Off to Japan in 8 weeks :)

[nry]

A once in a lifetime trip quite probably - the Japanese dojo for Moto-ha Yoshin Ryu is hosting a taikai in mid-October and by the luck of current finances I'm joining another 3 from our club who are heading over.  It's a pretty long stay, we fly out on a Tuesday and get back to the UK the following Sunday evening so 13 days including all the travel

There will be a good number of people attending from MHYR dojo's around the world, so it should prove both tiring and fun at the same time!

Has anyone else ever trained in Japan?  I've not really travelled much in general, so the long flights should prove interesting, flying isn't something I overly enjoy, too much air beneath my feet

[Hirsty]

Never trained in Japan, nor visited.  You lucky swine!

[nry]

I'm pretty stoked as when it was first mentioned last year I thought there was no chance at all, but it's happening - nervous and excited at the same time

[rne02]

hope you enjoy it

Look forward to hearing all about it when you get back.

[nry]

Will attempt to get some photos

[nry]

Well, 8 weeks is now 4 weeks...to the day actually!  4 weeks today I'll be at Amsterdam waiting for the flight to Osaka...all 10.5 hours of it

Got most stuff ready, just waiting for another gi to take, the weather over there is hot hot hot, and I think I'll happily manage to sweat through just the one!

[nry]

Plenty of photos, sorry

Pretty much in order of being taken, any questions about them please ask!  The trip was immense, but very tiring - the flights were really long and the 8 hour time difference resulted in a decent amount of jet lag, took 3 days+ to get over it on the way there.  The return flights started in the morning from Japan and ended up back in the UK during the UK evening which I think has compressed it all nicely, I don't feel half as bad so far and sleep patterns are so far almost normal!

We managed to get on local TV for the taikai itself, and I also randomly managed to get interviewed by a local TV station when visiting Matsue Castle although I got no footage of this.  The TV footage below (if it works?) is a kata demo, I pass no comment on quality of the video or the JuJutsu, I'm the one being Uke right at the end.

We managed to see masses of local landmarks and also the culture, both the rural side of things and the urban side (Osaka).  There is a massive difference between these two, and an even larger difference between Japan and the UK.  It feels a very repressed culture, with lots of unusual habits (the whole shoes on/off, no tips to waiters etc. being two examples).

Anyhow, enjoy the pictures, not many of actual training, but I am trying to get copies from the others who went from England as they got more of this type of thing!

Gallery on my website:

http://www.nryonline.co.uk/motoha-yoysh ... ikai-2013/

[rne02]

Looks like you had a great time, thanks for sharing.