24th April 9:31PM

Hannah and I are about 10 hours into the trip to Okinawa and are currently sitting in the Hard Rock Cafe in Singapore. Off to Taipei and then a connecting flight to Naha. We're flying China Airlines for the last leg so we'll probably be holding onto a crate of chickens, or maybe a goat.....

27th April 8:01PM

Hannah and I have been in Okinawa for 48 hours now and it has been a blast! Catching up with old friends and making new ones. The training has been humbling to say the least. The level to which Taira Sensei of the Jundokan has taken the bunkai of the kata is mind blowing to say the least.

We landed at 6:30 Saturday night and by the time we got to our apartment it was 7:30. We were then informed that training started at 8! We got to the dojo at 7:45 and training had already started. No problems, jumped straight in after 42 hours on the go and had a ball. The post training meal at Mama San's was awesome too and we finally got to bed around 2AM (we left early).

Sunday was a chance to sleep in and catch up on some grocery shopping  before going to Shuri Castle for a look around. There was a brief  incident where I left my bag (and video camera etc) on the train but the Okinawans are such kind people that it was immediately handed in at  the station and I was able to get it all back. But, you know how it is, it only takes 1 chicken and now everyone keeps asking "have you got your bag?".

Monday morning, off to Shureido to buy some t-shirts. Lunch at the markets then off to the dojo to train from 2 until 5, then 7 til 10. Hmm, getting old.

Hannah and I arrived early for the evening session and were invited to train with the white belts. We declined, they were way too advanced for us.........

BTW, they only have white, brown and black belts.

A big day in the dojo working on Gekisai Dai Ichi, Gekisai Dai Ni and Saifa.

Tuesday so far. Morning session from 10AM. I did a warmup on the Jundokan makiwara, way cool! Spent the morning working on seiunchin. Lots of fun.

Off to Shuriedo shopping again then to Best Denki looking for a new power supply for the Netbook. Couldn't get online. Washing, dinner, nap, off to training. Gold!

28th April 12:00AM

Evening training covering applications and drills from Seiunchin. Mind blown once again. Still no idea how to do the hip action the way the Jundokan guys do but we'll keep plugging away at it. Both Hannah and I are applying icepacks to our broken bits in our room whilst the others are going out for dinner :( At least we could get takeaway Orion Beeru from the supermarket :)

New Shureido Gi's delivered tonight and the tour t-shirts arrived with the Perth contingent. Now to get some sleep and work out what to do tomorrow after training.

28th April 5:24PM

Another morning session completed. 2 hours on bunkai for Seiunchin and then a bit on Shosochin. What a releif we actually knew tha kata. Met some guys from Belgium who are doing the pilgrimage too, Freddy and Joss. Coincidentally we have communicated through the KSL list before.

Off shopping for souvenirs for a while then visited the Miyagi Chojun memorial in Matsuyama Park. Back home for a feed and a nanna nap before starting all over again at 7:30.

Can't upload photo's yet. Some idiot didn't bring the cable......

28th April 11:10PM

Just completed another 2+ hours on bunkai for Shisochin. Many eureka!! moments around the dojo. It is such an honour to train in what must be the worlds oldest full time karate dojo. A big session with Taira Sensei and his team. Off for dinner.

29th April 4:47PM

Another great training session at the Jundokan with Taira Sensei. Some of this is now starting to gel and will definately be found in classes at SCMA in the future. What Taira Sensei has done is take kata and the associated bunkai to a whole new level.

Lunch with Billy, Bryson, Steve, Paul, Clint, Mick and Hannah after training then a little shopping and R&R. Bought some more magic patches (still don't know what’s in them) to get me through tonight’s session. Hannah and I now have matching tiger eye stone bracelets with baby dragons. Had to get them after we saw Billy's. A great souvenir of the trip. We also go a set of Shisa for the dojo (Google it). Hannah saw a bit of excitement when a local Yakuza got arrested by about a million local cops. Bath time then a nap. TTFN.

30th April 12:54PM

The evening class focussed strictly on the applications of Sanseru and was quite enlightening. I've never had the sensation of the brain being full before. It's quite an experience. No morning training on Friday as Taira Sensei has to work so the first session will be at 2:30PM followed by a short break, the 8PM session and then the welcome party.

All in all a sleep in was in order for Friday morning, particularly given that we stumbled home (stumbling from fatigue) at 2:30AM! Somehow we ended up in a bar called the Eager Beaver - not what you think, it was a Canadian owned and themed bar - with some of the boys, and a Meibukan Goju Ryu black belt from, funnily enough, Canada.

1st May 12:47PM

Well, that welcome party was some party.........

Taira Sensei and his sidekick (and makiwara), Kinjo Sensei loved the SCMA tracksuit jackets we gave them and our logo was a hit. They particularly liked the Okinawan / Aussie connection in the design. A big night was had by all, catching up with old friends and making new ones. I might have to get the international school running again so we can bring one of the guys over for an extended stay.

No training Saturday morning, just the night session. A sleep in was in order, then off to Shureido to pick up my altered gi. Expensive gi's but the fit and cut rock! Hannah and I have ordered "Okinawa 2010" souvenir gi's as well.

For an idea on what we've been doing, check out www.tairabunkai.com

2nd May 12:30PM

Another big training session last night working on the bunkai from Gekisai Dai Ichi and Seiunchin (again but different). Hannah and I both had massages during the off time and we both felt much better for it. Unfortunately I didn't warm up too well and pulled a hamstring.

Things work a bit differently at the Jundokan, the warmup and conditioning work is done before class starts. To begin the class everyone is called to line up, bow in and then it's pretty much straight into the training. So if you arrive at the dojo late (or talk too much) you don't warm up and.....

Seeing today (Sunday) is a training free day everyone decided to head out for a steak and then of to Rehab for some Orion (and Awamori for the hard core). Lots of Americans around today. Apparently it's pay week so they are blowing their wages. There are around 150,000 US military personnel and dependents on the island.

2nd May 9:31PM

An interesting training free day for Sunday. A sleep in was definitely in order then brekky and a cab to Fukushuen Garden for a look around.  Hannah had a great time feeding the turtles and telling the Koi to POQ. A beautiful place but all the info was/is in Japanese so we don't know anything about the place.

We then got a cab to the former Japanese Naval HQ Memorial. This is a series of tunnels that was the Japanese Navies HQ during the battle of  Okinawa in 1945. The photo boards did not need an English translation and they brought home the horrors of war that the local people suffered. A very sombre place and very humbling. The Okinawan people were dragged into a mess not of their making and suffered terribly, both individual and as an entire culture. Many of the visitors thought Hannah and I were American and we did get some stern looks. More than a little uncomfortable really.

We then got a cab to Best Denki, a big electronics store, to get an external HDD to back up the video footage. Another cab ride to Kokusai Dori to the markets. We had a bit of a look around and found an antique store with a couple of Katana for sale, as well as a matchlock rifle and a box of old iron Tsuba. Outside the budget though :(

A wrong turn in the markets found us in the back blocks of Naha heading in completely the wrong direction. No compass and no visible sun in the sky meant we had no point of reference and ended up walking in a big circle for about 10km. Anyway, we gave the locals something to talk about.

Booked in for another massage tonight at 2130. On the way home we stopped off at the Yamamoto family diner for another round of Fried  Rice, Gyoza and Soba, all washed down with the obligatory Orion Beeru. An early night is definitely in order.

3rd May 4:04PM

Another big session on Seiunchin this morning, trying to get the two person drill sorted. Funny thing was there were at least 14 variations of it around the room! Seems that isn't really an issue as long as what you're doing is practical. Hannah and I have decided to learn 1/2 each (i.e. one role) so we can take home complete sets. She is acting as Tori and I'm acting as Uke and so far the theory is sound....

Fatigue is starting to set in all round though and some of us are suffering from fatigue brought about by the all night karaoke bar downstairs. It is a 3 day public holiday here for Golden Week, and the Okinawans do love their karaoke! All bloody night too!

More shopping this afternoon. We took some of the guys to an antique store we found yesterday to check out some antique tsuba's (Y3800 for the 6) and some swords. There was also a very old arquebus. Too hard to sort out with Customs though so none of us bought anything.

5th May 2:25AM

Another huge day after a somewhat late night. We got home at about 0100 this morning and then to bed about an hour after that. The alarm went off at 8 and we were very sluggish. The evenings entertainment mostly revolved around the WA contingent who demonstrated good hand eye coordination with the local bar game called Jenga (see pics) and their prodigious consumption of alcohol. Rumour has it they finished at around 9AM. No wonder they didn't make it to the 10AM session!

The morning session was on the bunkai for Shisochin. The evening session was also on Shisochin but had the interesting addition of some training exercises that involved considerable shoulder / lat / rhomboid work. 

5th May 7:41PM

This morning’s session focussed on the two person set for Gekisai Dai Ichi, which we have mostly 'got' the pattern of. The defenders part is easy, it's the kata! The sessions are less physically intense now too as the feet and hips have given up protesting and simply gone on strike.

Hannah tore a muscle in her hip last night trying to 'snap' like the Jundokan guys. In the end she snapped (LOL).

This afternoon after much ringing and organising (organising things here is "like herding cats") we went to the Okinawa Karate Museum and dojo of Hokama Tetsuhiro Sensei, 10th Dan Gojuryu. An interesting afternoon drinking tea and watching him demonstrate some of the funkiest kata interpretations I've ever seen. Given that I learned long ago not to stand/sit in the front row, I got a good view of the toe and finger locks he applied to some of the guys. Hilarious when it isn't you. He hurt one guy so bad (apparently tapping is not recognised here but screams of "stop! stop!" mean go harder) we all thought he'd wet himself.

Hokama Sensei is also a professional calligrapher and many of the boys bought some souvenirs from him. I bought copies of two of his books which he kindly signed for me.

5th May 11:53PM

Tonight’s session was the biggest (numbers wise) yet. We were joined by a Canadian, a Phillipino and a couple of Frenchmen, as well as Gima Sensei, Kinjo Sensei, Higa Sensei and, of course, Taira Sensei and his son Go San. A big night on the basics tonight. Started with basic Junbi Undo techniques (warmups) and then into forearm conditioning (Ude Tanren).

The Ude Tanren added bruises to the bruises. Great stuff! We then moved on to San Dan Gi variations (3 step drill) with an emphasis on the blocks (forearm conditioning). Not going out
tonight as we have to catch up on washing, blogging and sleeping!

6th May 1:16PM

This morning’s session consolidated the drill for Saifa. Starting to teak the little bits rather than just working on the overall pattern. Lots of very tired little campers in the dojo though and the energy level was a little lower than usual. Some guys have already got their "I'm going home" head on and had trouble focussing. Not us though. We have an extra couple of sessions in small classes after everyone else goes home! Off to Fukushuen Park this afternoon to do some group shots in gi's. Very cliché but what can you do? We're in Okinawa and it's the done thing.

7th May 7:25PM

Last nights training session was again on the basics of blocking Jundokan style. Every block is an attack and/or sets up the next attack. Very interesting stuff. Now to get back and drill it over and over on soft rubber mats.......

The Sayonara party was awesome. Once again we were floored by the open friendliness of our Okinawan hosts and their friends. Amazing, good natured people. Oh, and they can drink!!

The photo's of the Sayonara party pretty much say it all. There were about 25 people crammed into this tiny little bar owned by one of Taira Sensei's friends (plus his wife works there). It was an open bar/food type deal where the food and drink just kept flowing. Joss and Freddy from Belgium came along, as did Dave from Canada. One big happy Goju group.

All the Victorian contingent left to go home today so it will be the WA boys, Hannah, Myself and Bryson here for tonight’s session. Hannah and I went for a trip to check out the Budokan today then went looking for a parting gift for Taira Sensei. He has an appetite for Scotch apparently so we made this little local bottle shop owner a very happy man when we bought a bottle of Chivas. He was so surprised that we'd spend that much that he had to ask twice before he'd believe it!

The weather has been crap all day and currently we're trying to get our washing dry so we can pack and get ready for tonight’s class. Excess baggage is horrendously expensive US$50 per kg per leg) so we're currently throwing out anything that is not a necessity due to all the souvenirs and gi's etc that we bought.

8th May 12:57AM

Tonight was out final session at the Jundokan for this trip. We arrived in the pouring rain and warmed up as usual. It was extremely humid. The Aussie contingent was down to 5. Hannah, myself, the two lads from Perth, and Bryson Keenan. There were 3 French guys and a Canadian as well. We went straight in to Gekisai Dai Ichi and learnt, well, more about Gekisai Dai Ichi (go figure). After about 45 minutes we changed over to Sanseru. All solo kata tonight, not much partner work at all. Mostly working on the finer points of some of the kata and the applications, mostly revolving around the use of the hips.

Hannah and I presented our Sayonara gift to Taira Sensei, a nice bottle of Chivas Scotch (he informed us last night he loves Scotch). Kinjo Sensei said it was "Taira Fuel". Last beers with the boys and (relatively) early to bed.

9th May 7:46PM