13th floor.. so long!!

Got back from a nice dinner with 2 colleagues followed by a German beer..

..and the elevator was not working, blocked at the second floor..

13 floors to work on my diet!!!

Motivations and resolutions take special forms!!!

One session with Nakao sensei, 6.dan

My Sunday of practice in Shanghai with Nakao sensei, went ok. Sensei came again with wife and 2 more students this year. Together with the usual amount of people of Shanghai dojo made all together a nice group.

It was an ok session, something interesting but we did not spend enough time to work on that: it might have been sensei focused on that in the previous sessions or he just wanted to cover more techniques and situations as he actually did. In fact in 2 hours practice with a break we worked an quite a few techniques from katatedori, morotedori, shomenuchi, katadori for ending in ryotedori.

From my point of view, the too short beginning in katatedori was actually the most interesting part. It was not a full katatedori grip, rather just a contact, requiring more work from tori to transmit the intention of movements to uke.  Sensei showed a tenkan movement first and the challenge was in not losing the contact exchange between partners during the rotation and then using this contact for moving uke. Not the first time practicing like this, but I admit I was looking forward to feel the technique from sensei, but for that technique he never came around in the place where my partner and I were practicing. One of the most difficult things for uke is, I think, to not move too much. It perfect applies to an exercise like this, where often tori is not able to transmit a clean contact and then uke “abstracts” the intentions and move without a clear logic. And then the same “misunderstanding” of intentions become recurrent in every technique, where often it is easy to see uke moving without reasons.

After the first tenkan  movement exercise we worked a few other techniques with the same “contact”, but then sensei moved to completely different applications. More traditional shomenuchi and morotedori applications followed by much less traditional katadori kubinage (head throw) variations. This last part was indeed funny, but I admit I tried to get an advanced partner, to avoid unnecessary risks with beginners! I practiced with a Japanese woman traveling from Nakao sensei dojo and it was nice.

All in all, a good session.

I wonder if I will have more next year with him!! 😉

1q84 at Kaiba, Shanghai

So, after enjoying the book over some Japanese meal, I continue a double enjoyment: Murakami and Belgian beer.

Happy hour at Kaiba in Shanghai and a 33cl glass of La Chouffe (8%) at 35 RMB is reasonable.

Relaxing reading preparing for a yet very open evening..

Sent from The Lao Wai’s iPhone

Aikido isolation: Japanese way?

This and next Sunday I will be in Shanghai in order to join for one session only two Aikido seminars organized and held at Shanghai International Aikido Club (SIAC). They are not open seminars but they are basically private events to which last year I was permitted to participate without any problem, even if I am not a member of the club, but I used to be an accepted visitor, if never a guest..

So this Sunday I will meet again Nakao sensei from Kobe and, if nothing happens, next Sunday it will be the turn of Irie sensei from Hombu dojo in Tokyo. Of course, I look much more forward to the latter, and I am quite displeased of the limitation in participation, but this is what dōjōchō (道場長) has decided, so I have been told.

1Q84

Last weekend in Hangzhou I started reading the only Murakami book I hadn’t read yet (I think!): 1Q84.

What a change, finally a new book and not only reading again other books I enjoyed before!

So, last weekend, sitting in a Starbucks, I had a long relaxing time sharing my lunch and then my dessert with the words of this amazing writer.. and tomorrow I’ll be in Shanghai with a whole free Saturday, probably crappy weather and a few new cafe’ to visit (and an already known Belgian beer pub!!).. so I know I will enjoy this book again very much!

1q84 @ Starbucks

Awakening of the dragon

Second day of the second month according to the lunar calendar, and today it is the day of the awakening of the dragon (yes, insect, a big hungry fire-blowing one.. still insect for Chinese!):

Second day of the Tibetan new year celebration as well, and I saw on TV that more than 2thousand people celebrated with a traditional dance (called “Happy Losar”).. a mix of performers and normal people joining in one of the largest squares of Lhasa.

The spirit of the dance is holding hands and form some concentric circles.. a good hope for all people that should become able to live in peace among each other..

And today (no better day) I want to feature the blog of a fellow Aikidoka and blogger:

The First Dragon Rider

What are you staring at?

Jobs today is very boring and you feel like staring only at your computer but seeing nothing?

Why don’t you try then to stare at these images?

三维立体图片, Sānwéi lìtǐ túpiàn, 3-dimensional pictures, or just a simple example of holography on your computer.. that of course I noticed in the clean room where my colleagues were staring at these funny patterns.. sometimes it is very boring to perform testing in clean room! The yellow light I discovered does not help producing the images..

..but if you decide to have a look at that link, you got a few pages for.. procrastination! (especially when your company blocks facebook pages!!)