Being schooled by 7th graders in caligraphy. It is a lot harder than it looks. My guide Taruya shows me how it is done.
Kendo kicks butt, seriously. Samurais to be are whacking each other with some serioud vigor. The idea is whack each other (with precision and certain footwork) to the point where your head must be ringing. I would not want to meet these kids on the samurai battlefield (including the petite little Japanese girls). They put on quite a performance. As an afterschool activity this would have been where you found me in 7th grade.
I did officially get schooled in the art of Judo. As yet another afterschool activity, judo is a lot harder than it looked. We observed 15 minutes of the instructors pummel the kids. (Seriously, they would have been arrested, questioned and front-paged for the way they "taught" Judo). Then, in their kind Japanese demeanor, asked if we would like to partake in a session of Judo. I, of course, had to oblige (in my proper dress pants and in the 100' temperature = lots of sweating). In his polite way, the sensai kept me at bay, smiled for the crowded, toyed with me like a fish on a line and then threw me to the floor with gusto. Yep, I actually tried very hard to move him, push him, grab him, pull him, trip him and bite him, if I could, yet he was tree like in his stance. Solid, unmoving and reluctant. After the throw-down I came at him again, and was no longer going to take it, but alas, like a 3 year old on a varsity football team, I was reduced to a flailing neophyte. I kept thinking of being on the defensive line as a football player trying to break through the line, but apparently that is not such a good strategy. When it was all said and done he did compliment me on my stregth and size. Soon I remembered back to my caligraphy session earlier in the day when they kindly cheered and clapped for my supposed "skill" in kanji. I was aware his compliment was only to the spare me embarrassment around the children. What a nice guy.... I've been strategerizing how I could have flipped him all day.
Considering we are not in a tourist town (Hitachiota is not in a single guide book and there is not an english word in the city) going out for dinner is always an experience. Once again... the Japanese are very kind. After staring at the menu with puzzled looks, the three of us (from North Carolina, Hawaii / Durango, Colorado and Idaho) were trying to figure out what to order on the menu. With foreigner written on our foreheads, a local came up and proceeded to ask us what we wanted and ordered us a full selection of grill meats and seafood along with a complimentary jug of hot sake. The meal was great and the locals kept the sake full. Another fun day.
