Training Karate in Japan

Training in a traditional Japanese Dojo was a crazy experience. For one they didn't speak any english so trying to understand what they were saying was fun. Also, they are much more strict and formal. The first class we attended was full of 7-10 year olds. We bowed in, then warmed up. After we were warm we were told to get in groups of three, so I went with Daniel and Ari. They handed us three different sized pipes, a large, medium, and small. Then we put the pipes down and attempted to balance on them. After about 30 seconds we would switch. At first it seemed easy but after about three rotations our feet were aching. After we worked on balance, we started doing kata. It was amazing how accurate and sharp the young kids were. Unlike american kids that do karate that are sloppy and uncoordinated and can barley remember the moves (no offense american kids). I can just imagine how good they will be once they're adults. The next class we went to was for older kids ages 11-14. In that class I grouped with two girls they were both 12. As we did the drills they giggled at me because I couldn't understand what the teacher was saying. Some of the other kids spoke a little english but were too shy to talk to us. The third class we went to was for teenagers and adults. At the beginning everyone ran over and grabbed a helmet. In our dojo we don't wear helmets and my parents never made me wear one so wearing it for the first time was awful. It was hot and sweaty and itchy. I felt like I could barely breathe. Also the helmet threw my depth perception off majorly. I would try and kick and miss by two feet. So it took me awhile to adjust. After three classes in a row we were tired and starving. I'm grateful for the experience and that the Japanese people put up with us dumb americans. 

Buddhism is Incredible

Photo I took of the Sensō-ji temple

I am in love with the Japanese temples. I may not be buddhist but I still love learning about different religions and how they effect a culture. While I was in Japan I was lucky enough to be able to see the Sensō-ji temple. This temple is the oldest in Tokyo. Known to people all over Japan as the temple of the Asakusa Kannon, it draws some 30 million visitors every year. This particular temple is a place where people go to be relived of suffering, and to pray of kindness. The smoke you see in my gif is coming from a giant pot in the center of the path. It is full of coal slowly burning. When we walked by we watched as people put their hand in the smoke and fanned it up and over to the back of their head. A bit confused I asked our friend (a local who was showing us around) what they were doing. She said that the smoke cleanses you of evil spirits and brings you good fortune for the rest of your life. After being told this we all waved the smoke over our heads. 


Over here we have the Kaminarimon, the giant red lantern (chōchin). It was first built in 941 by Taira no Kinmasa, a military commander. Since then it has been burned down, and destroyed many times. Yet it has been reconstructed over and over again. On the front of the gate, the statues of the Shinto gods Fūjin and Raijin are displayed. Fūjin, the god of wind, is located on the east side of the gate, and Raijin the god of thunder is located on the west side. In the picture it's hard to tell but the lantern is huge. When you walk underneath it there's a carving of a dragon on the bottom of the lantern. Going back to the origin of the Sensoiji Temple, legend says that when two brothers caught the statue of the Buddha in their net, a dragon with shining gold scales appeared. Therefore, this dragon carving in the lamp represents the dragon as another god watching over the temple. Also, the town Asakusa had weak wood houses and buildings that would easily catch on fire. So the dragon would help protect the town from fire destruction. 

Japan

Japan was amazing! It is so different there, but still in many ways the same. Here are some of the things that I noticed while I was there. So first of all everyone is very friendly. Everywhere we went people would help us with directions and smile at us. And waving! Everyone waves it's the greatest thing. One time we tried to play the wave game (you wave at people and get a point if they wave back but loose a point if they don't). But it was pointless since everyone waved back. 

Sushi Bar in Japan

Also, the food there is amazing, my favorite was the ramen noodles. One night we went to a very traditional Japanese restaurant, they served us baby squid, bamboo, raw salmon, and neon pink rice cakes. It was... interesting. Another place we went that was very unique was the sushi bar. You go and sit down at the bar and sushi plates go by you on a moving conveyor belt. When you see something that looks tasty you simply grab it. The price is determined by the color of the plate it's on. After you've had your fill a waitress comes to your table and counts up your plates. It was way different from anything I've seen in the states. 

It's amazing how many people live there, 127.3 million to be exact. Everywhere you go there's people. Another thing I found really cool is the buildings. In the city everything is really compact and tall. The department stores have multiple floors with different products on each level. Level one is make up, level two shoes, level three dresses and so on. Many of the stores we went to were structured like this. 

Umbrella holder

Some things we saw on the street were interesting, like everywhere there's umbrella holders. You put in like 50 cents and lock your umbrella in place. It makes sense since it rains so much in Japan. The vending machines there are really different, they have tea vending machines, sandwich vending machines, honestly anything in a vending machine. 

The last thing that I really liked was all the bikers. People bike all over, moms even have a seat for their children on their bikes. There's bike parking everywhere too. 


So Japan is amazing and I hope that if you ever get the opportunity to go there you will because it is probably the coolest place I have ever been. 

I'm going to Japan!

A temple located in Tokyo, Japan. Photo curtsy of www.wallpaperawesome.com

I'm going to Japan! And I can hardly hold it in I'm so excited. I'm going during February break, I'll be there for a total of 10 days. I'm going with my sister, my friend Danny and Danny's dad who is also a Karate coach at my dojo. Danny's dad is the one who organized the whole trip and invited my sister and I to go. It's actually a surprise for him, so don't tell. 

I've only been out of the country three times, twice to Mexico and once to Costa Rica. The only thing I'm not looking forward to is the flight. I hate flying, honestly if I could go the rest of my life without ever stepping onto a plane, I would. The annoying whiney kids, the crowded aisles, crappy food, uncomfortable seats it's all a pain. But that's a problem because I love to travel and see new places. The flight from here to Tokyo is about 14 hours... Yay. But it'll be worth it. In my previous blog I talked about a woman named Sakura Kokumai, the 1st place Kata Champion in the World. She's a local in Japan so she'll be able to show us around, show us the best restaurants, and get away from other tourists. Not to mention I'm getting the opportunity to train with her. 

As many of you may know, Karate originated in Japan. I can't wait to see how other people train and see new styles. One thing I know for sure is that they are much more intense than they are here in the US. I'm afraid that I'll sneeze during training and get my head cut off with a samurai sword. I'm totally kidding... I mean I hope I'm kidding.