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SAUK squad sessions 2010

Hi guys,   HAPPY NEW YEAR!   It's time to think about getting back into shape for the new year aikido activities. Squad sessions will start again at the Kyogikan dojo in Sheffield. This is not because Scott happens to train there but because it's CHEAP. I'm happy to take squad sessions in venues in other parts of the country so long as they are suitable and as cheap. As before, squad sessions will be on the last Saturday of every month, at the same time 11am to 3pm. The cost of squad sessions is £15 for employed people and £10 for university students. Please take time to read through the attached revised document that explains how the SAUK squad works. Please note that all previous squad members will also have to take the squad entry fitness test - don't rest on your laurels!   I will be doing the squad entry test at the Burton Street gym on Saturday 30th January so make sure you bring your training shoes! We will all meet at the dojo first at 11am.   If you don't make the squad entry time you will not be able to attend squad until April, when I will be re-doing the test, so no entry to squad unless you're fit enough!   Chris, can you make sure all SAUK club instructors get this mail - thanks.   Look forward to seeing everybody on the 30th.   Scott

Malaysia - intense...detraining!

After all the hard work, the holiday! We have caught up with Karen, who we hadn't seen in over a year. We have had a busy schedule of relaxing, a massage to untie all these competition knots, day and night markets and of course some sightseeing!

We are just back from Batu caves, a natural cave carved out into the mountain cliff and Hindu place of worship. There are some 250 steps to climb up to the caves. At the top there are several sculptures and temples dedicated to Hindu gods. Also the place is inhabited by wild monkeys. They come down from the hill tops to scavenge food from their big cousins and then scamper back up the cliff tops.

Food, lovely food! Malaysia being so culturally diverse, the food is just as eclectic and Karen is trying hard to make us try everything (that's impossible!). We've had Indian curries, Chinese dishes and Malay spices! English cooking will seem so dull!

We also went to mini Malaysia, a collection of houses built to original designs from each of the 14 states of Malaysia. Karen is from the state of Sabah, and its original design consists of a house on stilts and bamboo flooring. It's dark and cool inside compared to the stifling heat outside, and the stilts protect from flooding.

Next time we come to Malaysia we've agreed to go to Sabah, get into the jungle and go Urang Otan spotting!

We've also donned our gis and done a refresher crash course with Karen. The seed of Shodokan Malaysia has been planted!

aikido competition - kyoto, Japan

First day of the competition proper! Starting off with Shishida and Nariyama senseis seminars.

Scott then had to endure the first of several referee courses/seminars, where gaijin competed for the silliest question award!Shishida sensei did his usual study of minutae, whilst Nariyama sensei banged out groups of techniques for everyone to try and remember!

We're now all staying in the Ishicho hotel in Kyoto and enjoying the bath house! We have 3 rooms- seven guys in one, 6 guys in another and all the lasses together in the third room.

Day 2 - more ref meetings for Scott, and really bad pants to wear, but a cool T shirt that makes up for it. Then the opening ceremony and the official photo, which is always an amusing challenge!

Then a Sumo demonstration that was really cool! About 12 young guys in loin cloths slapping thighs and one another.

Then all the embu events followed. Rob and Richard did the best of our group by getting through 3 rounds in the jiyu embu. Rob totally beasted Richard and their last performance was definitely their best - well done guys!

Chris and James also did very well in the tanto randori no kata and were knocked out by the eventual winners!

After all the embu and mixed tem event, the epic 1st round of the mens individuals began.

By the end of the day, Scott had reffed enough randori to last a life time!

Caspar, Rob, Joe and Jono all got through their1st round matches.

Day 3 - The men continue to do battle, and the lasses enter the fray! Celine, Maggy and Lou got through the 1st round.

Then we had a kendo demonstration with tiny little cute kids squeeling kiais and whacking their seniors with their shinai - sooo cute!

Team tanto saw the students and the lasses get through one round.

Day 4 - All the semi finals and finals were played in the kyu bu toku den. A very old building listed as a cultural heritage site!

It was an amazing backdrop to the finals.

By this time SAUK/shodo diagaku had no representations but everyone was keen to see the best in the world on show.

We were also treated to a great demonstration of naginata. This is the long weapon with a blade on its end, and was used by women to defend their castles. Its length means it is a useful weapon against the katana! We saw some kata, and then a shiai match. I didn't know there was naginata shiai!

I really enjoyed the demonstration.

The Japanese dominated all the embu events - no surprise there! There were one or two foreign players on the last day, but the strength and depth of the Japanese were there for all to see.

Notably, Christian Kirkham from the UK fought his way to the final of the individuals and won through a tough match to take 1st place! Congratulations Christian!

Perhaps the moment of the finals was when the very slight Japanese lass, Rie Yamamoto, threw a big BAA lass with gedan ate for ippon in the very last second of the bout!

The mens team event was a showdown of the old boys from Kanto and Kansai, with Kanto just getting through.

There was then a shihan demonstration where shishida sensei decided bizarrely to demonstrate the itsutsu no kata with a very uncomfortable looking Kobayashi sensei. Nariyama sensei did his usual polished demo of kihon, oyo and ta nin dori waza.

After the awards ceremony we all went back to the hotel to change for the party. This is always a slightly strange affair with a cocktail of alcohol, comedown from the competition and long farewells.

There were few people at breakfast the following morning and people went their separate ways, some staying in Japan, some travelling on and some returning home.

Celine and I walked to several temples, including kiyomizu temple on its 40ft stilts, built into the hillside, and temple with its 1,000 tori gates! We got the train back to the Kyoto Traveller's Inn, finding a great little cafe on the way that served okonomiyaki. So Chris, Cora, Jono and we went back there for our last dinner in Japan.

Up at 5am to get the train to the airport and flight to Malaysia via Hong Kong. I am now writing this in Karen's room! It's great to see her again and I'm really looking forward to a holiday.

Will write more of our next adventure later.............

Kyoto

Here we are in Japan, freshly arrived this evening; after a nice long soak in the hot bath of the Traveller`s inn where we are staying the night, things are looking good! The temperature is a lovely mild 25/26 degrees, a big difference from the 31 C we experienced in Hong Kong!

Free day tomorrow before checking in the competition hotel, and starting with the seminar from Nariyama Shihan on Sunday, subarashi!

Saturday 12th September

James picked Lee up from airport.

Richard improved on his international relations when picking up the gi from the laundry, with a lot of hand waving, pointing and telephone translating!

Scott, Chris and Celine went to Tuen Mun to meet with Andy, Chris's maternal uncle in law. We found an area in the local park to exchange ideas [blows!]. After some sparring between Andy and Scott, we worked on our "yi chuan" stance (15 mn seemed a long time to Celine!).




















We had some Shanghai dim sum with Andy before heading back to welcome one-handed Lee to Hong Kong!

Training in the evening, lots of drilling of goshin no kata, collective sweat loss of 10 litres!