I must admit that this impression is quite common when you practice at the Aikikai because of the numerous famous individuals that roam the premises. Still, the man stepping on the mat that morning looks even more familiar than that… In fact, I will soon realize that the gentleman is in fact Olivier Gaurin, long time student at the Hombu Dojo, author of many books and true martial researcher. After introducing myself to him and talking to him for a while, he proposes that we practice together the following day (traditionally, at the Aikikai, we practice with the same partner for the full hour of the class, even though things are changing a bit lately).

As planned, he is here the following day, waiting for me on the mat. As we start practicing together, I notice the great experience of the man. Beside being physically strong, his postures and distances suggest that he is experienced in different styles of Aiki, and perhaps, as I will learn later, even in other martial arts (kickboxing and Muay Thai amongst other things). During this hour, I will learn a lot, in particular since Olivier has a very deep understanding of Yokota Sensei’s Aikido. Once the class is over, Olivier tells me discretely about a Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu seminar that will take place the following weekend in Tokyo. Being myself a dedicated student of Aikido and of its history, he is making me the kind of offers I certainly cannot refuse. Of course, I have already heard about this offshoot of Aiki-justu, made famous by the great Sokaku Takeda, the teacher of the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, but I have never practiced it. In all fairness, this practice is still pretty confidential today compared to the huge spread of Aikido. I therefore accept wholeheartedly although I don’t really know what to expect from these practitioners. To be honest, I even start anticipating the potential injuries following training in this art which is renowned for its efficacy.

During our discussion, I learn that Olivier is in fact the organiser of the seminar. He as regrouped a small number of practitioners, some of which are Aikidoka, who follow the teaching of Kobayashi Sensei in Tokyo. The man travels regularly from Osaka to Tokyo in order to make sure that the techniques of Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu that Sokaku Takeda taught to Takuma Hisa and Morihei Ueshiba live on and to avoid the disappearing of this knowledge and what it has legated to Aikido.

The Takumakai Aiki-jujutsu is an organisation established around the teaching of Hisa Takuma, the only student of Takeda to have received a Menkyo Kaiden (the highest martial distinction possible according to the traditional Japanese system, the proof that the student has learnt all the secrets of the school) from the master himself. Today, there are about 40 branches (dokokai = groups of study) of the Takumakai in Japan which accounts for about 1000 regular practitioners but practice is also being carried out in the US, Australia and Finland. One of the particularities of this school is the scrupulous attention dedicated to details and the preservation of ancestral techniques as Sokaku Takeda was teaching them, thanks to, in particular, to a very large and unique photographic archive shot at the Asahi newspaper in Osaka. On the opposite, Morihei Ueshiba, who also studied and taught Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu up the beginning of World War II, made many alterations in the Daito-ryu techniques to create his own Aikido. Interestingly, the oldest Takumakai practitioners, who are actual contemporaries of O Sensei, still remember him as a prodigious practitioner.

It is now Sunday and I am boarding the famous Yamanote Line for a 40 minutes ride through the centre of Tokyo, travelling from Shinjuku to Kanda. As I enter the Chiyoda-Ku sports complex that is hosting the seminar, I am stroke by the diversity amongst the 15 practitioners present today covering, a wide range of age and morphology. The class is to be given by Kobayashi Kiyohiro, the manager of the Osaka Daito-ryu Honbu and one of the pillars of the Takumakai organisation. The man is of a small stature but of course, I have learnt not to judge a practitioner solely upon this kind of criteria. The truthfulness about this disposition is of course going to be confirmed to me several times that day by the master, using an incredible sense of placement, timing and control. I remember in particular of a choking technique he did on me with his ankle while I was already his prisoner through an arm-lock.

The style of Aiki of the Takumakai is refined, each detail counts and I quickly understand that during the whole 3 hours of the seminar, I will not manage to do a movement absolutely correctly, however how close I think it is from my own discipline of Aikido. Practice is slow; movements are decomposed into several stages in order to understand correctly angles and positions. For an Aikidoka, it is quite unsettling since we are more used to work in a flowing manner, even at the beginning. Thankfully, Kobayashi Sensei often comes to demonstrate to me the movements he showed and I realise the incredible luck I have to be able to participate to this seminar although being totally foreign to the system. Kobayashi Sensei often smiles at my Aikidoka manners but always takes the time to explain the techniques to me patiently. Thankfully, Olivier is also here to provide me with a simultaneous translation of the points Kobayashi Sensei is making.

The number of techniques showed today is quite consequent and I have trouble remembering of one precisely but I will always remember the economy of motion and the efficacy of everything that is being proposed. Of course, I can clearly see similarities between some of the techniques performed and the Aikido movements I am used to such as Ikkyo or Aiki-otoshi but some subtle differences are there. Contrary to what I had imagined, the techniques of Daito-ryu are not violent or executed in a rough way. Olivier explains to me later that Kobayashi Sensei always insists on the fact that pain should never be the purpose of a joint twist but instead, this type of punctual or maintained locks should only be used to guide the opponent’s physiological keys in a secure way, which makes the technique easier to execute and infallible.

Obviously, you cannot learn such a discipline in one class but I would like to say that every now and then, it is very important to go back to the “source” in order to challenge our own practice and also to keep this historical heritage alive and transmit it. The work achieved by this handful of students is an example to follow and I really hope to come back in order to learn more about this system during my next trip to Japan.

I would like to thank Olivier Gaurin for allowing me to widen my martial horizons and to Kobayashi Sensei for accepting me in his dojo, a very rare occurrence in Japan in the close circle of the traditional Ryu.

____________________________________

To go further:

More articles on Japan and Aikido are available on http://www.guillaumeerard.com

A short video of the seminar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVY1zWdJCak

The website othe Takumakai association

Practicing at the World headquarters of the Aikikai foundation is a dream shared by many foreign Aikidoka. In my case, I had to wait for nearly 13 years to see this dream fulfilled. I would like to share this experience and perhaps encourage fellow martial artists to do the same.

It the second day of my first trip in Japan, the night has been short and full of surprises (not the least of which was an earthquake shaking my bed for a whole minute in the middle of the night) and I am nevertheless heading in jolly mood for my first practice at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo.

That morning, I realise that I are quite lucky to be staying at about 10-15 minutes walk from the Hombu dojo. It will be a significant advantage for the days to come since it means that I can go back to lay down for a while between classes, a luxury that many visiting Aikidoka cannot afford because of the remote accommodations that they have chosen. The thing is that there is no resting room as such for visitors at the Aikikai so usually; visitors invade the neighbouring coffee shops in order to relax and spend the time between classes.

The walk from the hotel to the Hombu dojo is very pleasant; I am actually in a nice part of Shinjuku, with lots of small streets and many little shops. It really feels like a small village inside Tokyo. On the way, I pass a place where an old couple is making tofu every morning. A few meters further, it is a small bakery that pleases my sense of smell with their fresh breads and croissants. Actually, I will soon grow quite addicted to their turtle shaped brioche after hard mornings of training… I also pass a couple of convenience stores, an off-license, some small 10 seats restaurants, the always useful launderette and even a sento (bath house) of which I will grow very found in the subsequent days. What strikes me is of course the typical chaotic, spider web like, arrangement of electricity, phone and antenna cables above my head. Last but not least, I pass countless vending machines which are a very important part of urban landscape in Tokyo. You can find pretty much anything in there, from cigarettes to drinks (hot and cold, including beer), from sandwiches to toys or even flowers. These massive 1L Asahi cans are a big temptation after a hot Aikido class, especially when like me; you have been living in Ireland for many years and acquired in the process a found taste for beer as long as it is served in large amounts!

Before I know it, I finally arrive in front of the legendary site where once stood the old house of O Sensei Morihei Ueshiba and its attached dojo, the Kobukan Dojo (皇武館道場). Since 1967 it has been replaced by a he five-story building that hosts the Aikikai Hombu Dojo (合気会本部道場). It includes three separate training areas of about 250 tatami in total. The main dojo is on the third floor and totals 100 tatami, while two other training areas exist on the 2nd and 4th floors. The reception area is located on the first floor, and changing rooms are located adjacent to the main dojo on the third floor.

One cannot help feeling a bit nervous upon the first entry into the building that has seen so much of Aikido history unfold over the years and where all the top Aikido instructors have been formed, including my own, Philippe Gouttard and Christian Tissier. Registration is quick and as I climb the stairs towards the changing rooms, I pass in front of the two bronze panels representing O Sensei Ueshiba and his son Kisshomaru. It gives me a sense of solemnity and I now fully realise that I am at the source of Aikido. As I enter the changing room, I am greeted by a loud “Ohayogozaemasu!!!” (おはようございます, good morning) from the people present in the changing room. This is really something I like about Japan, some people might regard them as formalities but I believe that this politeness participates greatly to make you day a little bit nicer and the interactions between individuals more pleasant. It is 6am and the changing room is absolutely packed with Aikidoka from many nationalities. Japanese are probably making only half of the total number. I do my best to access a locker and change, avoiding stepping over another practitioner as he unpacks his bag. As I pass the curtain to enter the dojo, my heart starts beating when I face the kamidana (wall of honour) that I have seen so many times in different Aikido books.

Everybody is warming up individually or chatting informally. My teacher Philippe Gouttard is here, as usual (he has attended every single of the 5 daily classes for the whole length of his stay), standing at the back of the dojo and chatting to other practitioners among which I can recognise Frank Noel a 7th dan from France. I also get the nice surprise to see Silvia, a Bulgarian friend who had spent a few months in Dublin the year before. It is actually very comforting to see familiar faces. Atsunobu, a Japanese Aikidoka whom I had met in San Diego the year before is on the mat too. Later on, I notice the presence of Olivier Gaurin. He and I have been in contact via Aikidoka Magazine but I have never met him in person. These encounters really make me realise that Aikido is indeed a small world and that it is a wonderful thing to be able to meet so many Aikidoka in the same neutral place beyond all considerations of style and affiliation. That is in fact one of the main interest of practicing at the Aikikai.

At 6h30 sharp, the Doshu (keeper of the way) Moriteru Ueshiba, the grandson of founder Morihei Ueshiba enters the room which is now in a complete silence, while everybody is seating in seiza (kneeling). The class starts by a 15 minutes warm up. Space is very restricted but it feels good to be on the mat. Talking about the tatami, the first thing that I realise is that it is way harder than the tatami we are used to practice on in Europe. It will take some time to get used to and I will have to adapt slightly my ukemi (way to receive techniques).

After the warm up, the Doshu starts showing the basic Aikido techniques, Irimi Nage, Ikkyo, Shihonage. His role as Dojo-Sho is to preserve the integrity of the teaching he received from his father and grand-father and to show neutral, textbook-like Aikido day after day just like his father did before him. At the Aikikai, you usually train with the same partner for the entire hour. The class is great and even if the space is tight, people are very watchful and I quickly feel comfortable. We finish the lesson by a 10 minutes Jyu Waza (free techniques); I am quite exhausted I must say. There is now a welcome, half an hour break before the next session. It is Hayato Osawa Sensei who is going to take the following class. What a great opportunity it is to be able to experience the teaching of all these famous teachers in the same place! Funnily, I also find the hierarchical pressure and the etiquette way looser than in many dojo I have visited outside Japan.

The class finishes at 9 pm, it is now time to clean the dojo (everybody is involved, including the great masters!), fold our hakama (large traditional trousers) and take a cold shower. No hot water at the Hombu Dojo, even in winter… That is it; I just took my first Aikido lesson at the Aikido headquarters. It feels fantastic and I am very enthusiastic about the next 20 days of daily training. I really warmly encourage all Aikidoka to make the trip and experience this, regardless of their style of origin. Of course, most of the work and progression are made in our home dojo but the variety of teachers and the presence practitioners from all over the worlds really make training at the Aikikai a quite unique experience, a bit like if you were attending international seminars everyday for a few weeks.

More articles on Japan and Aikido are available on http://www.guillaumeerard.com

The Boss – Shinzo Yamada is a former All-Japan Linebacker as well as one of the first ever Japanese players to play in NFL Europe. He also played for one year in the XFL (In it’s only year of existence). It’s not exactly easy for a Japanese guy to come to America and start playing ball at that level. There is the long process to gaining respect, to tearing down language/cultural barriers and, this is a big deal for Japanese people abroad, having to get used to eating american style food…

The respect he earned came at the expense of a formal NFL player. The reason it hit home for me was because the player in question played on my Bears for a few years. Rashaan Salaam won the Heisman Trophy at Colorado and was a number 1 draft pick by the Chicago Bears in 1995. He rushed for a 1,000 yards as a rookie but eventually was out of the league with continuing drug problems. When the XFL was formed in 2000, Shinzo and Salaam both joined the Memphis Maniax.

One day during a blitz pick-up drill in practice, Shinzo(blitzer) lined up opposite Rashaan Salaam (Blocker). Salaam immediately started talking trash and was pretty much laughing at Shinzo’s existence, “Are you serious? A guy from Japan is gonna come try and hit me?”

The ball snapped, and BOOM. Rashaan Salaam was sprawled out on his back, destroyed by the smaller, Japanese Shinzo Yamada. Respect earned.

Shinzo is the guy running the operation here in Japan and it’s hard to describe how busy he really is. The man is ALWAYS on his iphone. Whether it’s responding to emails with obvious and stupid questions from me, or conversing with an Army General, he’s always calling and writing people back. But the most amazing thing is, he is always positive and upbeat. Never letting the overflowing emails and phone calls stress him out. Everytime I talk to him, he has an oyaji gag or two for me to lighten the mood with a laugh. I couldn’t ask for a better boss.

Next NDJB Staff Spotlight: Japan Ticket Sales representative Shun Fujishima

Race day features dual slalom, and various activities, followed the next day by the second day of the MTB Fan meeting with all kinds of games involving mountain bikes. It’s your chance to ride with the pros as there will be pro-rider guests at the event. You can learn about the scene in Japan at this event sponsored by the five best mountain bike shops in Tokyo. All these guys know bikes!

The venue is Fujimi Panorama which a nice area to explore after or before the games. You get a 1000yen off your lunch with the race entry fee. Be at the mountaintop bright and early for the preliminary heats to find your group, 7am-9:30 races start at 10.

Check out these two videos at the FRG  vol.6 blog. Or try the FRG blog for up to date information about the FRG vol. 8.

Go to one of these shops and sign-up for the games, the entry fee is 4000yen add another 500 yen for the XC race!

Previous years have seen special events like night rides and BBQs. Fun filled time with your bike and some of Japan’s best riders! Get swag! Talk the talk! Walk the walk! Enter your self early at the shop of your choice. Each shop will sign-up a maximum of 25 riders so space IS limited! It’s your chance to tell everyone you compete in mountain bike races!

MDS http://www.mds.co.jp/

AST http://www.astbikes.com/

Ogacho http://www.ogacho.com/

Nakazawa Gym http://nakazawa-gym.blog.so-net.ne.jp/

The Trail Store http://www.thetrailstore.com/

There is space for camping on the asphalt parking and many people will do just that. You probably need a car to get to the mountain as it’s a 30 min climb from the nearest station on your bike if you don’t have a car to get you there. If you are going by car remember to carpool! The parking lot cum camping ground has nice clean regular toilets for those of you who like roughing it easy! But bring anything you want to eat or drink because the store is at the bottom of the mountain. However the restaurant is open till midnight.

Enjoy the ride!

And remember it’s not a ride unless you bleed.

I was disappointed as anybody. This was a chance to meet Joe Montana, a Legend forever cemented into NFL history. And not only meet the guy, but to show him around Japan, eat yakiniku, maybe even take some purikura with him. But it wasn’t meant to be.
Family comes first and you can’t fault a guy who decided to stay home to help his son(who will play quarterback in college) get ready for the season.

As unfortunate as this news is, we’re still really excited for the upcoming festivities. Lou Holtz, Tim Brown and Chris Zorich among others will be attending. Not a bad lineup if you ask me.

Lou Holtz is of course Legendary in the College Football World, it will be a pleasure to finally hear him speak in person. I’ve heard raving reviews from people who attended an ACCJ Luncheon the last time Lou came to Japan.

One person in particular told me that they were invited to the luncheon not expecting anything exhilarating. He figured, good food, alcohol, can’t be that bad right? When Lou came on stage to talk, 40+ middle aged men turned into little pop-warner kids. The passion with which he spoke was unbelievable. He could remember a play from 20 years ago from down and distance to wind speed to every single second from the snap to the end of the play. And this was all spoken through memory. Never mind the food and alcohol, “We were about to put on some pads and hit somebody…how Lou made us feel was unbelievable.”

My first impressions of Tim Brown were actually pixelated. When I first started playing video games on my Nintendo or Sega Genesis, I realized how ridiculous Tim Brown was. He played receiver, he returned punts and kickoffs…the man did everything. He was right up there with Bo Jackson in terms of un-stoppableness. In real life, there wasn’t much difference. He played his entire career with a quiet demeanor, but put up great numbers every year. And that’s what separated him from the crop of primadonna receivers beginning to come into the league…he was a class-act. Tim brown was also old-school. He caught passes over the middle, he ran after the catch, he didn’t wear gloves(tape on the fingers) and the most old-school of all, he wore huge shoulder pads. If you compare those pads to the little slivers of Styrofoam they put on now, he looked like a robot from an episode of Gundam.

I actually met Chris Zorich once in Chicago when my dad took me to my first football game. I was about eight years old at the time and Chris came and said hello when we were having dinner at a nearby restaurant. Apparently I asked Chris, “Do you like Mike McCaskey?” McCaskey was the president until 1999 and was under fire for questionable decisions in the front office. My dad told me later on that I had Zorich on the ropes with that question, no wonder he didn’t come back to talk to us. I’m sure Chris doesn’t remember that episode but I’ll find time to apologize about it anyways!

Anyhow, even with Joe Montana not being able to attend, I’m excited about meeting Lou, Timmy, and Chris. It shows how committed they are to expanding American Football, and promoting it in a country where most Americans don’t even know they have Football over here.

photo credit: Mr.mt

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. That is, if you love sunshine, surf, and most definitely hate snow. If you’re like me (Southern California born and raised, University of Hawaii graduate), then you live for the beach, and moreover, the ocean. Swimming, snorkeling, body surfing, body boarding; it really doesn’t matter as long as it’s in salt water.

To get my salty fix (and a tan), I like to head south to Wakayama. I pack a beach towel, lunch bento, bottle of water, and lots of waterproof sunscreen. Although it tends to be expensive, you can pick up good sunscreen at major drug stores like MaxValu. Avoid local drug stores though, as they tend to carry extremely small, over-priced junk packaged for Japanese women who hate to tan. Everything else I bring from home, as beach facilities, outside of August, tend to be slim to none.

Of course, some equipment is a little hard to bring unless you have a car. For those who don’t have a long, sticker-covered surfer van, fret not. Pack all of your beach stuff, throw on your bathing suit, slip on your slippahs (“flip flops” for Mainland Americans, “beach sandals” to Japanese) and head to your local Nankai Line station. Board the express bound for Wakayama City and enjoy the ride with a good book or mp3 collection. Once you get to Wakayama City, change to the Kanda Line. Enjoy a few more pages or a couple more songs until you arrive at a small station called 磯ノ浦 Isonoura.

When you walk out of the station, head straight ahead to the beach. Welcome to Isonoura Beach, a sandy, relatively clean beach with less concrete tetrapods and more darkly tanned beach boys from the countryside. If you forgot sunscreen, didn’t pack a lunch, or feel like renting a surfboard, head all the way down to the two-story surf shop on your left. Kaiser’s Surf Shop offers beach wear, sunscreen, surf equipment and locally shaped boards on the first floor, and tasty food and drink on the second. Try the Chicken Plate with some mango juice while you enjoy the view.

After you’ve had some food, head back to the beach. From July to early September, the water is warm enough to swim in comfortably. Be aware that this is no pool: there are many hazards in the water. Sometimes it’s jellyfish floating in, sometimes it’s idiot beginner surfers without the slightest concept of controlling the direction of their board. Stay aware and you’re sure to have a good time.

For more information on Isonoura Beach, check out the unofficial blog at:  http://www.isonoura.com/. See you in the water.

Then I met a guy who knew a guy that gave me a full scholarship to play football at Teikyo University, and the rest is history. I still can’t believe that story to this day.

I played my 4 years, I work with the Japan American Football Association and now I’m an event organizer for the Notre Dame Japan Bowl that is taking place on July 25th (Sat.). There have been a few American Football events throughout Japan’s 75 year history of football, including the “Samurai Bowl”(Ivy league Alumns participating in a spring All-star game) and even a couple NFL pre-season games.
Believe it or not, there is an American Football World Cup every 2 years. Japan has won it all TWICE! Of course, America hadn’t participated until last year. And even then, they didn’t exactly bring over the freaks of nature that litter our athlete filled great nation. But they did bring over a team with a bunch of Division 1 AA guys and a few D1 guys. I personally thought it would be a massacre. I figured a mediocre group of guys(from an American stand-point) would destroy an even overachieving Japanese squad…

Boy was I wrong, the Japanese played a gritty game in the rain and took it to overtime, with in my eyes, all the momentum they needed to take down goliath. But it wasn’t meant to be and the U.S.A team kicked a field goal in dramatic fashion to end the game.

Win or lose, anybody who witnessed that game came away with a feeling that “wow…those Japanese guys can play.”

Most people I speak to don’t even know they played Football over here, and most shrug and think, “well…if I played in Japan I would dominate.” I made the all-star team as a Senior, but it wasn’t a cakewalk. I’ll be the first to tell you that Japan does not get enough credit, and I think they like it that way. Japan LOVES drama. Comeback stories, David vs. Goliath, Us against the world, you name it, they love the story. And the Notre Dame Japan Bowl will be Japan’s next chance to write another tear-jerker.

Notre Dame is bringing over a group full of ex-All-Americans/NFL players. It seems like every time Japan shows the world that they can compete, America is ready to send over a tougher team, which is a sign of respect.

Even Joe Montana has decided to witness this Football phenomenon with his own eyes. He will be acting as an ambassador and will be making his rounds in Japan before the game. And no he will not play…although I would be willing to bet he wants to be out there.

Other notables include Tim Brown (Recievers Coach), Chris Zorich(D-line coach) and Mike Golic.

Also, and here’s a big also, Lou Holtz is coming out of retirement to coach the team. It’s not hard to see that Notre Dame isn’t pulling any punches. This might be the game that makes the rest of America start acknowledging a country other than themselves, as a potential talent pool. We all know what happened when the Major Leagues started dipping in to the Japanese baseball market… you just never know right?

If you’re interested, check out these websites. If you need more reasons to be interested, I’ll be posting more articles!

Ticket Purchasing Website
http://livinginfo.gaijinpot.com/entertainment/notre-dame-japan-bowl-2009/240

Official Notre Dame Japan Bowl Website
http://www.americanfootball.jp/ndjb/contents/ticket.html

At the time, I kept thinking that it can’t be that easy. There are too many variables involved. (i.e. the angle of their attack, the positioning of your body, the timing of the movement, the vision (and at times, mood) of the judges, the list goes on  and on.  But the fact that he kept repeatedly (and successfully) kicking me in the head made me think that perhaps he had a point… and the fact that he quite literally ‘beat it into me’ certainly made sure I wouldn’t forget it.

Although he was speaking in the context of Olympic Taekwondo, I’ve come to realize how this mentality accurately described the underlying form of most martial arts and the reason why repetition is so necessary for the mastery of technique.

The fact of the matter is, thinking, and in particular, making decisions, takes time, and in a ring fighting (or a self defense situation) a tenth of a second can make the difference between a winner and loser or life and death. This is why are reflexive movements are handled directly by the spinal cord, and bypass the brain (and consciousness) altogether.    The point of repetition is not just to hone the technique, or strengthen the muscles for that particular movement, but to actually do it to the point that we can do it ‘before we think about it’.

If that’s true, then what he says makes perfect sense- reflexive movements cannot be anything more than simple equations because there isn’t any time ‘to figure out the variables’. Your sensory organs take in the stimulus. (A) You respond. (B). If you’ve trained enough so that the reaction is reflexive, your muscles are strong enough to move with the necessary speed and power, and your technique is fine-tuned enough that you are using those muscles with maximum efficiency, then the result (C) will be the same, regardless of who you step into the ring with, where the fight may be taking place or any other variable that one can think of.

This also made me realize why a great deal of martial arts masters get irritated if you constantly ask questions. Mastery comes from practice and doing it yourself, not from asking how.

Perhaps this is what Bruce Lee was alluding to when he said,

“The less effort, the faster and more powerful you will be.” or

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but the one who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

www.chuck-n-action.com

Harumafuji is Damn Good

Like, really good. It was great watching him work his way through the competition on the way to his first tournament win. As fellow Mongolian Asashoryu seems to be declining, Harumafuji looks to poised to fill the void. To go along with this impressive victory he is also keeping us entertained on his blog posting a photo after each win holding up fingers corresponding to his win total. Apparently blogging is a more acceptable hobby than soccer.

Hakuho is Mortal

After 33 straight wins Hakuho finally slipped up against Kotooshu on day 14. Granted he did post an impressive follow-up win versus Asashoryu the day after, but dropped another match in the subsequent playoff with Harumafuji for the championship. He’s still the best though no matter how boring and plain. And he’ll likely remain the best for the foreseeable future.

Chiyotaikai is a Jedi Master

Thanks to the guys over at Sumo Forum for pointing this out. But it looks as though Chiyotaikai, who was in danger of demotion in this tournament, has bounced back from the brink stronger than ever. His right hand seems to now wield a force that the sumo world has never before. Check it out for yourselves and let me know what you think. Nice dismount, Baruto…

http://www.2JPN.com